The 3rd Saturday of each month. Mar-Nov.

September Race Day - Vics and DF65s hit the line, and ODOMs near the windward mark!

Melford Pond, Bowie, Maryland

Radio control sail boating at its finest!2026 Results

The Maryland Model Yacht Club is a fun group of enthusiastic sailors (both men and women of all ages!) from the tri-state area. We actively race several classes of radio-controlled sailboats and members range from novice to several national champions. We invite you to come join the fun.

The club is sanctioned by the AMYA (#205).

Come join us!!!

Check us out in SPINSHEET Magazine at this link:

Model Yacht Racing (RC Sailing) in the Chesapeake Region

Our Next Race Day is October 17th!

Results for September will be HERE

Overall Results for 2026 will be HERE

Video from the Vics here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8PoBc6gEvY

September Race Day Recap by Dave Bermingham

A lively and competitive band of sailors arrived at the Bowie pond for a mild temperature, sunny day of sailing. We had light to moderate winds from the E-NE predicted and those winds lasted most of the day until fading and growing a bit more finicky in the afternoon for the ODOMs. It stayed consistent enough that we sailed a long-ish course with a windward offset at the eastern end of the pond and leeward gate to the west all day. We also continue to be blessed with a weed-free pond, all of which combined for a great day of sailing.

The length of the course and decreasing wind strength meant that the Vics were the only class that got a single two lap race, with the rest of the day being one lap races. There was a lot of close racing, particularly in the Vics and DF65s with multiple races where the fleets stayed very close together. As the wind settled over the course of the afternoon, it put a premium on skippers who could follow the shifts and find areas with more pressure. Finding clear air seemed to provide more benefit than any tactical battles, so we had very few incidents or protests. It also highlighted John Ebell’s strategy of starting at the pin with clear air, as that helped him get to the front of the pack or within striking distance in most races.

Turnout was good for a day where many of our stalwart sailors had conflicts. We had 7 Victorias, 9 DF-65s, and 7 ODOMs turn up for the day.

Sangeet Khalsa came out for the first time in a while and put in a dominating performance with his Victoria. He won the first two races, took second in four others and had one third. Recent new member Seamus Curtin also had some Victoria success with two fourths, a third and a second to John Ebell in Race 5. New member Ed Whitley brought doughnut holes to share with everyone and took a third in Race 2. Thanks, Ed!

Will Wagoner dominated the DF-65 fleet with three wins and four seconds. John Ebell had a strong showing in the DF with three wins, two seconds, a third and a fourth. John Houfek redeemed what was at times a frustrating day with a win in Race 7.

Unfortunately for Will Wagoner (fortunately for the rest of the ODOMs based on his DF results) his ODOM was not cooperating, and he had to retire for the day during the first race. Steve Andre and John Ebell took three races apiece, with Sangeet Khalsa taking the honors in Race 6. Steve and John tied for the day with identical results; each having two seconds, a third, and a fourth to go with their wins! Dick White had a good showing on the day with two seconds, and two thirds.

Many thanks to John Ebell who had the course set before I got to the pond, helped me keep things on track throughout the day, and helped me put everything away properly for next month. Congratulations to everyone who sailed. I hope you all enjoyed the day as much as I did.

Practice Sail Day Recap - by John Ebell (See photos below)

WOW!!!! What a practice! Yes, a practice! Can you believe we had 17 people show up and 14 boats on the water, for a practice?? Incredible!! Not only were the numbers incredible, but the drills and practice Tom Walsh orchestrated for attendees were extremely productive on many levels. Not only did he work everyone on boat handling skills, but also decision making and strategy on the water. So boats, thumbs and minds were exercised rigorously. Bob Kehoe, who drove all the way from Delaware (about two hours), said it was totally worth the drive! Ed and Dale brought the Donuts again (thank you very much) and free refreshments were courtesy of MMYC. It was a really pleasant time. Besides on the water guidance by Tom Walsh, I worked with many members on boat tuning and sail trim. Boy, lots of learning going on! The cart path along the pond also turned into kind of a “pit row”, as several people used this time to fix, (several timely break downs occurred), modify and tweak their boats. All were valuable additional learning experiences.

Lots of club building was going on too. Ed Whitley officially joined the club submitting his application, and John Bisson, a friend of Dick White, stopped by to see what the club is all about. Well, he found out, if you stand still next to any of us, you will soon end up with a transmitter in your hand, and John was no exception. John was soon out on the water skippering a DF 65. John who has lots of big boat experience was quite at home with what was going on with the wind and water. For him, it was just getting the hang of steering a RC boat. Its all in the thumbs John! But I thought John did outstanding for his first time. Speaking to him afterwards, he said he enjoyed it and loved the ease of sailing this way, versus big boats. I think he will join us again for our normal race day in September. I am pretty confident we will soon have another new member. Thanks Dick for steering him our way. This is an excellent example how we grow the club! Please feel free to bring anyone you think might enjoy this hobby/sport, and we will take it from there. Hint, its always more fun when you are sailing with your already friends!

Besides regular members, some family of members also stopped by to see what the fervor was about. Recent new member Mark Talbot had his wife Shannon and son Nate drop by to see the happenings. Nate also tried his hand on his dad’s DF65, and was soon sailing it like a pro! Those damn younger people are totally at home with joysticks! Mark, I think Nate needs his own boat! Of course Dale was also there ready to assist Ed with anything, and to make sure we had donuts! Dale, if you can sail a big boat, you should be sailing with us. I have plenty of boats for you to borrow! We are going to get a transmitter in your hands soon. You do know we have several women who sail with us as well right?

Regular members participating included Will Wagner, Mark Talbot, and Dick White who were getting ready for the upcoming DF 65 Regional Regatta, being held by Northern Maryland Model Yacht Club, this coming Saturday 9/05/26. Good luck to them All! Other members also participating were Kevin Brennan, (who finally exercised all the demons from his ODOM), Jazz Earle, who also was working on his ODOM a lot, Ara Sahakian,(who is making a trip to Michael’s soon), SCOW member Sheamus Curtin-Orsmond, Doug Frantz, Bob Kehoe, and even Club Commodore Richard Herbert (thanks for bringing the Robo Marks). Thanks all for coming and an even bigger thanks to Tom Walsh for working so well helping our club members!

If I get requests for another practice, we might even do it again soon. Let me know your feedback. Thanks, and see ya at the pond!

15 August Race Director's Recap by Ricardo

What a great day of racing at Bowie on August 15th! We were blessed with a sunny, warm day and a remarkably consistent breeze throughout most of the day. The temperature climbed well into the 90s as the day progressed, while the wind held steadily from the east to ENE, setting up an east windward mark and a west leeward gate. The morning breeze was generally in the 5–6 mph range, providing excellent sailing conditions. As we approached noon, the wind eased to around 3 mph—just in time for lunch after the DF65s completed their seven races. Fortunately, the breeze returned in the afternoon, building back to approximately 6–7 mph just in time for the ODOM fleet.

The conditions allowed mostly two-lap races, which made for some very competitive sailing and put a premium on skipper skill, boat handling, and tactics. The pond at Bowie continues to be remarkably free of weeds, and combined with the sunshine and steady breeze, it provided conditions that were about as close to ideal as we could ask for. Those who finished at the top of the results will certainly agree!

A special thanks goes to David Rakena, who brought out the impressive GPS-controlled buoys. They are a fantastic addition to our racing setup and made setting and maintaining the course much easier. One of the buoys proved to be a little temperamental, but David kept after it and kept the system humming so that we could maintain a consistent course throughout the day.

A Great Turnout

We had an especially strong turnout, with a wonderful mix of longtime club veterans, returning members, and new faces. The fleets included:

11 Victorias
15 DF65s
11 ODOMs

That made for a very busy and exciting day on the water. For me personally, this was my first time serving as Race Director, and with so many boats—and several races that got pretty intense—the job was certainly interesting, to say the least! I have to admit that I was a little anxious about taking on the RD responsibilities for the first time. Fortunately, I had two excellent mentors in Tom Walsh and John Ebell, who provided plenty of guidance and coaching for the job. Their help was greatly appreciated.

In the end, being RD turned out to be a terrific experience, and I would highly recommend that others give it a try. There is a tremendous amount to learn by watching the entire fleet race and seeing how the top skippers approach the course. As an RD, you get to observe things that you simply cannot see when you're concentrating on keeping your own boat moving in the right direction!

Pizza, Racing, and a Recharge

The day was made even better by Tracy and John, who coordinated a much-appreciated pizza lunch. It was a real game changer—a chance for everyone to get out of the sun, grab some food, recharge, and talk about the morning's racing before heading back to the pond for the afternoon ODOM races.

It was also a great opportunity for everyone to socialize, which is such an important part of what makes these regattas special.

What the Results Tell Us

The seven-race results show just how competitive the three fleets were, with consistency clearly making the difference.

In the Victorias, Mari Spina took 1st, followed by John Ebell in 2nd. Tom Walsh and Kevin Brennan were tied in points, with Walsh taking 3rd and Brennan 4th..

The 15-boat DF65 fleet, our largest of the day, produced an especially close battle. John Ebell took 1st, followed by Will Wagner in 2nd and Mike Rickels in 3rd. David Rakena finished 7th, with Tom Walsh 8th.

The afternoon ODOM fleet saw Will Wagner take 1st, with John Ebell 2nd and Mike Rickels 3rd. Devon Rickels finished 4th, followed by Mari Spina in 5th.

Two performances really stood out. John Ebell had an outstanding day, finishing 2nd in the Victorias, 1st in the DF65s, and 2nd in the ODOMs—an impressive demonstration of consistency across three different fleets. Will Wagner was also impressive, taking 1st in the ODOMs and 2nd in the DF65s.

Overall, the results reinforced what was evident from the Race Director's position: with steady wind and a clean course, there was very little room for error. Good starts, smart tactics, boat speed, and consistency made the difference.

Looking Back

For me, the biggest takeaway from serving as RD was how much more you see when you're not focused on your own boat. Watching the entire fleet develop through a race gave me a completely different perspective on the sailing.

You get to see the good starts, the tactical battles, the boats that find a little extra speed, and—perhaps most importantly—the mistakes that can turn a good race into a bad one. It was a great learning experience, and I came away with a much greater appreciation for what goes on across the entire fleet.

Thanks again to Tom Walsh and John Ebell for helping me through my first RD assignment, David Rakena for bringing the GPS buoys, and Tracy and John for making sure nobody went hungry.

And, of course, congratulations to all of our winners and to everyone who came out and raced.

A beautiful day, three great fleets, some very competitive racing, and a lot of good people on the pond—that's a pretty good definition of a successful regatta!