Whoops , I just realized I have double dipped. I must tell you some good news , I have acquired a Ron Dunster design ‘Nerang’ hull. To the buffs , they will know that this hull come from the 1969/70 era design. Now we know it was a fairly average type of boat but it paved the way to let heaps of people to start in R/C yachting in Australia. Commonly called “playboy” and it was put out in a kit form as a later date. This is the first one I have seen in ages. It comes from the stable of Lakesedge Engineering and it has never been built and comes with two sets of sails, as well as a plan. This is going to be fun to build.No fancy long keels , strictly to the plan(well almost) Balanced rudder of course but a short keel to keep it in era.
I managed to get another hull as well, also a clean skin to offer as a prize to some ‘lucky stiff’ at the Ballarat Regatta/meet in October 05.
I must say people are interested in this regatta/ meet, for quite a few people have mentioned it to me and have wanted to talk about it.
It will be good if we could include in it perhaps a swap meet or something like that for OLD MARBLEHEADS. I’m sure there is a market for this stuff and a handsome pond to try your requesitions out on.
Hi Steve the boat sounds great, I also like the idea of the swap meet. Will bring some stuff along.It seems like October is still a way off, but I am sure it will arrive.
Just to keep everybody up to speed the Ballarat Conference is still on and growing . They seem to be putting (their writing ) efforts in the the other forum about “Old Marbs”. The Eureka Radio Yacht Club is still looking for people to come and sail old Marblehead and it will take place in the old quarry site (now a lovely park) near Sovriegn Hill in Ballarat. It appears the “troop” will be stayiny at the Goldfields Caravan park in cabins. Don’t forget Labor Day long weekend, 1 & 2 October IF YOUR INTO OLD MARBLEHEADS
We recently aquired a new complement of bouy’s, and with the addition of some pulley’s and lead, they seem to be doing the trick nicely.
We just need to work out the finer points of setting a course now.
The club boasted 6 boats racing today, so we are growing confident that our club will have a good base for October’s gathering.
Look out guy’s and gal’s a new club has formed…
If you think it can’t be done, Move over and let those who are doing it show you the way…
Div, generally speaking and unless you have other thoughts , it goes like this .
One triangle, rounding mark on each point of the triangle. One side of the triangle length is alined directly into the wind. The start line CAN be made either half way up this leg(to give a windward start)or a startline can be made from the bottom rounding marker. Eack mark is given a name. Top mark, is called top mark or wind mark then go out to the Wing mark . you sail on a reaching course to the wing mark, then on another reach to the bottom mark. called the bottom mark. The basic course is one complete triangle and another up and down between the bottom mark and the top mark and (this is called a sausage) and finish down across the (Start) line. Now you can have in your club any variation you desire.
Alternatively you can go for the newer courses, this is a course set up on the windward beating leg. it consists of putting two (2) markers at each end of the course. The boats that are racing can go around EITHER end marks. this type of course has got its good points, especially if your got older skippers with a eye sight problems. Basically it keeps all the boats to gether irrespective of the leg of the course they’re on.
I preferr this type of course.The start and finish line is on the end of the course, or what ever end you decide. When rounding the marks , they are approached and gone around from inside to outside. Sounds complicated but it works well and should cut down on crashes.The best bit is that if your asking for Starboard!!! then the other skippers will be near you, to hear your call.
Right Div, we’re got our accommodation at the Goldfields, booked for us three. They wanted to know if we were from croweater country. I told them no way but from the Premier State and they knew what that was.
I didn’t have the heart to tell em’ we were going to a fishing contest for Steam Shovels . That there was a bounty on them and we knew where there was one, just ready to hook. The only way to get’em was to race some old marbleheads over them to see if they took the bait. No good confusing the natives.
Where is the local watering hole? Or do we have to bring our own. I remember one year when the Queenslanders come down to race and they bought their own bloody XXXX beer(4 X). (Now as you know Queenslander are the only people who can drink this stuff).
HOPEFULLY sailing, chatting to fellow sailors, and generally trying to pick up as much info as one can to make this little sport of ours even more enjoyable, with a lot more understanding of how others do things and the worldly way of the racing rules of sailing…
Well something like that anyway…
Maybe a BBQ in true Aussie tradition, and hopefully expansion of ours and other clubs by way of public interest.
Some lighthearted but most likely heavily contested racing(never known a competitor who liked to lose), with some prizes or trophies maybe of local herritage.
Personally, I just hope everybody has a good weekend and enjoys the gathering enough to come back maybe next year…
If you think it can’t be done, Move over and let those who are doing it show you the way…
It should include some types of events that the “normal” R/C yacht racing doesn’t include, like ‘Concourse de Elegence’ for instance. Team racing, possibly some Crew Racing (ie.three skippers,one boat)different skipper for each leg of the course type thing. As I mentioned many moons ago that if your regatta is the same as all the other R/C regattas in Australia, then why do we have to go all the way to Ballarat for just to get a race or two?
There must be some DRAWCARD to want to do this once a year. Now if your got nothing out of the ordinary(in events) then it is not going to get up and go as a yearly event basis. Ask yourself why we should drive 1400 miles to race a old model yacht. On the other side of the equation, if it is just for racing I might as well bring an old Walicki and take home the “goodies”. So Div, think carefully on what you are going to achieve here. You need some goals and not ‘own goals’.
What will it achieve if Gary sails/races his China Boy against my Epic? We will find out the Epic goes quicker? Well shipmates we already know this! So how is your Handicapper going. The bloke will have his hands full working it all out.
One of your start tapes should include a handicap start. The tape counts down the first one minute(from 60 to start, then counts up from scratch (by 5 second intervals) to 120 seconds. The really slow boats go off scratch and the quicks off “whatever”. After each race the handicap times are re-adjusted. For a first place you get 30 seconds added to your starting H/cap, 2nd 20 seconds 3rd seconds 10 seconds 4th 5 seconds.
I volunteer to do this handicapping for you, for it takes some knowledge of people and boats.
I’ve been inquiring about the toll roads around Vic. They only seem to be in Melbourne. I got some maps off “clacker”. And a map to Caroline Park in Scorsbey.
I put the ‘Epic’ Marblehead in the water last wednesday and it went really well. I still don’t get putting the mast on the Centre of Balance on this boat, it seems odd somehow. The boat pointed well and it run good with a shorter than usual rig. The 80" mast will go on soon.
Yep right again Steve, the only toll roads are in the Melbourne area, none out our way thankfully. Although you should be able to avoid all toll roads if you bypass the city on the way through.
Sounds like the epic is nearly ready for the trip south.
If you think it can’t be done, Move over and let those who are doing it show you the way…
