Dear Eddie
You are correct in your assumption that an assisted takeoff is not acceptable, however the rules for landing only say that your model must land within a certain area.
The FAI Rules and therefore the GBRCAA rules state that your model should be capable of an unassisted take-off.
However, (and this bit of my reply may be controversial), if this was the only aircraft you have and you wanted to enter your first Clubman competition, with the mutual agreement of the Contest Director before you enter the competition, you may be allowed to fly.
If you want to gain experience it would be more likely to be able to fly at one of our Introduction to Aerobatics Days at Buckminster (and I know this would not be a problem as we accept any aircraft under 7Kgs which is within the noise limits) or one of our New Pilots Open Days, but again this would be with the prior agreement of the organiser.
I hope this helps.
Ashley