In 2006, I built and sailed a 50inch R/C ketch (MacDaddy) during Boatweek (Port Huron-Mac Yacht Race, full size, festivities) in Michigan, USA. For this year with Mac-A-Tack, I have constructed a new carbon hull (Dennis Desprois fin&bulb) and will use MD’s rigging. A little more info at www.mac-a-tack.com
Finishing it up as you see it here. Then pack. Drive from ID to MI (ga$) in a week for tuning and then sailing it July 5-12, Black River. Pls PM me if you plan to be at Boatweek.
yar
One of the best kept secrets in the r/c world, my friend.
I wish I had known earlier. Since I am from Michigan originally, a family/friends visit coupled with some r/c sailing would have been fun. IT could have evolved into an open event. Do you plan to attend again? If so, I may break out the multihull and plan to join you. There is also an F-48 multihull in Cleveland area I believe, so please let me know if there are future plans. Perhaps if enough boats show, along with the local Michigan fleets, something like Mystic might fair well around the starting area in Port Huron, and perhaps the Island harbor after the finish.
Too late this year for me to make plans, but I wish you well, have a safe trip and post photos. My best. Dick
Ummm - Black River - in Michigan or Wisconsin?
I appreciate your comments, Dick.
The Black River is in Port Huron, Michigan. The race is the 32nd PH-Mackinac Race*. Something on the order of 200 big boats. Windquest was there in 06… and Dick, Earth Voyager usually wins overall. I’m the only R/C boat, a joke that I’m the smallest LOA “entry”. I basically am a street performer with a toy boat. I get to meet a lot of people: interest and excitement over the hobby makes it fun even though I’m solo.
The river fills up all week with yachts moored four deep. Too busy and crazy for a small sailing event. Speedboats putt up and down, like “cruise night” on water. In fact, on Friday afternoon I have to pull the boat or face getting run down by accident.
We’ll see about next year. A long boat build (hull/deck one piece-everything went in thru oval hatch, yikes) for basically a week of use.
yar
Sounds like an ideal “Opportunity” for Port Huron Chamber of Commerce to “roll up” an r/c event at a local pond or off-site location to add to the festivities. The guys out of Detroit Model Yacht Club put on one heck of a good regatta. Maybe there is an opportunity to expand and host. Of course, racing in the harbor at the Island would really be neat - but spendy to stay in a hotel up there for any lengthy event.
Have a great time1
Oh Yeah Baby!!! The Mac!!! I grew up sailing on Lake St. Clair & The Mac pre-race is somewhat like a Mardi Gras Festival of sailing. My youngest daughter used to live in Port Huron & going down to the pre-race river party was always a fabulous time. It’s one of those “ya gotta do it at least once before you die” type of experiences. Sort of like having to go to the Annapolis Boat Show at least once. To bad I’ll miss both this year. Darn it!!!
Happy Yachting - Kip
That is a great time, I lived (between deployments to the sandbox) in New Baltimore and my girlfriend (her house) was on the water on Lake St. Claire and I sailed EC-12’s there in the Summer and played hockey on it during the Winter, it’s a great spot. That is my exact definition of water, it should be warm enough to sail in or cold enough to skate on, everything in between should be outlawed.
:zbeer:
Did one “big boat” Mac race back before moving here to Minnesota. We got as far as just past the thumb, and wind died, but flies didn’t. After sitting and playing “shake and bake” for several hours, we dropped the main, motored to Caseville and drank lots of beer waiting for wives to change direction from the Island to pick us up from the Bay.
My sailing was primarily Saginaw Bay, Tawas Bay and Lake Huron. sigh - I miss those fun times when beer was a simple staple of life - sigh
:D:cool::rolleyes:
Mac-A-Tack sailed well in testing/tuning at the Fort Gratiot (Michigan) Model Yacht Pond…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDY3SuzRxUQ
… and during the first few days of Boatweek (July 7-12), the festivities on the Black River in Port Huron before the PH-Mac Race. She performed better than expected yet a stripped gear in the sailwinch (windy) forced an early retirement.
yar
Yikes - Explorer on the Mac.
Weve tested in this browser, so it should work. Could you send your file to support at afcomponents dot com so I could take a look? Thanks