Hi,

My first (and only!) RC boat is the Northwind 36. Allegedly, it's a more advanced boat as it's a developement racing class (36/600 class - being 36" long with 600 sq" inches of sail) and a bit on the technical side. However, I bought it because it looked good in the shop. Construction was relatively easy (my first ever RC kit) and the performance is good. I do a lot of sailing in real boats, so I had a head start in techniques. But I found it straightforward to sail and it has some performance. I took the view it was better to start with something good rather than buy something simple and get bored with it quickly, only to spend more money on the good boat eventually.

There's a 15 page site on this forum about this boat with lots of tips on building and getting the best out of the kit. Plus, it looks really good.

Thoroughly recommended!