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minisµs
Think about what an advantage it would be if you knew that
every time you tossed a coin, it would land heads-up? You’d
never have to buy the next round or give up the last piece of
pizza, and your team would always get to receive the kick-
off! The HobbyZone Zig Zag and the Danvo Mini Star give
you a heads-up in the world of mini boats—one that can
save you a chilly swim or the hassle of rowing to a capsized
craft in the middle of the pond. You see, these two are self-
righting hulls, and that means it’s just about impossible to
strand them upside-down. The concept is pretty simple: put
the weight as low as you can in the hull, seal it so that no
water can leak in and change the weight balance, and make
the deck smooth and rounded. Think of it as an aquatic ver-
sion of a Weeble Wobble toy! When the boat rolls, the
weight of the running gear is suspended well above the
waterline with the air-filled upper deck beneath it and no flat
surface on which to settle. The deck tries to resurface while
the hull tries to resubmerge. They quickly swap places and—
bingo!—you are upright and on your way! #
WATER LOG
The Mini Star accelerates briskly, and the
brass rudder tracks well at any speed. The
two smaller boats tend to porpoise more than
the Mini Star—probably because of the bat-
tery position and the resulting center of
gravity. All three bounce around a little,
which is a lot of fun and not at all difficult to
control. If you flip them over, the boats right
themselves in a second or two.
The Mini Star probably offers more
performance than any of the micro boats. It is
the fastest in a straight line, and because you
must supply your own speed control and bat-
tery, you can opt for more power if you wish.
As long as you have the know-how to pick
the parts and install them, it will be hard to
beat the Mini Star.
data center
MANUFACTURER: Danvo
Racing Products
MODEL: Mini Star
BEST BUYER: boaters with
one or two models’
experience
LENGTH: 13 in. (330mm)
WIDTH: 5.5 in. (140mm)
WEIGHT: 14.5 oz. (411g)
POWER: 380 electric motor
(included); 6-cell NiMH
rechargeable battery pack
(not included)
RUN TIME: 10 to 15 min.
PRICE: $99.99 (radio system
not included)
DANVO RACING PRODUCTS
(440) 779-7003; danvo.com.
Danvo’s were among the first mini boats on the market, and they
remain some of the smallest. The distinctive barrel-back shape and
low center of gravity allow this boat to right itself almost instantly
from even the most spectacular tumbles. Performance-wise, the
Mini Star is a real winner, thanks to the included 380 motor and
driveline. It requires a bit more experience to assemble, and you’ll
have to supply your own speed control, servo linkage and radio
gear. The Mini Star doesn’t have a separate, sealed electronics
compartment, so you’ll need to seal it well with waterproof tape
each time you run it. For these reasons, buyers should already have
a boat or two under their belts. We spent most of our time on the
Mini Star, but even smaller boats—the Micro Star and the Jet Ski—
are available, and they share the same characteristics.
Danvo Mini Star
SELF-RIGHT-EOUS!
GET WET MICRO BOAT GUIDE
SKILL LEVEL
COOL FACTOR
PERFORMANCE
everyone intermediate advanced
min.
max.
min.
max.
Even when the hulls are dragged well under water, their natural buoyancy pushes them back to the surface so forcefully that they leap as much as a foot out of the
water! The weight distribution ensures that they always land right-side up and ready to race. We tried this stunt 20 or 30 times in a row, and it worked every time!