Model Boats: Volume 23, Issue 274 – October 1973

= odel a t Eon OCTOBER 1973 =: U.S.A. & Canada Seventy-five cents HOBBY MAGAZINE European, British A Class, National Pilot Championships ¢ Paddle Steamer Marmion e R/C Yacht OCTOBER 1973 1973 A-Class Championships and International Yachting Monthly Cup Report by Joyce Roberts, Photos by J. Browne and the Editor HERE was a record entry for the 1973 Championships, 56 boats including 14 foreign entries, two from South Africa and one from Australia, and the usual European entries. The last boat to arrive was to prove the most interesting of the entries, and as it did not take part in the practising no-one knew what to expect — but the long shape with two bombs on it and a Revolution counter boded no good for anyone! Other new boats included a including Peter Pim, did not go as well as they might be expected to, the excitable French pair getting three points out of the Pollahn brothers. The final heat of the morning saw even greater wind speeds, with runs down number of Clockwork boats seen last year at Gosport and Hamburg. Racing commenced at 9a.m. on Sunday morning, with a very good Fleetwood wind, down the lake from the top end, and most yachts had 2nd. suits up. Divisional sailing had been decided upon, 14 boats in four fleets. All the boats were out on the Sunday, each fleet racing amongst themselves. There were some very good runs in the steady wind conditions, and Revolution started to make its mark, beating Clockwork Orange both ways. I think most skippers began to wonder what was coming to them, as in strong winds, beating, Chris Dicks and his boat would regularly overtake at least the pair in front. The wind direction remained the same all day, but slackened slightly later on. With club boats sailing each other on this first day there were a few boats that lost more the most exciting backwards over (or under) the line, while spectators shouted to someone in the water not to touch her before she had won! Only four heats had been completed during the morning, and Longshot finished with 41/50 points. eight people were to be seen through the curtain of rain, everyone else was trying to shelter. One heavyweight boat, Kubernetes, came into her own, getting up the lake well ahead of Spinaway. Still Revolution finished the day Spinaway had 52. with 100 per cent record, 60/60. Tuesday started with a more moderate wind, but it gradually got stronger. C & D completed 16 heats before coming off the water at mid-day. Skippers were by now looking very weary, having sailed from 2-9 p.m. then 8-12a.m. Carrying heavy boats, walkf wa aes et = points than they expected in the good conditions including Shenandoah beaten by Black Tarquin, Spinaway beaten by Solitaire, and Flamingo beaten by Westwind. Only six heats were completed with so many boats, and Revolution had 100 per cent record. Monday saw A & B sailing at 8 a.m. The weather was dull, the wind starting from the hotels, then coming round to Sunday’s direction, but stronger. The O.O.D. thought that the standard of sailing was very poor, and the number of breakdowns was ominous if the weather was going to continue at the same strength all week. The heavyweight boats sailing, Cup from seconds, wind until 4 p.m. when there was a sudden squall, with hail and near darkness. Only four boats and German entries were the same Chris Dicks receives the Y.M. 70 C & D fleets sailed after lunch, with slightly less also a couple of new Joe Meir designs in the Bourn- Top, to moment being when the South African boat Suiderkruis sank near the finish, without a mast, drifting Oranges, including a couple built with a conventional deck, and a Fred Shepherd design, Longshot, sailed by Jim Major, that has proved a good boat at Birkenhead and Fleetwood this season. There were ville contingent. The getting Flcetwood’s mayor. 0.0.D. Ken Jones stands at right. The chairman of the new Fylde authority went on record at the ceremony promising at least as much support for Fleetwood club and lake as they have previously enjoyed. Right, second place boat Longshot, Fred Shepherd’s first ‘A’ design and what we felt one of the most interesting other boats, Hughie Shields’ 35 Ib. Glen Livit, virtually a beefed-up 10R; note taped-up damage. 413 ni FU Here it is – several views of Revolution, to help those who were Caliper-eyeing the boat all week! A bare 57 in. on the waterline, she gains about 10 in. sailing length as soon as she heels, quite legitimately. Her big advantage, however, is still the skill of her skipper. ing up the lake against the wind, rain and sand, tussling with spinnakers, getting the boat into the water with the full force of wind at the top of the lake, then running to the bottom again to stop the boat being damaged was getting too much for some skippers and mates, and C & D fleets were glad of the afternoon’s rest. But it must be added that the officers had no such break, an hour at lunch if they were lucky and there were a few resails, then they had another six or seven hours to look forward to. The afternoon session proved to be even more hectic than the morning’s, with gusts up to 35 knots. At one stage the O.O.D. called skippers together and asked for a vote on whether to continue sailing, stop sailing, or sail only beats. The latter course was decided upon, but as soon as the boats had reached the top of the lake, in third or fourth or smaller suits, the wind strengthened even more, so an early tea was taken for at least an hour. Breakdowns were getting more serious, Fascination was going through masts like matchsticks, boats were getting dropped by tired skippers and skegs and rudders getting broken. Fortunately no damage was done by boats hitting the concrete at the bottom, or by boats slicing through other boats, but it could have happened. All damaged boats hoped to be repaired by the next day. Spectator interest was steadily growing throughout the week, the talking point being Revolution, and speculation was intense, would it be possible for anyone to get any points from this boat in these conditions? By now skippers just seemed to be trying ‘oo hard to beat the champion, and boats with good trims would take their turn and skippers perform the worst they could! Wednesday proved to be calmer, and the weather was warmer. A and B fleets had top suits on in the morning, and Westwind, Peter Pim and Fascination found things more to their liking, taking points out of other top boats. At the end of 22 heats these fleets finished for the morning, still not halfway through Top, Spinaway was again well sailed to place 3rd, though dropping two points here. Centre, this had every spectator craning his neck — Black Tarquin, oldest boat in the fleet, leading Revolution up the lake, almost to the finishing line, but the gods still smiled on the latter, Bottom, Fascination, 5th place, just winning from a German boat. 414 OCTOBER the race. C & D finished at 7 p.m. with 22 heats also, so a comparison of scores could be made. Revolution had 110, Spinaway 92, Fascination 89, Longshot 88, and Clockwork Orange 87. By now everyone thought they knew the winner, and there were only the other two English places in the International to fight for. And only until a deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday to do it in. On Thursday the wind was a reach off the hotels, and this gave the skippers a chance to perform in different wind conditions. The direction was not steady, and scoring was reversed at one point. By Sp.m. 27 heats had been completed, and all the boats sailed after tea, for the first time since Sunday. Only one board could be completed however, the wind suddenly rose again, and everyone had to help to catch boats at the bottom of the lake. The gusty winds however did not make for fast runs, and some skippers found themselves struggling again. Friday saw another wind change, off the sea this time, and getting lighter all day. This really did bring a turn around in the scores. Geronimo worked her way up, and in a final resail finished in 10th place, pushing out Shenandoah who had been in the first 10 all week, until a disastrous final day. Even Revolution’s unbroken record went, Wayward Wind getting 2 points on a run. Black Tarquin nearly got 3, but even the wily Walter Jones could not compete against the equally clever Chris Dicks, and a bit of sleight of hand near the finish meant that Walter guyed, and Chris sailed the course on an advantageous wind. Everything seemed to go right for him, the wind near the top end did everything unexpectedly, and most people found that they could not anticipate its whims. From a scorers’ viewpoint the most peculiar things were done to boats, and many of them sailed straight down the line on the wrong side of it — there were quite a few surprise finishes. 33 heats were completed by 5 p.m. There had to be one sail off for 7th place between Peter Pim and Flamingo. A lot of work then had to be done behind the scenes checking the top scores, checking score cards, filling in result sheets, interviewing reporters, working out the scores for the Neptune Trophy, and all this to be ready for 7.30 for the dinner. At the prizegiving there was a standing ovation for the winner, Chris Dicks, and laughter when he said that he hoped he would be beaten at Gosport next year. It really was a magnificent performance, a good boat on a favourable wind with an exceptionally good skipper. Neither Chris nor his mate were guilty of a disqualification, most times they were not near enough to their opponent to be in any risk! A comment was made that at least he was proved human by losing 2 points. The Birkenhead team won the Neptune trophy, and a team of three boats picked out of a hat won the new TOTs trophy, the three boats being Europa, Fascination and Bob Cat. Saturday and Sunday saw the International race being sailed in bright conditions, sunny and warm and little wind, Very pleasant after a very hard week’s sailing. Revolution did not have such a commanding lead this time, losing 3 points in the first heat to Glen Livit. After this Chris changed his sails to a pair having more fullness let into the bottom, and Revolution went a lot better. The cups were shared out amongst the English boats, Revolution winning the Rough conditions early in the week — top, Glen Livit trying to get away, centre, the sort of melee that caused damage — the Dutch boat’s mast bends dangerously, hooked at the top to another already involved with a third! Bottom, Kay Jacobsen was one of several leaping in to stop boats; here he wrestles with 6th placer Westwind. 415 1973 Yachting Monthly Cup, Spinaway the Johnny Cup, and and Longshot the Wing and Wing. Recollections of the race are many — it really was a memorable week. After so many years with very little wind there seemed to be an unending quantity. Many skippers and mates found that in such quantities for so long it was just too much for them, and a few said that they did not think they would be able to return to Fleetwood again for a whole week’s sailing. I have already mentioned Revolution, but I must also say something about the other top boats. Longshot is proving to be a very good boat, looks very fast in the water, and sails in most conditions. Jim Major and David Latham worked well as joint skippers, and made very few mistakes. It would be interesting to see a few more Longshot boats, sailed by different skippers. Again Spinaway and Mick Harris proved to be a good combination, finishing only 1 point behind Longshot. The next two boats have also been seen before, Clockwork Orange and Fascination, in fact up to 10th and Geronimo they were familiar MODEL BOATS SCORES Pos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7; No. Boat K939 = Revolution K945 ~—_ Longshot K919 Spinaway K921 Clockwork Orange D55 Fascination G139 Westwind G.van Hoorebeke Belgium Lewis 62 82 57 25 60 99 117 Birkenhead Y.M.6 Norsworthy Meir 55 67 82 85 53 24 12 60 44 105 89R 116 114 R. K. D. R. Gosport Birkenhead Bournville Guildford — Lewis Meir Meir Stollery 68 65 67 36 86 85 85 70 59 58 56 21 20 25 12 63 57R 55 53 98 104 84 94 109 109 67 85 59 54R Solitaire G. Reeves Wayward Wind KU104 Kami Sami Kraken Anita J. Robinson H. Dodd H. Dovey K. Armour V. Knapp K833 Bobcat R. Burton K875 —s Zerlina K936 Moonraker IV K917 _—_ Shiralee R. Fogarty P. West G. Sheward Fleetwood Birkenhead Bournville Leeds Gosport Meir Lewis Ipsen Lewis 79 55 64 60 18 55R 105 147 114 111 18 15 18 24 51 50 40 48 93 90R 85 77 77R 108 100 98 97 96 Lewis Daniels/ Levison 65 Eastbourne Priest 52 Gosport Levison 64 Gosport Turner/West 66 YM6 Lewis 67 Holland Levison 64 Y.M.6 Meir 63 Fleetwood Dicks 60 Fleetwood O’Berge 62 Cleethorpes Lewis 79 Birkenhead Lewis 61 South Africa Dicks 62 Birkenhead Lewis 66 Fleetwood Daniels 58 Scotland Shields 35 Germany _ Lewis 66 Newcastle Stollery 36 Newcastle Stollery 36 Holland Levison 63 Guildford Stollery 36 Leeds Priest 53 Gosport Levison 69 14 19 42 45 86 77 96 96 17 17 15 13 5 15 18 10 10 12 11 14 17 12 8 6 7 11 9 10 38R 39 83 75 68 65 88 83 82 25 H15 Anicea 26 K940 Aubade N. Hatfield 27 28 29 30 K911 K900 K898 K779 SA41 K932 K789 Hot Pants Blue Knight Kubernetes Red Gauntlet Defiance Europa Philippa A. Bell P. Nash H. Briggs E. Quigley D. Gerson J. O’Connor D. Parkinson KS26 Glen Livit Ricochet Endeavour Stardust H. Shields F. Jacobsen Jr. G. Keeley A. Tait F. Hoogewerff P. Bussey M. Rawnsley R. Starkey Dolly Bird G. Webb Birmingham Lewis 57 16 K. van Dael Belgium Lewis 62 15 P. Mustill V. Bellerson E. Latham Mrs. S. Armour H. Atkinson E. Leech D. Bush L. van Dyk Birkenhead Bournville Fleetwood Leeds Leeds Fleetwood Leeds Turner Lewis Lewis Dicks Lewis Ipsen Lewis South Africa Dicks 61 67 62 56 56 56 57 62 6 10 11 12 15 10 12 34R 24 21 22 27R 26 23 48 48 M. Bertoux T. McGuiness J. Hyde France Scotland Clapham Boussy Dicks Dicks 56 58 59 17 11 6 28R 23 9R 41 34R 23 40 39 34 32 34 G135 Hamburg K946 Pipe Dream K952 ~~‘ Fruit Machine H16 Yellow Boomerang 39 40 K941 K899 K922 42 K953__—— 43 B42 44 45 K803. K930 K790 K923 K925 K954 K831 47 49 50 Stormvogel Tuppence = Alberta ~—- Blenheim Rufus _~—s— Playtex _~—s— Drrina __‘ Trilby 51 SA9 52 53 54 F56 3 JM KS25 —— Constellation K877 Emperor Suiderkruis J. Hoogewerff Bournville 24 114 108 105 109R 99 W. Jones E. Carter K951 K916 K876 K924 K929 60 Friday 33 hts. 163 132 131 127 126 120 Black Tarquin Geronimo K947 91 Thursday 28 hts. 140 Flamingo 15 15 Tuesday 16hts. 80 66 70 62 43R 58 Peter Pim Gardner Roberts Lippett Cole Germany _ Lewis Pds. L.O.A.L.W.L.day Disp. ins ins. 6hts. 48 93 57 30 54 75 57 25 61 86 58 27 36 70 56 20 55 81 20 67 ra 58 26 K698 K934 K935 ~— Silhouette K896 Shenandoah K937 = Sparticus K944 Morgan le Fay G. Pollahn Designer Dicks Shepherd Meir Stollery Ipsen Lewis B41 12 13 22 23 24 Club Clapham Birkenhead Bournville Guildford Denmark Germany G138 9 10 16 17 18 19 SunSkipper C. Dicks J. Major M. Harris R. Stollery K. Ipsen F. Jacobs Sr. 4 44 68R 81 23 61 80 42 32 31R 38 33 38 34 74 65 55R 65 65 59 66 79 76 75 74 74 72 72 33R 57 69 29 31 25 44 59 56 57 58 69 69 69 69 25 41 27. 53 57R 52 68 68 66 30 50 65 39 57 63 56 41 41 41 44 49 44 60 56 56 54 54 51 49 27 55 KA7 Almar A. Dawson Australia Lewis 59 3 17 29 31 56 K909 Blue Falcon A. Prescott Fleetwood Daniels 56 13 15 30 30 Neptune Trophy (nominated team) 1. Birkenhead — Longshot, Black Tarquin, Shenandoah 2. Bournville — Kami Sami, Spinaway, Sparticus 3. Germany — Peter Pim, Westwind, Hamburg Tots Trophy (teams drawn from hat) Europa, Fascination, Bob Cat, 294 faces. Eric Carter worked his way up the fleet well, after an unfortunate disqualification against Morgan Le Fay, both boats ending up with no points on the beat! Morgan Le Fay was disqualified in the normal way, but Eric and mate were so pleased with their apparent win that they forgot to complete the course, and towed up! The new idea in recent Championships of having a protest committee to sit on protests during the race worked very well, and four protests were heard. By the end of the week quite a few people knew the rules in the little blue book better than they thought possible, and a few rules that were thought to be in 416 359 337 306 were found not to be. There is the question of whether a boat can be lifted out of the water, bailed out, then returned in the same spot and continue racing. The protest committee decided that it could. Can a skipper change choice of berths and choice of ends in a double resail taken when scoring has been reversed? (And can you get much more complicated than that?) So the Championship ended. The officials were as tired as the competitors, and the Ladies in the Canteen, all had worked practically non-stop all week. Howard Dodd had produced magnificent starting schedules, Mr. & Mrs. Rodrick were cooped up (continued on page 419) MODEL BOATS An American R/C Yacht Kit Bob Jeffries reports on his findings with the ‘Soling’ Marblehead Seven Marbleheads racing at the New Forest R/C M.Y.C. water. The Soling in the article is the centre boat. READERS of the last issue will recall how I was able to sail in one of the top regattas in America with a borrowed Soling-M yacht. I was so pleased with its performance that I obtained one and brought it back to England with me. The Soling-M is a scale model of the full-size 27 ft. three-man keel boat that won its class in the Kiel (Germany) Olympics in 1972. The Vortex Model Engineering Co. of Santa Barbara, California, who have been making the larger S/B class model yacht, wanted to market a smaller boat, and chose the Soling, scaling it down so that it met the internationally recognised ‘M’ class. Some two years were spent in development, and a prototype won the American Model Yachting Association Class Championship in 1971. Since then the Soling has notched up an impressive list of wins. These include first place in the AMYA Western Region Championship, and in the North American Model Boat Championship, Solings claimed first, second, and two Solings tied for third place in open competition. These results speak for themselves. The Soling kit comes complete right down to the / \ 420 last screw. It only needs a sail winch, which can be supplied as an extra, and the radio equipment. The yacht at present is only available in white, but there is a variety of colours available for the sails. The kit provides a finished hull in glass fibre, and a finished deck also in glass fibre; the finish is a very high gloss, so no further finishing or painting is required. The keel is in cast iron, with the mating surface machined and fixing holes drilled and tapped. It requires some work with a file, and the instructions emphasise that it should be finished and painted to a really good finish. This is important, as besides improving the appearance, it will go a long way towards reducing the drag. The mast and main boom are in nice straight grained spruce and require finishing to the oval shape shown on the drawings. I have varnished mine, although -they could be painted a colour to match the remainder. All the metal fittings and rigging wire are supplied finished, and only need assembling. The rudder is an aluminium die casting with the stainless steel shaft cast in. The finish is such that it needs only to be painted. OCTOBER 1973 Drawing opposite is reproduced from an advertisement leaflet by courtesy of Vortex Engineering. The SCU, visible above, is converted from a Drone target aileron servo; satisfactory, and many hundreds are now in use. works fine but is a little The rigging instructions, as mentioned before, are bulky and very complete, and there is no difficulty whatever in weighs 1} Ib. The hatch or cockpit moulded in the hull is to scale, and a true replica of the full-sized craft. A transparent cover or lid is supplied. This springs over the flange moulded on the deck. I was a little worried as to the possibility of water getting in, but after quite a lot of sailing in rough water, the seepage has been negligible. The sails supplied with the kit are in Dacron. I chose green colour for mine. The jib is of considerable interest, as it is of a design that I have not seen before. It does not have the conventional boom; the boom, if we can call it that, is a thin plastic flexible strip enclosed in a pocket. This is done to keep the boat to scale, as the prototype was so equipped. I was apprehensive as to this scheme meeting the ‘M’ class rules, but nothing is said in the rules that the boom must not be flexible, fitted in a pocket, or just where it should be fitted. There has been much argument over this, but I now understand the International Model Yacht Racing Union is to rule whether an infringement has been made. The efficiency of this arrangement is not in dispute. The sailing performance shows the success of the design. Included in the kit is a most comprehensive set of instructions. This covers every stage of assembly, and at the end gives a very clear and concise: set of sailing instructions, and suggestions on tuning to get the utmost performance. The only criticism I could make is that they are too complete, and one needs to read and read again to clarify any point. There is a complete index at the start which helps somewhat. Included in the instructions are full rigging details, and recommendations regarding radio installation. Vortex Engineering supply as an extra a sail winch which is a dual affair, and besides setting the sails, it also has a jib trim. For this a three-channel radio is needed. This unit, which the Americans call the sail control unit or SCU, is the same as they supply for the bigger S/B boat. It is supplied not only with its Own separate rechargeable battery, but also a charger and necessary plugs and leads. The charger is unfortunately for 110 volts, but probably one for 240 volts could be supplied to special order. I have fitted this SCU to my Soling, but have modified it considerably. As supplied, it is for positional control, and I personally much prefer to have my controls proportional; my modifications are rather complicated, and beyond the scope of description here. The positional control as supplied is quite finding the correct trim. No adjustment is necessary, for example, in the mast setting. They have spent a lot of time in getting this right. With the Soling I sailed in America, I found the correct trim literally in minutes. My own boat has been equally easy. The boat is somewhat of a lightweight, since it weighs, complete with radio ready to sail, just 18 lb. This light weight is a very definite advantage in light winds, but I found no difficulty in controlling it in a really stiff breeze. The boat is very responsive to the rudder, and I found that when beating to windward, it was easier to hold the course using the trim control on my transmitter, only using the main control when going about around marks or tacking. The setting of the jib in relation to the mainsail is most important, and it is here where the extra jib control is an advantage. It enabled me to find the optimum setting whilst sailing, and not to have to bring the boat to the pondside every time I wanted to make an adjustment. Vortex Engineering state the building time is between 25 and 50 hours. I did not keep an accurate check of my time, but it was certainly between these times. I found no difficulty anywhere in the construction. Possibly the point that needs most care is the cementing of the deck to the hull. The instructions give full details, but for this only, I enlisted the aid of a fellow club member. It is important as soon as the epoxy is applied to the joint, to get the deck firmly taped down before the resin starts to set. A point to bear in mind is to avoid getting the wet resin onto the hull and deck via sticky fingers. What else can I say about the Soling-M? It is a fast boat, and likely to win many races. It is not un- beatable, and I am sure that in open competition there are other good boats that will give it a run for its money. It is, however, a simple, though not cheap, way of getting into the forefront of model R/C yachting. The price? So far it is not available on the British market, but I understand there is a possibility of it being marketed here in the near future. The complete kit costs 125 dollars in America plus 75 dollars for the sail control unit. A complete finished yacht including Kraft radio, ready to race, costs 510 dollars. Marketed over here, we would have the freight from California, import duty and VAT, so the price here may be high. One must bear in mind, though, that ownership of a model yacht is a permanent thing; there is no likelihood of serious damage, and with 421 a (continued on page 436) MODEL BOATS Readers Write… ’ ORANGE COMMENT A’ CLASS RULE CHANGES ’ Dear Sir, | was interested in Mr. J. A. Lewis’ letter in ‘Model Boats’ August 1973, regarding possible changes to the International A Class rules. Being a newcomer to Model Yacht design, | am not really in a position to comment, but as one who has always been interested in yacht design, | would like to say that basically there is nothing wrong with the rules. When a rule has been in existence for a number of years, it is natural that designers get more and more out of it, and find loopholes where weaknesses can be exploited. But this rule has produced a good type of boat for so long, and that speaks for itself. The rule is what | think Maldon HeckstallSmith called a restriction rule, | do believe, From Mr. Lewis’ letter | gather that designs could be produced that in the view of a number of people do not represent their image of what an ‘A’ class yacht should be. | take it that the penalty on designers could Displacement, and duce a light displacement of hull which would have take pro- planing type reduced sail area. If the I.M.Y.R.U. Rules committee consider that the ‘A’ class continues as it is, and what was intended, | take it that the answer would be to increase the penalty on Displacement, and so reduce the sail area still more when penalised. To quote the restriction in the rules as they exist today: ‘In the event of it (D) being less than one fifth of the L.W.L, + .4 then the amount equal to the deficit up to the value of 8D shall be deducted from the actual cube root for use in the measurement formula.’ | feel that it is a pity to change the character of this class, and this small modification in the rules would be a way of keeping it as it is. But to sum up, | do agree with Mr. Lewis that no modification should be rushed through. Much could be said for both schools of thought, The off shore racing fleet of today have no restriction on displacement. Tumblehome is the result, beam measurement being taken between the waterline and deck. Shaldon, Teignmouth, G. K. Collyer Devon Dear Sir, On first reading, Kai Ipsen (July issue) nearly had me convinced, but | am sure in fact that he is overstating his case. Tumblehome is not a speed factor and no attempt is made in the rule to limit it. | suggest that the limitation on deck camber was _ intended by Heckstall-Smith to be interpreted as a quite different matter and was not meant to be a crude method of limiting tumblehome. That the rule allows even a ‘conventional’ boat to have as much tumblehome as_ the designer wishes was demonstrated by the appearance of a Midlands boat at the Championships in 1967 — the year that Kai’s unconventional Laila // made her first appearance. This particular boat had so much tumblehome that her deck is very narrow — so much so that | have heard it said that the builder had a spare 10 rater deck lying around and fitted that! To my knowledge no protest has ever been made about this boat, nor about Dambuster in the same year — 1967. Kai is hardly being reasonable when he complains . . . ‘the speed by which the GRP hulls can be produced, and the time it takes to provide against un- desirable development’ provides unfair competition. In my opinion boats are not being built fast enough; | know of at least one ailing club where an injection of say a dozen boats — oranges, yellow submarines, anything you like — is probably the only way of saving it from disaster. Quite why Kai is convinced that a light displacement turtle-deck boat will have an advantage over a conventional boat when beating to windward is not clear to me. Current experience in this country does not bear this out. For example, this year’s M Team Championship, where conventional boats did very nicely, thank you, under just the conditions Kai quotes. Furthermore, every ‘advantage’ has its disadvan- tages somewhere; what will ‘Orange’ owners do if we all start using genoas? Think about that, Kai — you’ll be laughing all over your face — or will you? | think it is Kai who has lost the proportions of the A class out of sight when he says . . . ‘we might as well revoke QBL and draught restrictions | ” if we are to allow turtle decks. For goodness sake, that really is being silly. To conclude: the oranges have their part to play; no axemen, please. Hornchurch Geoff Sheward REGATTAS (continued from page 433) Clacton Offshore The Clacton Offshore Model Powerboat Race was to have been run on Sunday, 6th May starting at 10.30 a.m. However, by this time, a Force 4/5 was blowing straight on to the jetty, making it impossible to bring the chase boats alongside. The Offshore Race was therefore cancelled. Fortunately, the organisers had an alternative to fall back on —- everything was packed up and transported to the Dovercourt Yacht Pond. The unsuspecting yachtsmen using the lake at the time of the mass arrival, very kindly agreed to remove their models to allow proceedings to carry on. Plastic footballs were hastily bought from a_ local souvenir store, tied to bricks and laid in a diamond-shaped course. The 52 entries were divided into nine multi heats of 15 minutes’ duration each. The conditions were far from calm, giving the rough-water boats the conditions they prefer. 430 REGATTA EXPENSES Dear Sir, In reply to the letter from Mr. J. |. Boyle, secretary Stevenage MAMS, July issue, Taking the latter part of his letter | would like to point that not all clubs have the luck (even through hard work) to obtain sponsorship from local firms or councils, enabling them to have new regatta equipment, let alone repair workshops provided. Although we, i.e. the Sheffield Ship Model Society, are on good terms with our council and appreciate their help and donations for the regattas we put on, we do suffer lack of support from local firms so that all the necessary equipment has to be bought out of club funds. Lately, items such as new P/A system, a judges’ tent, etc.; these are only bought once or twice in many years, but there are still the replacements through wear and tear of marker buoys and all general regatta items. We too put on a 24-minute Le-Mans endurance race and the additional equipment needed, lap counter boards, frequency boards, etc., are made by club members. Stop watches are provided by one or two individuals, this all helps to keep cost down when being self supporting. Where a club has to keep solvent by its own means, | am quite sure this does not jeopardise the organisation or deter other clubs from giving their support; they too, | am sure, are in the same boat, as it were. | would have thought it should be more the other way, like our own club we rely on a good entry to boost the funds. Our regattas have to be well organ- ised with quality prizes and a good day’s sailing ahead of each competitor. This has brought us compliments and thanks from visiting clubs; we see the same people each year and they often bring along new faces, this gives us great confidence, maybe next time we might see you at our 24 Mini LeMans. Other ways we have of raising money are to have a raffle on club night or a bring-and-buy and with any item sold through the club or newsletter a _ percentage of the sale price is taken, We have a good following, both junior and senior members, but there is always a steady out-going of expenditure and this has to be overcome somehow by any feasible method of income. J. E. Blackwell Hon. Treasurer Sheffield SMS By now a Force 7/8 was blowing, causing the sea to break over the nearby seafront with considerable violence and convincing the organisers that they had made the right decision to adjourn to Dovercourt — at least no life was at risk at the lakeside. Several of the competitors felt the meeting had been more exciting than had it actually been offshore, this being due to the close racing of four boats at once in ‘offshore’ conditions, the waters were that rough. Casualties included several prangs,and one sinking (almost). Last year’s ‘B’ Class Champion, R. Prior, had a spell of bad luck when his Tiburon Mk. 2 was matched against P. Gomez’s Barracuda, P. Simmonds’s Screwdriver and D. Harvey’s Tiburon Mk. 2. In a space of a few minutes he ran over the Barracuda, folding up his prop, and then succeeded in blowing both glo-plugs. Although he charged back into the fray, his chances of being placed had vanished. The organisers wish to thank the sponsors of the race: (continued opposite) MODEL BOATS Grand Regatta The 1973 M.P.B.A. Grand Regatta was held on 29th July 1973 at Victoria Park. Eighteen different clubs took part which included competitors from as far afield as Birkenhead, Heaton, South Shields, Gwent and North Birmingham. At this regatta the award of a ‘Veteran’ trophy for the best boat over 30 years old was inauguraed. [he trophy is to be awarded annually at the M.P.B.A. Grand Regatta and was donated by Lt. Cdr. Greenhaulgh. It consisted of the original piston of the late Ted Vanner’s Leda III finely mounted. The award was won by Tony Falconer of the Blackheath Club with his very fine river launch William Butler which he has completely overhauled and refurnished and brought back in a first class condition — a very worthy winner. The first highlight of the day was the demonstration run of Leda III by Lt. Cdr. Greenhaulgh, who has completely overhauled and rebuilt this famous 63-year-old power boat. The second was a very fine run by another piece of powerboat history — the Innocent Brothers’ 30 c.c. hydroplane Betty, holder of the World hydrcplane speed record from 1933 to 1939, This model was acquired by Arthur Cockman, Victoria Club, who has spent many hours bringing it back to running order, and at this regatta it returned a speed of 26.63 m.p.h. which is just 7 m.p.h. below her 1933 World speed record — not bad for a 40-year-old hydroplane! Both these events were much appreciated and received loud applause from the watching audience. It was very nice to see Mrs. Vanner at the regatta and she kindly presented the trophies and prizes. Alan Rayman then presented a tankard to John Benson from the Blackheath Club members for his service to model powerboat- Left, Mick Harris and = mate with Road Runner, centre, Harry Briggs and nephew with Voyageur. Right, Bristol S.M.E.E. display at the Water Festival. Round the Regattas The third Bristol Water Festival was held on 23rd/24th June in the City Docks, and the Boat Section of the Bristol S.M.E.E. were asked to put on a display of model boats in the Exhibition Hall. Over a dozen models were shown including a selection of tugs, launches, power boats and a superb ‘A’ Class yacht built by Fred Craman. There was also two unfinished models — one of the tug Sun XXI, and a very fine plank on frame hull of the paddle steamer Scotia, being built by Bruce Fleet. One of the models which aroused a lot of interest especially among the older generation was a 30-year-old scale replica of the Bristol paddle steamer Britannia, built by Fred Wilson, which used to operate from Bristol to Ilfracombe before World War II. Unfortunately these models are not as active as they might be, due to the lack of boating facilities in the Bristol area, which is a shame when one remembers Bristol’s link with the shipping world of the past. A.D.C. ing. The sun shone during the afternoon was had by all. and a great day R.D. RESULTS Number of boats taking part were: 76 in the Straight Running events; 22 hydroplanes. Nomination 1 R. Benson BH6 (Two spot-on times and it took 2 A. House V13 re-runs to decide 1st and 2nd 3 Mrs. O.Cockman V26 places) 4 H. Disney D19 Steering 1 R. Allen 2 W. Huckett 3 Brenda Wall 4 L. Curtiss Hydroplanes Class F Class E Class D Class C Class B Class A 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 WD8 V97 NB8& SA1 L. Lara No jinishers N. Lara B. Munday J. Jones T. Clement J. Jones J. Benson T. Clement 13 11 9 9 points points point + 5 after rerun point + 3 after rerun V16 41.74 m.p.h. Vv18 49.87 28.09 57.04 52.32 47.56 46.06 43.70 v9 BD3 HN3 BD3 BH2 HN3 Veteran Trophy A. Falconer BH 24 with William Butler Prototype Cup A. Waller WD3 with Sun Tug LXX/ M.P.B.A. Steering Cup R. Allen WD8 m.p.h. m.p.h. m.p.h. m.p.h. m.p.h. m.p.h. m.p.h. Midland District Marblehead Championships Fourteen boats assembled on a beautiful day for a start postponed until 10.45 to allow a late arrival to rig his boat. The 10 boats from the host club Bournville included M. Harris’s Road Runner, winner of the 1972 Model Maker Trophy. The race was given an international flavour by 11-year-old Gavin Call from Canada who sailed under the tuition of Uncle Harry Briggs, designer and builder of the Canadian registered Voyageur. The wind was WSW giving ideal starting conditions for the start of the run, but eddying past the boat house and through the treees to ensure that very few boats ever made it down the pool in one. After four heats Road Runner was in the lead with full points to Shazzan, Martini and Gravity To The Power Zero (g° for short) equal second with 15 points each. Lunch time started at 12.45, but resails from the first six heats took 45 minutes. The beginning of heat seven at 2 p.m. saw Road Runner still in the lead with 27 points. Shazzan had caught up a little with 25 points while Martini had 22 and g’ 20. Our young Canadian friend was gradually gaining experience and had five points to prove it. By now the wind had established a pattern and was blowing alternately from the WSW and SSW with a rest in between. At one point two boats turned right round and sailed back to the start. Their skippers managed to show amusement. g’ dropped behind the leaders, losing 10 points to Bournville boats Copy Cat and Capella in heats seven and eight. For those who suffer from natural hazards when sailing, OCTOBER MIDLAND 1 1973 DISTRICT MARBLEHEAD RESULTS Road Runner M. Harris 58 2 Shazzan H. Dovey 52 3 Martini M. Dovey 46 4 Hiawatha E. Carter 44 5 Copy Cat K. Butler 39 6 Ichthyosaurus G. Danks 36 7 Capella J. Beattie 31 8 Blue Flame V. Bellerson 29 G. Griffin 29 10 Sam Gamgee R. Cathnoir 23 11 M. Ongers 21 g° Gin Fizz 12 ‘Erbert R. Kings 7 13 Ayuajet M. Taylor 15 oe G. Call 15 a Voyageur the sight of H. Dovey serenely guying his way through five Canada geese and the small boy obliviously feeding them was an example to us all. In heats 10 and 11 Harris met the Doveys, losing the run but winning the heat in both cases. Shazzan was now only one point behind Road Runner. Hiawatha had crept into 4th place, five points be- hind Martini. In the final heat Hiawatha met Shazzan to gain five points, but the places were already decided. Bournville had first three places with visitors taking 4th, 8th, 10th and 13th for young Gavin. Folkestone Off-Shore The organisers of the Folkestone Off-Shore Model Power Boat Race, 1973, welcomed the 23 entries for this year’s meeting, though one was a non-starter, and two others from the Stevenage area were unable to run their two extra entries owing to the decision by the chase boat driver to discontinue running owing to the tide receding from the Harbour. After the first day’s racing, all competitors and their families were welcomed to the Folkestone Yacht Club premises, for a few jars and the obvious chatter 6n modelling and its merits. With several latecomers, the Sunday’s racing had to be somewhat re- at the last minute, instead of the Featherstone Club.) The response to this event was very low. Pairs racing, up to 6 c.c., and over 6.5 c.c. closed the day to 6.30, with some of the hardened spectators staying right until the end. Some of the competitors stayed on afterwards to have a free for all sail, when the Regatta had finished. . RESULTS Scale 1 R. Goodyear, Sheffield, 346. 2 A. Slack, Sheffield, 3064. 3 M. Houchin, Sheffield, 303. Straight Running 1 D. Needham, Cleethorpes, 20. 2 F. Whittaker, O. & H., 18. Speed Steering 1 D. Needham, Cleethorpes, 102. 2 P. Lockwood, Sheffield, 84. Ladies Prize 1 Mrs, D. Warburton, Liverpool, 22. Best Sheffield Junior G. Wright, 6. Best Other Junior B. Mede, Dormer, 4. Pairs Racing — Under 6 c.c. 1 |. Bayman, Oldham, 1 min. 15 sec. 2 P. Woolhouse, Sheffield, 1 min. 34 sec. Over 6.5 c.c. 1 |. Hole, Sheffield, 1 min. 1.5 sec. 2 K. Hole, Sheffield, 1 min. 2.5 sec. (Pairs racing in both classes were run off against the clock as R/C colours clashed.) organised and teings went very smoothly. The concours was conducted and judged by Mrs. Pamela Richards, of Forepeak Ltd., who also presented the prizes, having previously exhibited them with a fine window display at her business premises. Hoover Ltd. donated an automatic toaster; Portex Ltd. of Hythe, Kent, two handsome travelling alarm clocks; Humbrol Ltd., an automatic spray gun, and last, but not least, three £1 vouchers from R. & D. Models Ltd. of Ipswich. The organisers wish to thank the C.O. of the Junior Infantryman Batt., Shorncliffe Camp, Folkestone, for the loan of walkie-talkie gear, etc.; Folkestone Yacht Club; both Ald. J. Brown and Mr. J. Bullock of Folkestone Corporation for the use of the Sunny Sands Cafe Balcony for the Judges, and Southern ITV for announcing the meeting on their programme. Thanks, too, to the competitors for attending, and to all the helpers; Keith Newton did a marvellous job as Slipway Manager. The organisers were pleased to know that all enjoyed the event. EP. RESULTS Class 1, 0-5 c.c.: 1 Mrs. O. Harvey, 7.07; 2 Heather Harvey, 9.50. Class 2, 5-10 c.c.: 1 D. Harvey, 5.37; 2 R. Prior, 6.07; 3 A. Neve, 6.17. Class 3, 10-35 c.c.: 1 D Hill, 6.14: 2 A. Neve, 7.20; 3 P. Simmonds, 10.50. F.T.D. and Concours, D. Harvey. Sheffield S.M.S. Sheffield Ship Model Society’s Annual Open Regatta was held at Millhouses Park, on August 12th. As always the weather was very good, with sunshine all day. This helped to draw and maintain a large crowd of spectators, who had gathered to watch boats from as far off as Liverpool, Cleethorpes, Leeds, Dewsbury and Oldham, The total of over 100 entries was our best ever. The events started at 11 o’clock with speed steering, this also included the ladies, followed by straight running, with the scale event for the Bill Fox Trophy. (We were asked to take it Top, William Butler, first winner of the Veteran Trophy (photos Jim King). Right, Nobby Clarke assist with Ron Peterson’s trials. Lovely model but, alas, topheavy. and Olive Cockman with their attractive new M.P.B.A. Alf Savage and Enchantress on Bottom, Arthur Lady Gay 433 mie MODEL BOATS the launch is a real example of high class launch paint Generally the day proceeded at a reasonable pace that work, indeed the boat now has a finish that I am sure was both satisfactory to the organisers, for the event was the original owner was incapable of producing. Whether completed in a reasonable time, and also for the comthis is a good thing or not I won’t say, but she certainly petitors, who did not seem to be pushed in their running. looked good to me and the twin cylinder engine was pushA good compromise with benefit to all. ing her along at a fair rate of knots. What amount of You will probably realise by the disjointed nature of work Bill Butler put into her will never be known but I am these notes that they have been written in various places willing to bet that Tony has done more on the ship than at odd times and the conclusion is somewhat hurried as Bill ever did and although one can see the reason for Il am on the point of leaving for Johannesburg and the the new name I am sure a better one could have been S.A. Marathons. Next month’s notes will in all probability found. I am now waiting to see how the other Butler boat, start taking place on the flight out, provided always the the Mary Dean, that Tony has also acquired will look the — results of the 1973 Naviga Championships arrive from next time she appears on the water. Perhaps Tony means Czechoslovakia in time. to make a habit of winning this trophy, for if anyone else Considering the events in Czechoslovakia, and how so wants a look in they had better start putting in some hard many little things were left undone that could have added work if he is to be beaten. to the pleasure of the meeting, I now feel that there is It was nice to see also some veteran hydroplanes_ on much merit in a suggestion made by Frank Bradbury. the line, the Innocent brothers’ Betty, former holder of the That is that I should invite you all to write to me on any world speed record at what would now be classed as a points you think we should give attention to in 1975. No leisurely speed, made a_ run for her new owner Arthur matter how small or apparently obvious, it would help if Cockman, known more for his efforts with the /fit series | you would come forward with ideas. If the response is as of steam hydros than with an I.C. boat, as did Miss I hope please don’t expect a reply for some time if at all, Swindon, now in the hands of Gerry Colbeck. I only hope but be assured that ideas will be examined and passed that these boats are not brought out too often as it will to the responsible person for action. destroy the novelty of their appearance and will I am sure With that as a final word for this month I wish you cause a deterioration in the boats themselves that would more days of happy boating, with a hope that the good require major repairs and thus remove some of the essensunny days of the second week of August continue. tial charm of the boats. Jim King R/C YACHT (continued from page 421) care it will be a good competition boat for many ments in design are possible, they undertake to supply years to come. necessary The Vortex Company are not just interested in selling as many kits as they can. Every two months’ owners of S/Bs and Solings receive a news letter giving interesting news and information concerning these two kits. Should it be found that improve- existing boats up to date. An example of this was the S/B. After a number of boats had been sold with a skeg and stock type rudder, they found that the spade rudder was much better. Conversion kits were supplied to existing owners at nominal cost. components and instructions to keep new VECO .61 ‘EUROPE SERIES’… offers you the fiexible power Engine £31.75 you have always wanted. Silencer £4.00 The Veco 61 ‘Europe Series’ is, by any standard, a superb piece of model engine craftsmanship . . . magnificent die castings . . . super precision engineering. Develops the highest torque of any silencer equipped .61 tested to date. gone It’s the engine you must see before buying your next 10c.c. motor. See it at your dealer. “— IRVINEENGINES 436 torn. all