Originally Posted by mfr02

The Robbe kit will have a decent manual, hopefully including an English translation. Robbe are no longer with us, but many of their lines were taken up by Krick. Additional parts to make these kits go were usually specified to sell that companies parts, but could usually be bettered at much lower cost by shopping around.
I don't remember an MFA Spear police boat, but do remember the MFA Spearfish, a nice sport outline boat. Construction and outfitting generally was to the owners preferences, but would follow much the same practices as any other similar size and type of model.
The Billing Polar makes a fine model of a trawler. Again, the instructions might have gained something in translation.
Model clubs vary - my lot do a lot of casual sail boating for the feelgood factor, races only happening when more than one yacht is on the water at the same time. The scale guys mostly take satisfaction from seeing good looking boats where they belong, on the water. A neighbouring club is a long established model yacht racing club, take themselves very seriously, and seemingly can only take pleasure from formal racing. Each to their own.