How do you build a thriving radio-sailing fleet?
According to longtime IOM sailor, builder, mentor, and fleet promoter Steve Landeau, one of the most effective things you can do is surprisingly simple:
Always have an extra boat.
In Episode 15 of San Diego Argonauts Radio, Commodore Jess Atkinson speaks with Steve about his decades in radio sailing and his remarkable ability to help grow strong IOM fleets wherever he goes.
Also available on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-steve-landeau-says-to-always-have-an-extra-boat/id1874110517
Steve explains that introducing someone to radio sailing becomes much easier when you can simply place a transmitter in their hands and invite them to join the next race. Rather than beginning the conversation with the cost of a competitive boat or the wait for a new build, let them experience the fun first.
“If you’ve got one in the back of your car all the time—an extra one—you hand him that transmitter and say, ‘Come on back anytime you want. I always have an extra boat for you.’ Eventually, he’s going to want to take one home.”
That philosophy has helped Steve introduce countless sailors to the International One Metre class. He frequently buys good used boats, loans them to newcomers, helps owners tune and repair them, and works to keep those boats active within local fleets.
Steve and Jess also discuss:
- Why the DF95 is such an effective gateway into radio sailing
- How experienced sailors can help newcomers progress
- The importance of keeping good used boats active and available
- Choosing a first IOM—and why the BritPOP remains an excellent option
- The Sedici, Vickers designs, Proteus, and other competitive IOMs
- The growing role of 3D-printed boats
- Why sailors should actually read their boat’s tuning guide
- Steve’s work building rigs and supplying hard-to-find parts
- The challenges of transporting larger Marblehead yachts
- The renewed interest in Marblehead racing on both coasts
- What it takes to build and sustain an active local fleet
The conversation also looks back at Steve’s years sailing and building boats on the West Coast, his move to Georgia, and the impressive growth of IOM sailing across the eastern United States.
Following the interview, Jess recaps the recent Region 8 Travelers Trophy finale at Mason Regional Park, including Saturday’s DF95 fleet racing and Sunday’s fast-paced team-racing competition.
Whether you are an experienced racer, a fleet organizer, or someone considering your first radio-controlled sailboat, this episode offers plenty of practical wisdom—and an important reminder that fleets grow when established sailors make it easy for new people to participate.
🎧 Listen to Episode 15: Why Steve Landeau Says to Always Have an Extra Boat
And the next time you head to the pond, consider bringing an extra boat. You never know who might become the fleet’s next great skipper.