The Model Craftsman: Volume 6, Issue 3 – August 1937

ing Briefly condensed is this summary of model yacht S far back as history goes, even before the records of the Egyptians, proof has been found that model yacht making was as much of a hobby as it is today. Ship models are still in possession of European Museums dating to the The earliest model Middle Ages. posed to be the now extinct American lar sport it now is was the much tral Park Model Yacht Club is one of the few surviving members. themselves with much time and no occupation; many desires and no Among these were those money. with love of the sea and ships. As Model Yacht Club of Brooklyn, of which Mr. Joe Weaver of the CenOn or around 1857 the Columbia M. Y. C. got under way, with small making was for religious purposes: seamen made models of their own vessels in order to have them blessed membership and models built to one’s by the clergy. fancy. From the collector’s point of view, the best models were made in the 17th century, and some of the finer pieces, carved out of ivory and using human hair for rigging, have been sold for as much as $7,500. The Yachtsman of Today About the vear 1840, Clipper ships were in their heyday—steam had begun to supplant sails in naval vessels, and the sailor, fearful of a passing era, turned in great number to the modelling of his favorite ship. Some of these men found their models would actually sail, and about the time of the first America’s Race, in was Cup 1851, a model yacht club formed near Kensington, Eng- Shortly the clubs began to go out on the ocean for their distance races. Mr. Walter R. Many, of the Los Angeles Model Yacht Club, informs me that while he was a member of the old Atlantic M. Y. C. they car- ried their models to a race on street cars, boarding one of the pleasure steamers in N. Y. harbor, where they proceeded up the river opposite the Here memColumbia Yacht Club. bers of the Columbia M. Y. C. boarded It was then the method, one fol- the vessel, and the _ boat talked of Depression. Men all over the world found far as actual boating went, money had closed the gates on them. But they could enjoy boating via the model route. This they did in increasing numbers. The 50-800 is Born But it remained for Roy Clough, of the Marblehead Model Yacht Club, to conceive on a barn door and in chalk (!) a model racing craft that was not so big and costly nor as cumbersome as the then used “A” class, which ran 42 lbs. in displacement. Nor nearly as unwieldly as would steam away to Asbury Park or some other resort, where the skippers rented boats and sailed their the “B” class of up to 100 lbs. Nor yet so smal] as any of the hundred other so called “classes” such as the models skiffs. infinite variations from the old iron” “cast But model racing was 36” on. Advent of Contests land, which is still in existence. class or the 450 class of Stars, or their and so What was needed for universal acceptance of the sport was a real, never, in nice handling, comfortable design. her back to the starting those days, a contest, for it was impossible to make a model sail before The best that could be the wind. hoped for was a close reach. The weighted rudder was then in use, and it acted pretty well, but it was not minded man will admit that the 50- won for fastest time, others for dis- until the advent of the Braine Steering Gear, evolved by George Braine tance covered before coming ashore. of the Kensington what It was a crude way to race. land) that it was fcund possible to lowed until quite recently, to sail a model in the direction she would go with her sails laced down. to windward only. That is, When the model came ashore, one would pick her up and carry line. Some A modcl ae Written by an old timer in the game, it brings and down to date the important events, historical turns, ing. notable personalities in the entire game of model yacht progress. of these yacht club events was were formed M. Y. C. (Eng- 46 sup- 800 sq. ins. There can be no gainsaying their popularity. I believe every fair 800 has made the sport in America it is today, model yachts with over 2500 registered, and many The 50-800 was responsible for the formation of the 8 divisions of model race on model yachting the immensely popu- is all The final stimulus needed to make regular first This took its name from the over others that we know nothing about. a point of the wind. club. It length, fifty inches, and the sail area, any sail about 1852, in the middle of the era of which we speak, which was the American The 50-800 supplied just the ticket. the Model Yacht Racing Association MopEeL CraFrsMAN, the Magazine y Pp Mr. Black again went to England, 50-800 Model Yachting Association. Since the parent organization, the with Bostonia II. Mr. Weaver followed with Patsy. Then again in 1929, in 1931, in 1982 John Black with his Bostonias 3, 4 and 8, crossed the water. In ’33, George Barron of the Chicago W. Y. C. assailed a try a number of important International In blehead, Mass., on Sept. 30, 1934. This was called the Eastern District M. Y. R. A. of A. had been formed, with Vanja. after the organization of the M. Y. R. A. of A in New York on July 19, 1921, America had its first Inter- None met with success. Mr. M. Westward Fred Y. III Pigeon of the C. went over with but lost. In 1935 Mr. W. G. Bithell, of the same club went over with Yankee IJ. He went again with Blue Chip in 1936. national Model Yacht Race. This was the result of a challenge issued by Mr. W. J. Daniels, of Gosport, England, to any model for the use of class “B’’ boats. ning boat named the To Endeavor. Mr. Earnest Bull of Prospect Park (Brooklyn) Daniels’ M. Y. C. accepted Mr. challenge and the series were arranged for off Flushing, L. I. It was understood by In accepting these the years, only Yachting Black Monthly and Cup. Mr. Black did win the International Open Water Races in 1932, and Mr. Bithell won the Wing and Wing Trophy in 1935 for the fastest time of the event in a down wind leg. Mr. Mr. Bithell W. H. was accompanied Mansfield as meet the British challenger. Mr. Bull won the series Germany. as a result of in this match the Yachting Monthly (England) put up a trophy that seems designed to be as much grief to the Americans as the famous America’s Cup is to the British. It was 1925 before America was able to send over a representative to sail for the World’s Championship. Mr. Joe Weaver of the Central Park Model Yacht Club was selected after a series of preliminary races here. He lost by just one point. In 1926 Mr. John lected to go abroad. Mr. Black’s boat, Bostonia, was conceded to be superior Then to Mr. Weaver’s Slipper. followed a series of soirees Long Island has formed what is known as the Metropolitan League. This League, sponsored by the New Jersey Park Commission, has races scheduled for every Sunday of the season. The Park’s Commis- whereas as recently as 1935 the M. Y. R. A. of A found it difficult to get Clubs to take on an important event, it is now beset with the prob- lem of keeping all clubs satisf ied. That Model is America’s Yachting. response to and for the Olympic trials at Berlin, Mr. John Black went over as Foreign Diplomat from the United States to the Olympiad, with the thought racing part of of in mind model the of yachts Olympic having the adopted Games of future. as the For Germany had constructed a special floating basin, and while wind conditions weren’t conducive to real sailing, indications are that model yacht racing will join the Olympics for the first time in history in 1940. Mr. called Black was se- I mean, in addition to the regular club and inter club races. The area from Philadelphia to for both the International Championship and these, by mate this challenge that the United States would send over a representative to America, Mopz1 donated 1937 is being marked by 59 important events throughout the country— open Weaver have come real close to win- special the foot of Exeter Street. CrarTsMAN magazine has a beautiful trophy. sioners have built new ponds and reconditioned old ones, and now, Consolation yachtsman in the United States. The conditions of this race called meet this class, Mr. Daniels built a lagazine 1934 Boston 1922, In transpired. had events sions of In 1927 against the Championship. of America, which are still function- ing nicely with the parent body. The original Division was formed at the Beach Comber’s Club in Mar- sociation . Black, together while in various was instrumental in England, clubs, and forming the In- national Model Yacht Racing Union. This fall, on Oct. 9-10, the first In- ternational 50-800 race is to be held in Boston on the Storrow Pool, at of Mechanical Hobbies, August, 1937 A typical Marblehead 50-800 47