DF95 US National Championship 2025 at Sail Newport - Preview
by Kim Cooper 17 Oct 10:23 BST
Practice race at Sail Newport for the DF95 National Championship © Kim Cooper
"It's like a chess match on the water," says Barr Batzer (Lighthouse Point, FL)
Batzer, along with 59 other top sailors, will race in this weekend's DragonFlite 95 (DF95) National Championship at the Sail Newport public sailing center. Racing starts tomorrow and continues through Sunday. It's the premier national event for the radio-controlled sailboat class.
The DF95 is a 37-inch (95 cm) carbon fiber boat with Mylar sails. Like a full-sized sailboat, wind powers the sails to move the boat through the water. Sailors control sail trim functions of tacking and gybing with a hand-operated transmitter from the water's edge.
The diminutive boat is affordable and easy to transport, no doubt leading to its international success. The American Model Yacht Association (AMYA) sanctions the class and boats race locally, regionally, and nationally worldwide.
The select group of sailors had to qualify for the national championship at regional events throughout the past year.
"In scale, things happen much quicker in RC boats, and there's an infinite number of micro decisions that can affect your outcome. I absolutely love the tactics," Barr adds.
Barr has won the radio-controlled ILCA national championships three times over the past fifteen years. He also won the DF95 nationals, IOM Nationals, Bahamian IOM Nationals, IOM Region two and seven champion, and a DF95 Region 7 champion.
In bigger boats, Batzer says he has raced everything from dinghies to super yachts. Also, he has raced in many one-designs, including Etchells, J/70, Melges 24, and Lightnings.
There's an enormous amount of experience on the roster for the regatta. Along with Batzer, Steve Landeau (Pooler, GA), a multi-time IOM, DF65, and DF95 champion, and Finn races this weekend. Other notables are Peter Feldman, Tony Gonsalves, Sean Fidler,
Also, the local talent from Newport is as likely to shake up the standings with the Read Brothers, Ken (Portsmouth, RI) and Brad (Middletown, RI). Ken is the current International One Metre Class (IOM) North American champion, and Brad was 6th in the 2022 DF95 Nationals.
Jim Pascalides (North Kingston, RI), Tommy Henshaw from Newport, Eric Arndt from Newport and Scott Innes-Jones (Newport, RI) are also top contenders.
Innes-Jones (Newport, RI) is a New Zealand-born sailor recognized for his role as boat captain, particularly on high-performance yachts such as the Cookson 50 "Privateer". He has extensive experience in major offshore events, including the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Fastnet Race, RORC Caribbean 600, and the 2025 Admiral's Cup.
Other local talent to watch includes Eric Arndt, who has won multiple world championships with an extended resume on many high-profile boats. He also participated in a Soling Olympic campaign.
All the sailors will launch from Sail Newport's Admirals Pier in Fort Adams State Park. As anticipated in New England, RC sailors could face wildly variable conditions forecasted for the next three race days.
Most sailors have an inventory of three to four "rigs" of different sizes to adapt to the wind conditions. Unlike on bigger boats, sails cannot be changed during racing, which challenges sailors to control the diminutive boats only with the radio-controlled functions.
Sail Newport and the Newport Model Sailing Club worked in partnership to win the bid to host the event in Newport.
"We're pleased to foster the sport of RC sailboat racing in southern New England and look forward to providing a quality racing experience," says Henry Dipietro, leader of the Newport Model Sailing Club
"Rich in history, Newport is a landmark mecca of sailing in the U.S. It's a wonderful exposure for us to show other sailors how exciting RC sailing is," Batzer adds.
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