I like it, someone that's doing their homework before spending a bunch of money
I'm pleased to read that you didn't use balsa. The problem with balsa is that it tends to be like a sponge in that it absorbs water quickly if not sealed completely and is very brittle. I know there are some that use it and claim it's a great material but I wouldn't use it.
Definitely talk to the guys at the club. There's a lot of things that you will need to know/learn and it's a lot easier to do so face to face. When I built my first boat kit back in 1982, I discovered just how little I actually did know the first time I put it on the water. By the time all was said and done, I ended up taking what I could reuse out of the boat and threw what I couldn't in the trash. I was amazed at the learning curve and just how bad my boat was. Fast forward to now and this is what I race:

Before you ask, it's a 1/8th scale powered with an 11cc nitro engine. It's 109.25cm long and 55.9cm wide so it's not exactly small and is capable of over 100KPH