The Model Yacht: Volume 16, Number 3 – Winter 2013-2014

LINCOLN MEMORIAL POOL, WASHINGTON, DC NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME SIXTEEN, NUMBER THREE Winter 2013-2014 NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME SIXTEEN, NUMBER THREE Winter 2013-2014 Editor’s Welcome In this issue we have several special articles. Jack Gregory of Virginia has provided an article on the building of his Five Point Five Metre model. Ivor Walton has let us use some of the photos from the extensive build log of his championship Madcap. Build logs are worthy of careful study, not the least to build confidence and start you thinking “I can do that.” We have two regatta reports of note. The first covers the UK/USA Challenge Cup, a free sailing competition that has alternated between the US and the UK every other year since 2001. The event started out with Marbleheads and shifted to the UK 36 inch restricted class for easier shipping “across the pond.” Ebbs and Flows The President’s Message Vintage Membership VMYG membership is $25 for three issues of our newsletter The Model Yacht over fifteen-month period. It is $30 for members outside the US, with VMYG lifetime membership at $125. Members gain access to technical design, building and historical articles on models and our sport plus notifications and reports on VMYG-sponsored events. To subscribe to or renew your newsletter membership, send $25 or $30 check (payable to US VMYG) to: John Snow, c/o US VMYG, 8 Summit Avenue, Salem, MA 01970. For more information, you can call John at 978-594-8521 or visit the US VMYG Web Site: www.usvmyg.org The second report is for the USVMYG Nationals, graciously hosted again by the Spring Lake MYC. The delightful picture on page 3 is entitled “The Trial Trip” by an unknown artist from 1889. I love the reassuring hand on the shoulder. Earl Boebert 2014 VMYG “Vintage Model Yachting Days” Regatta US VMYG is coordinating with John Stoudt and Chester Springs MYC of Chester Springs, PA to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of our National event for V36, VM and Traditional Sailing Craft Page 1 models. It will be on weekend of September 25-28, 2014 at Marsh Creek State Park in Downingtown, PA; about 30 miles west of Philadelphia. Guest activities are being planned to Brandywine River Museum and Longwood Gardens in PA. For details, contact John at jstoudt309@gmail.com or 610-458-1996 (H) or 610-316-8695 (C) 2014 US Vintage Activities VMYG in coordination with AMYA is supporting the following vintage model sailing activities in Eastern US with some dates to be determined: 2014 VM Home & Away Series: Regattas at Spring Lake, NJ and Downingtown, PA; check with Harry Mote at hjmote@verizon.net for dates. June 7: Bill Full Cup VM Invitational Regatta at Redd’s Pond, Marblehead, MA. Summer: WoodenBoat School courses on building and finishing planked vintage pond yachts at Brooklin, ME by VMYG’s Thom McLaughlin. Check WBS website for dates. September 25-28: VMYG “Vintage Model Yachting Days” National Regatta hosted by Chester Springs MYC at Marsh Creek State Park, Downingtown, PA. Contact John Stoudt for details. NOR with registration information package is expected to be available in early 2014. October 18-19: Bill Bithell Cup VM Invitational Regatta (10/18) and Marblehead MYC Chowder Race (10/19) open regatta (including VMs) at Redd’s Pond, Marblehead. Contact John Snow at jsnowj@comcast.net for details on Redd’s Pond events. AMYA American M National Regatta Check with AMYA M Class Secretary Stan Goodwin and Marblehead MYC Commodore Biff Martin on initial championship for registered AMYA M boats from 1971 to present solely designed to AMYA M specifications. Event will be May 17-18 at historic Redd’s Pond. Goal is to build on interest from American M invitational regatta held in September 2013. Contact Stan at 781-631-5847 and shgoodwin@dslextreme.com and Biff at 978-828-9765 for more details. Tritonia VM Model Booklet – John Stoudt has authored reconstruction and study booklet with two sets of design plans for his original mid-1930s Tritonia VM and its updated version Tritonia II for radiocontrol sailing. I remember racing against the original free-sailed model when it is was owned and raced by Marblehead MYC member Eddie Benjamin in early 1960s at Redd’s Pond. Booklet and plans are available at http://bit.ly/18S53F1 Morgan Model at New Bedford Whaling Museum VMYG member Bill Huizing has accepted invitation to exhibit his radiocontrolled, museum-quality Charles W. Morgan whaling model at New Bedford Whaling Museum, MA. There is potential to also conduct model sailing demos in in New Bedford Harbor in celebration of Mystic Seaport Museum’s full-size Morgan “port-of-call” return to its original homeport in July 2014 after its extensive five-year restoration. VM Registrations Newly built VMs, or transfers of existing boats to new owners, should be registered with John Henson at 732-600-2524 or: senlivjh@aol.com Page 2 VMYG Resource Material Visit the US VMYG website at www.usvmyg.org and then click on the “USVMYG Store” to order the following resource material: Yankee III book authored by VMYG Historian Earl Boebert on CD or downloadable. CD is $15.00 postpaid in US; $20.00 rest of world. $10.00 if you download your own. Book summarizes history of the America’s Cup 1930s era J Class and provides detailed modern building techniques to craft an R/C V36 model from the 1930 Yankee J Boat design. Yankee III is considered an entry-level model based on the original 1935 Yankee Jr. model design lines of John Black. Building Planked Models DVD plus book with selected articles from the VMYG The Model Yacht newsletter. Package is $25.00 postpaid in US; $35.00 rest of world. It is a “how to” vintage model building book by Charles Farley describing plank-onframe methods used for 1940s model yacht racing class designs with modern adhesives. The Model Yacht newsletter back issues in PDF format on DVD as complete set only of over 40 issues (since 1996), each having 20 or more pages of technical and historical information. The DVD is $40.00 postpaid in the US; $50.00 in the rest of the world. Page 3 John Snow As I write, while the America’s Cup Challenger Series goes through its gyrations of breakdowns of their over the top, extreme and tempermental “witches of the water” (the AC 72 multi-hulls) on San Francisco Bay, many of us older jossers with hardly a bat of the eyelids to denote interest, continue to get on with life and build and sail beautiful RC scale boats in other areas of the world. Take David Querin of Ohio as the opening `for instance’ and look at the San Juan double-ended sharpie schooner he spent 336 hours of work scratchbuilding prior to putting it on the water in a shake down regatta outing in light airs in Maryland. Wonderful Querin workmanship resulted in what is a stunning looker which may have a topsail added prior perhaps to taller masts and more sheeting after further sailing tests have been carried out, In addition, David having been given an antique 6m yacht has now completed a full restoration and is looking forward to many happy days of sailing it Those who go to his Vintage Sailor website http://www.davidquerin.com/ will see that he has now got a permanent berth at the Central Park Model Yacht Club in New York City where he enjoys sailing occasionally and where he keeps his Malabar schooner. Over the Atlantic to Holland where the photographic coverage of beautifully constructed sailing models are recorded in their sailings by my long standing friend-never-met Hans Staal who sails with the Den Hague Model club in the Netherlands, Several active clubs exist there and the sailing by Minisail modellers from Europe always provide a visual treat of European-built RC model ships in a waterway area of a village in the Dutch province of Overjssel. Page 4 The big Clipper Staad Amsterdam built by Chiel Geldermans (with great help from ace Dutch modeller Wim Moonen ) is set off on a sail by the owner aboard the dinghy and the 50” long Scottish Fifie model built by Joris Jan Priem of the Den Hague club is captured by Hans up close and personal and almost at water level which always makes for an image of often unbelievable realism. Talking about model ships seeking to make the Atlantic crossing, one that valiantly tried but alas after six hours sailing from Barton on Sea in Hampshire hit the chalk cliff face of the Isle of Wight to end the voyage to America. The project of Englishman Robin Lovelock, the 1.2m Snoopy Sloop with a figure of Schultz’s `Snoopy’ on the bow and solar panels to recharge the batteries was part of the Microtransat Challenge originated by French academics. Another impressive creation of the schooner kind by Rick Mayes in Queensland, Australia. Inspired by the classic schooner EOS, Rick’s three masted Page 5 Sea Empress has beautiful lines and joins his ever-growing fleet made up principally of schooner- rigged RC sailing scale models. It is his latest, then again you never really know ! Though not scale but nonetheless interesting in the area of smaller sized boats is New Zealand bluewater sailor and author Andrew Fagan’s freesail Davilon, a virtually indestructible little Footy-sized (but non-Footy-compliant) free-sailer that There are no plans to offer the Davilon RX (or the conversion diagrams and conversion instructions to people) but were the majority of TMY readers on email I do have another new slap-together easy build kit that I could offer as a freebie award to someone, If you have any ideas talk to Earl and come up with a suggestion if the idea tickles your enthusiasm button. (Make a good Grandad project for the young un even get him off the computer !) Finally and sadly, it seems that South Carolina schooner exponent Andrew Charters is no longer sailing the lovely boats like Cicely that he has been known for. `Drewski’ has been a keen promoter and builder of model RC schooners from the time I started `documenting’ model yachting boats and activities and I kind of miss his enthusiasm and hope he will reenter the scene before I exit. sails on a reach, Here is an intriguing photo of one still being converted to take a rudder and with added cabin on a charge in Hamilton, the experimental work by Harry Duncan. Happy sailing and remember, for a great many of us it represents our very last enjoyment activity link with youth. Page 6 Mark Steele International Five Point Five Metre Class Pond Model(1/6 Scale) Toward the end of World War II yachtsmen began planning for the revival of Iinternational racing. They concluded that the premier International Rating Rule Six Metre, which was the remaining formula or development class boat, was too expensive for Olympic competition or even others such as the Gold Cup. A new rating rule was thereupon devised: The Rating Rule of International Five Point Five Metre Class. This rule produced a significantly smaller boat which emulated the Six Metre but had much less sail area and displacement. The typical Five Point Five measures about 31 to 33 feet overall; six feet beam; 4,200 pounds displacement; four feet, four inches draft; and 312 square feet of sail. The Five Point Fives first raced in the Olympics in 1952, and though ousted from the event after the 1968 series, still actively race internationally. The rule prescribes a boat that is seaworthy, easily handled and lively. The original Five Point Fives exhibited full keels with attached rudders, and as development boats were leaders in hydrodynamic experimentation, notably in ballast keel design. During the 1960’s this experimentation resulted in drastically shortened keels with attached rudders, the latter a rule requirement. It wasn’t until removal from Olympic competition that separate rudders, positioned substantially farther aft to enhance hydrodynamic efficiency and steering, were permitted. The subject Five Point Five model is of a short keel boat of the middle l960’s designed for 1968 Olympic competition. Her design accommodated the problem of directional stability by employing a pronounced “Vee” shaped cross-section in her after body. One-sixth scale was selected for the model, providing an overall length of 63 inches and a displacement of 26-1/2 pounds, 12 pounds consisting of lead outside ballast. No inside ballast was The prototype for Jack’s boat, showing the graceful overhangs typical of designs made to a Rating Rule. Rating Rules force a designer to trade sail area against LWL. The overhangs increase the effective LWL when the boat heels. The alternative to Rating Rules are “Box Rules,” like the Marblehead Rule, which specify absolute dimensions of the boat. The upper picture shows the deep “Vee” or “deadrise” of the hull. Page 7 The hull as modified to produce a sailing model. The problem faced here is that displacement goes down by the cube of the size but sail area goes down by the square, so a true scale model will be over-canvassed. The enlarged keel is one trick to compensate. used in the model. An advantage of such a large sailing model is that regular boat building techniques and tools can be used to a large extent, making the experience quite satisfying. The design was obtained from dimensions and photos of the actual boat, the only substantial changes being the deepening of the keel ten percent and extending it so that the rudder blade is one width farther aft. The rudder area was increased twenty present. To counterbalance this distortion of the lateral plane, the foot of the mainsail was lengthened ten percent. These “seaman’s Hull framed up on the building board. eye” changes were made to best insure handling qualities. Like many boats the model was framed and planked upside down. Frames are sawn 3/4 inches, sided 3/ 16 inches and spaced 4 inches. The planking is 3/8 inches by 3/16 inches thick. The keel, frames, planking, decking, etc., are of Western red cedar, the notable exception being the white pine spars. After planking, a one piece fin keel/rudder mock-up of red cedar was assembled onto the hull. Symmetry in fabrication was aided by constructing the fin of two slabs so that a center line could be maintained during shaping. The entire hull was faired and sheathed in two-ounce fiberglass cloth laid in epoxy resin, the resin also coating the insides of the planking and frames to increase hull strength. To determine the exact amount and location of the lead, the model was floated on a pond, allowances being made for weights and placements of the mast, decking, radio control equipment, etc. Thereupon, the prospective rudder and lead portion There is no such thing as too many clamps. of the fin were Page 8 Fully planked and looking like a boat. sawn off.The rudder section was used as the actual rudder and the lead section (calculated and positioned from the floatation experiment) became a plug for making a plaster mold to cast the ballast keel.As in the cases of full size boats the lead was bolted through floor timbers. tenna. Because of the large size of the model, halyards have been found very useful. The tapered white pine mast was made from two side-by-side strips selected from the millwork section of a lumberyard. This procurement measure assured straight dry Sailing “on her lines” material. The mast was slotted so that the bolt rope of the mainsail could run through it. For bolt rope, use of small diameter insulated electrical wire placed inside the luff tabling provides ease in hoisting the sail. A groove through the center of the mast houses the radio an- Page 9 Sailing the model on her maiden trial was apprehensive at firstwould she steer and handle well? The answer was affirmative. Facilitated by radio control of the rudder and sails, it has proven gratifying and pleasing to maneuver and observe this rather large model preforming the racing tactics of it full size progenitor. Jack Gregory Building a Madcap Hull A Buld Log by Ivor Walton The removable formers, or “shadows” in place with the keel and sheer strakes. Beginning to plank. Planking complete and temporary keel and skeg mounted. Page 10 (Above) The keel is split and used as a pattern for the lead. (Below) The lead fitted and installed. (Above) Pulling the shadows, with temporary spreaders to keep the hull from springing. (Below) Deck beams, king plank, and carlines. Page 11 The laminated deck ready to install When is a clamp not a clamp? Attaching the deck. The finished boat. These photos are from a larger set Ivor has put up on the Internet: http://bit.ly/1ao9de9 Page 12 The US/UK Challenge Cup The seventh biennial USA/UK Challenge Cup Regatta took place in the UK this June, utilizing 36R class freesail boats. The USA was represented by eight boats: six from SFMYC, one from San Diego Model Yacht Club, and one from Marble- head Model Yacht Club. Sailors from San Francisco were Bruce Ettinger, Stephen Ma, Jeff Stobbe, Colleen Stobbe, Helene Woolsey, and myself. Ernie Mortensen came from San Diego, and Jim Linville came from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Arrayed against us were approximately (Above) The pond at Gosport. You get to run the length of that several times in the course of an event. (Below) Starting a run at Gosport. Ernie Mortensen of the US at near side, Anthony Warren (UK) far side. Page 13 twice our number, so the Brits kindly “loaned” us four of their finest to even out the team sizes. The first weekend of the regatta was held at Gosport, which is on the south coast on Portsmouth Harbor. The Gosport Model Yacht Club has been in existence since 1913, and model yacht sailing has been taking place on their “cockle pond” since the late 1890’s. It is an active center for A-class sailing, both vane and RC, and has the country’s largest and most active 36R fleet. The roughly rectangular saltwater lake is oriented east-west and is known for brisk winds, being largely unencumbered by trees or buildings with the salient exception of the circular clubhouse building adjacent to the water about midway along the north shore. The regatta was officiated by Mervyn Cook, the Gosport commodore. The mayor of Gosport officially opened the proceedings. 24 boats participated, with six boards run on Saturday and six on (Above) Starting A Boats at Rick’s Pond. (Below) The pond at Llandudno. To the left is the sea wall, then the Irish Sea. Page 14 Sunday. During the race weekend, the weather was lovely, with relatively strong wind from the north to northeast. Thus, the influence of the clubhouse building was significant. This wind direction turned both the run and beat into semireaches, but there were more subtle variations caused by the clubhouse building and other factors that the visitors were puzzled to understand. Jim Linville had the foresight to bring smaller sails, but the rest of the US team found themselves over-canvased. Our top scorers, in fact, were the Brits loaned to our team! Notably, their Jacque Cook, sailing for us, was the top scorer for the entire weekend. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Our spirits were revived by a fine dinner in the upstairs restaurant in the clubhouse building where we drowned our sorrows. The final score was USA 465 points, UK 931 points. The cup stays in the UK for now! (Above) Starting in heavy weather at Llandudno. (Below) The wind stops and shifts, and free sailing boats are all over the pond. Page 15 Returning to London, we were treated to a day of radio A-class sailing at Ricks Pond, home waters for the Hampton Court Model Yacht Club. The wind was howling, so this was a challenge for inexperienced freesailors, but we managed to avoid sinking any of their boats. This was followed by a magnificent luncheon put on by the Hampton Court club members and wives. We were treated royally. The wind was coming from the west, passing over the seawall at about a 45degree angle. This created some tricky conditions along the west shore, particularly at the windward end, where the wall was somewhat closer to the lake. Also, there appeared to be a mysterious vortice about three-quarters of the way up the lake (when beating) which had no visible source. Boats would simply do a 360 for no reason. The US team was on an equal footing here, in that neither side had experience of these waters, but we were over-canvased even more so than at Gosport. Seven boards were run on Saturday, and the results were very lopsided. With several days of sightseeing under our belts, we arrived at the second venue for the regatta, Llandudno, on the north Wales coast of the Irish Sea, to the east of Holyhead. It was raining and stormy. Nonetheless, a few stalwarts tried practicing on Friday. Llandudno has no On Sunday, the winds had clubhouse and the lake had moderated somewhat, and not been used for freesailing the US team began to do betfor many years. But the city ter. As the day progressed, did us proud. They put in a the wind became lighter and herculean effort to put the lighter, until on the seventh lake into good working orboard, the wind stopped der for the event. Weeds altogether and then started The Cup were cleared, a leak was blowing in the opposite repaired, drifted sand redirection. It was a 180moved, the surrounding sidewalk degree shift. Boats already on the water pressure-washed, and the (freshwater) were blown back. Boats that hadn’t yet lake refilled. Everyone really appreciated started, were quickly re-trimmed. It was the work done on our behalf. The mayor an odd way to finish the regatta, but all of Llandudno opened the event, and was good things must come to an end. As in roundly applauded in acknowledgement Gosport, our top scorer was a Brit sailing of what the city had accomplished. The for us, Peter Fothergill. We had a fine Llandudno pond is rectangular, concretesend-off dinner at a Llandudno restaulined, and shallow: only about one foot rant, where we drowned our sorrows: the deep, but perfect for shallow-draft 36R cup stays in the UK for at least two more boats. It is oriented in a northwestyears. In 2015, the Brits will be coming southeast direction. There are no adjacent here for our revenge. Many thanks to trees or buildings, but there is a seawall Mervyn Cook, Graham Reeves, and all about five feet high running parallel to the volunteer scorers and race officers the west shore, which fronts the Irish Sea. that made this regatta such a success. On Saturday, the rain had gone but the Everyone had a great time. wind was still very strong, much stronger Mike Stobbe than at Gosport. All who had them, had switched to their smallest suits of sails. Page 16 2013 USVMYG National Regatta Report The weatherman promised spectacular, clear fall weather for our three-day, 2013 USVMYG National Vintage Model Yachting Days regatta, September 13-15, hosted by the Marbleheaders of Spring Lake, N.J. MYC. The regatta was the annual national championships for Vintage 36/600s and Vintage Marbleheads. Northwesterly breezes were part of the forecast, which in New Jersey means wind that is very variable in direction and velocity – completely different from our usual steady summer southeasterly. We managed to set a rectangular course that produced at least one decent windward leg most of the time. On Friday wind gusts produced a small chop on the lake, which, in the frequent lulls, often left boats bouncing in the chop, sometimes without steerage. For sailors not used to dealing with frequent lifts and headers, these were challenging conditions. Saturday and Sunday brought moderating wind and chop, but breezes no less variable. At the opening skippers meeting on Friday, Marbleheaders Commodore Domenick Bonanno welcomed sailors and asked for a moment of silence in memory of Marbleheaders MYC founder Pete Peterson, who died at age 93 in June of this year and was with us in spirit. There are not many who loved model yacht building and sailing more than he did. Of the nine V36/600s registered, seven took to the water in the first race on Friday shortly after 1:00 PM. One entry was not completed in time for the regatta and the skipper of the other was unable to participate. The V36/600s sailed as one fleet that included one High Flyer V36/600 – Jim Linville’s Rip Tide Marblehead design with a spade rudder, scaled down to 36” and scored separately. The High Flyer VMs lead Traditionals, but not by much. Herb Dreher’s Sun Wind, then Jim Linville’s Rip Tide, followed by Ivor Walton’s Madcap and John Stoudt’s Tritonia. Jim Thompson photo. Page 17 fleet completed 23 races on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Herb Dreher dominated the competition with his new V36/600, scoring 18 firsts and three seconds to win the Traditional V36/600 Championship. Bill Ewing, sailing a Peterson, sailed consistently very well, with three bullets and 16 seconds to finish second. Bill Sysyn, Marbleheaders Vice Commodore, also sailing a Peterson, scored one bullet, three seconds and nine thirds to finish third. Domenick Bonanno, sailing a Peterson, had one bullet and two seconds to his credit, and finished fourth. Rod Woolley, relatively new to vintage model boat sailing and sailing a borrowed Peterson, scored one bullet and four thirds, finishing fifth. In sixth place, Dave Querin, sailing a Star Jr., had control issues and did not start all races. Traditional V/36/600 Finish” Skipper”” Design” ” Score 1st Herb Dreher” own design” 27 2nd Bill Ewing” ” Peterson” 48 3rd Bill Sysyn” ” Peterson” 71 4th Domenick Bonanno Peterson ” 76 5th Rod Woolley” Peterson” 94 6th Dave Querin” Star Jr.” ” 141 HF Jim Linville” HF Riptide” 22 Gentlemen, please! Judy Bonnano photo. John Stoudt, sailing his beautifully restored 1934 Tritonia, also sailed consistently well, with three bullets and mostly seconds and thirds to finish second. Tim Toepel, all the way from Michigan, scoring two firsts and two seconds, finished third. Charlie Roden scored one second and three thirds to finish fourth with a Peterson double-ender. Vintage Marblehead racing began shortly after 1:00 PM on Saturday and finished Sunday morning, logging 19 races. The single fleet of 16 boats included three High Flyers, scored separately. Ivor Walton won the Traditional VM Championship with consistently good sailing, scoring 10 firsts, with nothing less than a third. He’s a good sailor and he did an exceptionally nice job building his plank on frame Madcap, rigged with single-panel sails. It was a pleasure to watch this boat perform. Dave Querin, from Youngstown, Ohio, sailing a Cheerio I, logged one bullet and two seconds to finish fifth. David and Anita Nelson, our Road Warrior travelers, who drove all the way from Rhinelander, Wisconsin to sail with us, worked as a team. David worked hard to complete his V36/600 Skylark and VM Madcap for the regatta. He didn’t complete the Skylark in time and he had newboat issues with the Madcap, but he didn’t finish last in the Traditional VMs. It was nice to be with them and we hope to see them at Chester Springs, Pa. in 2014. Page 18 Traditional Vintage Marbleheads High Flyer Vintage Marbleheads Finish” Skipper”” Design” ” Score Finish” Skipper”” Design” ” Score 1st Ivor Walton”” Madcap” 26 1st” Herb Dreher” Sun Wind” 21 2nd John Stoudt ” Tritonia”” 41 2nd” Jim Linville” Riptide” ” 28 3rd Tim Toepel” ” Iduna” ” 78 3rd” Bruce Richter” Rusticator” 4th Charlie Roden” Peterson” 89 5th Dave Querin” Cheerio I” 95 restored 1930s” 96 Bruce also won the 2013 Craftsmanship Award. This is a competition in which fellow sailors and builders at the regatta vote by ballot. The award is put together each year by Earl Boebert, USVMYG Historian and Editor of The Model Yacht, who could not be with us. Earl finds old small trophy bases online, as well as the small Stanley planes, perfect for modeling work, which he carefully reconditions and mounts on their bases with a magnet. 6th Noel Cram” 7th Mike Campbell” Peterson” 100 8th Bill Sysyn” ” Peterson” 106 9th Domenick Bonanno” Peterson” 132 10th Rod Woolley” Peterson” 138 11th David Crump” Peterson” 160 12th David Nelson” Madcap” 218 13th Bill Ewing”” Peterson” 263 In the three-boat High Flyer VM fleet, Herb Dreher won the competition with his Sun Wind. His Massachusetts travel mate, Jim Linville, had almost as many seconds as Herb had firsts; but Jim also scored six bullets with his Rip Tide to finish second. Bruce Richter, sailing his beautifully built and finished Rusticator, was consistently third, except for two seconds, to finish third. 48 Jim Linville, officially appointed Chairman of the 2013 Marshall Croft Sportsmanship Award Selection Committee by USVMYG President John Snow, formed his committee, which awarded the Trophy to Domenick Bonanno. The Committee could not have made a better choice. Thom McLaughlin knew Marshall Croft and put this award together in 2000 in memory of Marshall, who was a model boat sailor and superb sportsman. Vintage 36’s at the start. Judy Bonnano photo. Page 19 A happy group of skippers. See you in Chester Springs in 2014! Judy Bonnano photo. Finally, a big thank you to the sailors and supporters for participating in the 2013 USVMYG national regatta. day and fielded his 36/600 and his VM for Rod Woolley and Mike Campbell to sail. Also, a big thank you to the Marbleheaders of Spring Lake MYC and guests, who helped with the regatta. We generally try to run regattas with a lean staff to allow as many members as possible to sail. But many of them do double duty by sailing as well as helping out. Domenick brought a tent and table each day, as well as coffee and donuts and other beverages Saturday and Sunday mornings. Bill Sysyn designed and produced the “USVMYG National Vintage Model Yachting Days” banner that we posted on the registration tent. Bill also produced a display to present the Marbleheaders brochure/schedule, designed by Eileen Ewing last year, and reproduced by Bill Sysyn. Dick Lang couldn’t be with us but loaned us his aluminum telescoping rescue pole that reaches half way across the lake. Treasurer Howard Royce handled the money. Dorothy Roden faithfully does the scoring every Sunday for our Vintage Marblehead summer series and volunteered to be our chief scorer again at this regatta. She can be relied on to do her work with care and dedication and she’s a pleasure to work with. Alice Mote did her great job in providing lunches on Saturday, with an assist from Sue Querin and Anita Nelson. Michelle Sysyn cheerfully conducted the balloting for the Craftsmanship Award. Mary Jane Crump pitched in where needed. Judy Bonanno, our official photographer, did her usual superb job. She also took the initiative of buying potted plants for each of the ladies present – a very nice and appreciated touch. Bob Sturges, Ralph Maresco and Skip Hall filled in Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in that order, as assistant scorers. Bob also brought ice and cooler for beverages. Skip also brought a tent each Last but not least, Rod Woolley very generously provided his RV each day as the regatta toilet facility, a major convenience to regatta participants. We hope sailors and supporters had as much fun as we did. We participate in this regatta each year because we love building and sailing these boats and it allows us to visit with people we see usually but once a year. And we take a turn hosting this regatta every few years because we want this annual event to continue. Page 20 Harry Mote Harold W. “Pete” Peterson, Jr.: A Model Yachting Life Pete Peterson died in June, 2013 at age 93 after a long, active life in professional boat building and model yachting. He is survived by Grace, his wife of 69 years, a son, a daughter, two grandchildren and a brother. Pete grew up in Fair Haven, N.J., a small town on the south shore of the Navesink River, where he skiff-sailed model boats on the river with his father, Harold W. Peterson, Sr. In winter, Pete loved skating on the river. He was a competent figure skater, known to turn heads whenever he was on the ice. Pete and his father were members of the Red Bank Model Yacht Club in the 1930s. An old photo shows a few members standing on the bank of the Navesink The Red Bank MYC, 1930s. Page 21 (see photo). Although the engraved plate from the front of the plaque was lost over the years, the year 1937 is marked on the back of the plaque and Pete’s son says that the trophy was for second place. One of the last Marbleheads designed and built by Pete’s father was a doubleender, similar in form to a whaleboat, which would one day be adapted by Pete as a one-design Marblehead for the reincarnation of the old Red Bank MYC at Spring Lake, N.J. Pete’s trophy, won at age 17. The Red Bank burgee lives on with the Spring Lake MYC. River next to their boats, including Pete’s father, a professional boat builder (second from right), as well as professional boat builders Tommy Morrison and Dave Beaton, both “trained on the Clyde,” in Scotland, as Pete would say. Pete could have been taking this picture at the time. Members of the Red Bank MYC skiff-sailed Marbleheads on the Navesink, following and tending their boats with whatever rowing skiffs they happened to have. With an easterly or westerly breeze, this small saltwater river, which flows inland from Sandy Hook and the Atlantic Ocean, can develop a good chop. These Marbleheads were built by their owners to go straight from one mark to the next and to handle essentially openwater conditions. Pete had become skillful enough in skiff sailing to win a second place trophy when he was 17 years old Pete began his professional boat building career as an apprentice under his father at Peterson and Son Boat Builders in West Belmar, N.J. At the start of WW II, Pete went to work for Elco in Bayonne, N.J., building PT Boats. He subsequently moved to Annapolis, Md. to help build PT boats for England at Trumpy Yachts in a lend/lease program. When Pete entered the Navy in 1944, he requested PT boat duty. Before shipping out, he married Grace, his sweetheart from home in Annapolis. He was assigned to the 300-ft. PT Tender Oyster Bay, a fully-equipped mobile repair ship with drydocking capability and stocked with lumber, woodworking machinery and spare parts, including propellers, shafts and the Packard V12s that powered the PTs. Pete and his ship were based in the Philippines, where they serviced and did whatever was necessary to put PTs back in service after they were damaged in combat. Pete at 24, wearing the rare and short-lived PT Boat shoulder patch. Page 22 After Pete left the Navy, he and Grace made their home in West Belmar, N.J. Pete would spend the next 41 years as a profes- Skiff sailing at Spring Lake, 1993 sional boat builder, mostly with the Johnson Brothers Boat Works in Bay Head and Point Pleasant, N.J., earning the rank of Master Boat Builder along the way. Pete’s work involved the construction of large and small sail and power yachts. One of the highlights of his career was the construction of eight replicas of the 40-ft. Durham boats that were used in the 1976 re-enactment of George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware on Christmas Eve – and almost every year since. Pete also built a model of these boats, which resides in the Welcome Center at Washington Crossing State Park, Titusville, N.J. Pete participated in the 1976 re-enactment, crossing the Delaware in one of the Durhams, in full period costume. Upon retirement from Johnson Brothers in 1987, Pete shifted gears from building full-size boats to models in a small shop behind his home in West Belmar. He and a fellow modeler, who understood fiberglass and molds, took the Marblehead double-ender hull that Pete’s father had designed and built in the 1930’s and used it as a plug to build a mold from which well over 60 hulls would be pro- duced for a one-design vintage Marblehead class. After completing a few of the glasshulled Marbleheads, Pete ran an advertisement in a local newspaper to attract members to a proposed club. Pete officially founded the Marbleheaders of Spring Lake Model Yacht Club at a meeting on October 26, 1992 with 13 members present. The club was dedicated to the fun of building and racing the 50/800 class Marblehead model yacht. The new club adopted the burgee of the old Red Bank MYC. In the first few years, the club tried skiffsailing their boats on Spring Lake and other small lakes in the shore area. For those members who did not want to build their own, Pete built Marbleheads using the glass hulls of the 1930s doubleender. He also built light eight-ft. skiffs for members who wanted to skiff sail. But skiff sailing didn’t last long. Most of the members were retirees, who were not as limber and agile as they used to be, and radio control was by far a better alternative. Page 23 Radio boats at the same lovely venue, 18 years later. A V36 being planked. Note the fit of the lower planks to the keel, and the second course of planks at the sheer line for a graceful appearance. The gap will be filled by a “shutter” plank spiled in place, no easy task as anyone who has tried it will tell you. Pete explains the technique of spiling on our Building Planked Models video. Page 24 Pete at work. In subsequent years the club grew to approximately 30 members, sailing the “double-ender,” as it was called. The model would officially become known as the Peterson One-Design, complete with class rules. It also qualifies as a Tradi- tional Vintage Marblehead under the USVMYG class rules. Early in the club’s growth, Pete designed and built a V-bottom 36/600, planked with plywood for ease of construction, as a prototype for a “Ladies Boat.” But there was not enough interest among the Page 25 spouses who used to attend meetings and come to the lake to watch the racing and socialize. The model did, however, plant the seed for a future class of vintage 36/600s. As interest in the Vintage 36/600 started to grow among USVMYG members, Pete made sketches and built his first roundbilge plank-on-frame 36. He would eventually build about 20 of these boats, each a slightly different variation on a theme, which would be sailed as a Traditional Vintage 36/600 class at the club. Pete inspired others to build their own boats. Several members have built their own double-enders, as well as different vintage Marblehead and V36/600 designs, many of them plank-on-frame. Member-built boats also include Skipjack 48s, 50” schooners, Soling One-Meters and EC12s. One club member borrowed one of Pete’s 36/600 molds and has built two 36/600s, with Pete’s blessing. This same member is completing Pete’s last V36, a boat Pete started before he became ill and was unable to finish. Pete was always looking forward to the next boat – planning and tweaking here and there to make it faster and better than the last one. Another club member essentially served a model building “apprenticeship” under Pete, building a double-ender, a Madcap from a Scott Todd glass hull and a skipjack – in Pete’s shop under Pete’s supervision. Pete was always generous with his time and advice with anyone who was genuinely interested in sailing and building model sailboats. Several years ago, in an effort to have an inexpensive, entry-level boat to recruit new members, a few members built or bought Soling One Meters, which as a fleet limped along until a new member picked up the Soling as Fleet Captain and ran with it. Today it is one of the club’s most active fleets and provides an inex- pensive way to begin model boating. The club also now has a relatively active EC12 fleet. During his approximately 25 years of retirement, Pete built about 80 model boats – approximately 50 double-enders, 20 V36/600s and four plank-on-frame Traditional Vintage Marbleheads to his own designs. All of his plank-on-frame boats were built with spiled planking. He has won the Marblehead club championship a number of times and he has won the USVMYG Craftsmanship Award a few times. A few years ago, Pete was given an award by the USVMYG for his contribution to model yachting, which he valued more than any other. Pete’s life-long model yachting career has been productive and fulfilling by any standard, and he made a significant contribution to vintage model yacht building and sailing. Harry Mote The Model Yacht is published three times a year by the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group. Copyright 1998 to 2013 U.S.V.M.Y.G. Reproduction for noncommercial purposes permitted; all other rights reserved. Other copyrights are maintained by the original holders and such material is used here under the fair use provisions of the relevant copyright acts for nonprofit research and educational purposes. Editorial Address: 9219 Flushing Meadows NE Albuquerque NM 87111 Email: boebert@swcp.com Phone: 505 823 1046 Officers of the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group: President: John Snow Eastern Vice-President: Ben Martin Western Vice-President: Dominic Meo, III Midwest Vice-President: Tom Pratt Southeastern Vice-President: Thom Mclaughlin Vintage M Class Coordinator: John Henson Vintage 36 Inch Coordinator: Al Suydam A Class Coordinator: Rod Carr U.K. Coordinator: Graham Reeves Canadian Representative: Doug McMain Historian: Earl Boebert Archivist: Jim Dolan Page 26 What a Difference a Year Makes Overleaf we present two boats by the same designer, done just a year apart. James A. Potter was a well-known designer in the MYRAA days and immediately turned his hand to Marbleheads, producing Wampum in 1932 and more publicized Wampum II in 1933. The contrast between the two boats illustrates the rapid evolution of the Marblehead class in its earlier years. Wampum, like the 1932 Champion Cypher, owes much to the earlier Marblehead 450 class with its light displacement and long fin. A year later Potter has deepened the canoe body and increased the beam and the displacement. The result is a boat of the general form that lasted until around 1939, exemplified by designs such as Madcap, Cheerio, and Helen J. After that the West Coast design- ers such as Lassel and Houk came up with the “modern” form with its plumb stem and stern and full length waterline. Either of these boats could be made into a fine Traditional Vintage M using the planking technique illustrated this issue. No sail plan was published with the Wampum plans, but the one for Wampum II will do nicely. The Wampum plans, dated November 1932, appeared in Model Yachting for March 1933 and the Wampum II in Marine Models for January 1934. The table below shows the dimensional differences between the two boats Measurement Wampum Wampum II LWL 36 37 Beam 8⅞ 9¾ Draft 8½ 8½ Displ. 14 lbs 17.38 lbs Page 27 Wampum (1932) Page 28 Enlarge plans 550% for full size. Adjust for distortion in profile and plan by cutting plan at stations and respacing to proper interval. Wampum II (1933)