RS1 was built in 1893 for the Norwegian Society for Shipwreck Salvage at the Colin Archer shipyard in Rekkevig near Larvik, Norway. It was later named Colin Archer after its designer and builder.

The sharp stern design of the vessel has given it worldwide renown. Roughly 30 boats of this type were built, most of them at the Colin Archer shipyard at Tollerodden in Larvik.

This kit includes laser cut wooden hull and wooden strips, fittings set, sails, rigging thread, plan and manual.

Note: Suited to beginner model builders and up

Billing Boats History

In the early 50s Mr. Ejnar (Ed) Billing, a former RAF pilot during WWII, was working as an Architect in the town of Esbjerg in Denmark. His wife was running a Hobby shop called Vestjydsk Hobby and Mr. Billing was proudly displaying his build up model of a Danish Fishing Boat. At that time there were no actual modelboat kits around, from which you could make a boat. One day a Danish magazine saw this beautiful model in the window of the Hobby Shop and were very interested in buying 50 “build ups” of this Fishing Boat for a competition the upcoming summer. Mr. Billing was very keen on the idea, but it was a huge undertaking making 50 models, so he came up with the idea to make the model as a kit, exactly the same way you would build a real ship. This was when the concept “plank-on-frame” was invented by Mr. Billing, which is now used by all modelboat manufacturers around the world. Up until 1958 the kits were produced under the name “VHT” Vestjydsk Hobby Teknik, but this changed as Mr. Billings products became known outside Denmark. August 1958 the Billing Boats logo and name was a reality, and the company started to be known around the world as the first and the finest manufacturer of model boats.