2024 Race Results
Race Day #1 March
2024 is off and running! On March 16th (The Third Saturday of March) Maryland Model Yacht Club kicked off another season of racing. John Ebell was the Race Director (RD) for this first day and wow what a nice day we were blessed with! Usually the March first race is extremely windy, blustery and cold. Heck, one year we started the day with 4 inches of snow on the ground! This was not to be the case as the wind was very gentle out of a North-ish direction and the temperatures were just a bit cool but warming. The RD set a course down by the tree where we usually sail. The wind was forecast to back during the day and this would let the wind hopefully square up the course for us. In addition, the RD tried to set the marks canted, with the intention that even if the wind was not square, it made for fairer, more interesting racing and strategy. Ask the people who actually sometimes made out on starting out on port tack at the pin!
Finally, the RD also unveiled the promised two windward mark course! Yes we did it and it actually worked great. On the more crowded DF 65 fleet, we hardly had any conflicts at all. In addition, the RD was impressed how everyone handled the change extremely well and only a couple times noticed people trying to round the old way. They were hailed right away and quickly rounded the right way.
Besides being impressed with how well everyone handled the new course, the RD was amazed how well everyone sailed! Usually everyone is very rusty and makes lots of mistakes, both boat handling and steering. Everyone did great this first day, and there were far fewer collisions than normal. (This also could be in part too to Angelo’s off season Rules Seminar) I don’t know if everyone had practiced before this day, but it felt like no one missed a beat from last November.
Attendance the first month is always an issue, and the RD expected it, especially knowing ahead of time, that Steve Howard and Tom Walsh would be missing. As a result, the Vics were a little light with 4 boats. Craig, Sangeet, Victor and Kyle rounded out the competitive little fleet. After some very good racing, Craig eventually showed everyone how it was done and he had a very good day! Results are coming!
The temperature during the day was rising and it became nicer and nicer. Well, this warmness must have brought some people out, because sailors started coming out of the woodwork! To my amazement additional old sailors and new joined our ranks. I was delighted to see Veteran sailor Will Wagner show up with his ODOM, and his Daughter Anna! Not missing the chance, I outfitted them DF 65s so they could join us for the next class. Two new sailors Mike Stefancik and David Amorosi came out with their DF 65s to join in the fun. Please make sure to welcome them when you see them next month. Finally, after some shaming, Jim Latoff dropped by (boatless) to say hi. He said he wanted to stop by and hopes to have his boats up and running by next month. It will be good to see him out again! This influx of racers brought the boats on the line for the DF 65 to 11!!! These included regulars Mike and Devon Rickels, Kyle, Victor, Alan, Chris, and Karta. It was a very competitive day! To everyone’s amazement, Will Wagner who hadn’t sailed in years, let alone never skippering a DF 65 before, went out and won the first race. Then to make sure everyone knew it wasn’t a fluke, he went out and won 4 more races in the DF 65 during the day. Wow what a run! The RD tried to keep his head from bursting his hat by reminding him that he was using my boat, but he did sail extremely well. New member Mike Stefancik in his red “Devil boat” (yes #666) did very well as well as new member David Amorosi in his #981. Finally, the RD wanted to make sure everyone knew Will’s daughter Anna, also did very well. She succeeded in getting the boat around the course very well and was poking her nose into things when she could. I remember my first time sailing an RC boat, I couldn’t even get it around the race course. You can tell its in her genes! Great Job Anna! Get your dad to bring you back. You are more than welcome anytime (with or without your dad!) While Will won several races, he did finish deep in one race and there were a couple other racers who were always up there, so be sure to check the tight results! We Look forward to seeing Mike and Dave back again next month as well as Angelo, John and hopefully Jim has his boats working by then, and they all to join our ranks in April. Heck when we add Tom and Steve also back, it promises to be an exciting April!
Finally, the wind backed and started to fill in for the ODOMS. It really was turning into a beautiful day. Kyle had to depart early so we had a medium sized fleet consisting of Victor, Mike, Devon, Pirate Chris, Sangeet with his new ODOM, and returning like a time traveler, with his white ODOM #484, was Will Wagner. Well, this fleet was pretty aggressive and there would be tight racing all day long. Will could only stay for the first 3 races of which he won 2. Hope you can come back again Will! Again this fleet was tight with a couple boats finishing consistently high, so be sure to check the results.
To those of you who missed sailing in March, (and you know who you are) you really need to try and make April. It is guaranteed to be a great time!
Finally, one piece of other news, we are planning a Practice Evening some week night in the next couple weeks. Keep your eyes open for an announcement. I look forward to seeing all of you in April!
John Ebell
Day #1 March 2024 Action Photos
Race Day #2 in April
The course was set for our new windward gate, with the standard leeward gate. The day started out cloudy, but soon the sun came out and it was just a nice, gorgeous day.
Victorias started with light variable air, mostly from the NW, but shifting N and SE. Made for challenging races looking for “that puff or wind change”. John Ebell took the first two races, but competition between Mari, Tom, and Craig made things very interesting for 2-4 places.
Windward gate was interesting. It was set too far to the north, so the left mark was typically favored. Until the fifth race. Tom and Mari went to the right mark and really took off away from the fleet. And they had quite the battle at the leeward mark to the finish. And Mari captured the finish in “her rightful place!”
DF65s got the benefit of steadier and somewhat stronger wind from the NW. We reset the windward gate so the right side buoy was closer to the starting line and not so wide apart from the left side buoy. This really improved the competition. As the racer’s decided, it was quite varied between the marks for what was favored for anyone’s given position on the race course.
Mike Rickels was the dominator in DF65s, taking four bullets, but it spread out to Devin, John Ebell, and Mike (#666, the red devil boat). Positions 2-4 were spread throughout the competitors. A good showing by all.
ODOMs really got the benefit of building wind from the NW. Much steadier. The real challenge was my ability to Pay Attention at the finish. Oyf. I had real difficulty on two races deciding the finish order. But everyone contributed and I think the finishes were properly recorded. Competition was great, with no one boat dominating any position. Even better, no one lost their rig or had to retire for any other boat failures.
I really came to appreciate the windward gate, and I think the club members did too. Especially after the adjustment of the right side buoy. I think this course is a keeper!
Looking forward to ODOM Region 2 Championship Regatta on Saturday, 5/4. If you have not registered for it, get into the challenge and register. You will love the competition. See you all there!
Steve Howard
Day #2 April 2024 Action Photos
Day #4 June 2024 Action Photos
(May was cancelled due to bad weather)
You ever had such a good time you just had to tell other people? Well, that's how I feel about this past MMYC Sailing Day. It seemed like everything came together to make for just an incredible day. The day was beautiful, sunny, clear, and there was a perfect breeze from the North. Commodore Steve Howard made a perfect call and decided we would go back to a spot on the pond where we haven't been in awhile, the promenade! This really made the day, as it lined up very square to the wind, and gave us a very nice walk way and assembly area. The real gem was the tree cover and the shade! Believe it or not, it almost was too cool in the shade. The guardrail lining the promenade afforded easy launching and a leaning post while sailing. It was perfect! Finally, what rounded out the day were the sailors. I think it might have something to do with Mari being there, but everyone seemed to be on their best behavior, and sailing was dare I say, fairly cordial believe it or not. In addition, John Houlfek did a great job in his first time as RD. Everyone I spoke to there agreed with me, it was a special day! Attached is a pic from the day, courtesy of John. Keep an eye out for the upcoming race results and other pictures from Saturday, and who knows, maybe even a race write up from our Commodore. If you missed this past Saturday, you truly missed a special day!
See ya on the pond!
John Ebell
Victorias on the starting line
Focused Victoria Skippers
DF65s headed to the windward gate
Focused DF65 Skippers
Day #5 July 2024
I was eagerly looking forward to our July 20th Race Day. The main reason was, we had just had a practice day the Saturday before. That practice had light winds and our race day was forecast to be similar conditions. It would be interesting to see how everyone applied what they learned the week before. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. When the winds were light, I noticed without a doubt, the attendees from the week prior, performed much better than those who missed the practice day. To me, it really showed the benefits of an occasional practice. Keep your eyes open for an announcement on another one coming up. Don’t miss the opportunity to improve your sailing!! And of course, have fun to boot!
The other thing I was looking forward to was how our new members would fare in actual race conditions. In case you don’t know it, we have several new members, and a couple who are finally able to participate more this year than last. To some, this would even be their first time actually racing, or even sailing an RC boat!
These are our recent members, and you should keep an eye out for them, as they are eager and raring to go. Be sure to introduce yourself and welcome them when you meet them. In no particular order:
Rick Yepe, ODOM and soon DF 65
David Fitzgerald, Vic and DF 65
Richard Herbert, Vic, DF 65 and ODOM
David Rakena, Vic and DF 65 and DF 95
James Earle, DF 65 and ODOM
Norm “Hawkeye” Mathews, DF 65
Eric Thesing, DF 65 (make sure you salute) and Focus One Meter
Joining Shortly:
Ed Riehl, Vic and DF65
Returning from last year with more presence:
Victor Gorokhov, Vic, DF65 and ODOM
John Houfek, DF 65 and One Meter
Kurt Boren, DF 65
Well, I was very happy how well our newer members faired this past Race Day:
Here are some results of July 20 from the new guys, and I was very impressed:
James Earle scored a couple of 3rd place finishes in the One Meter Class
Richard Herbert scored a 2nd and a 3rd in the One Meter Class, a 2nd and two 3rds in the Vic Class and a 2nd and a 3rd in the DF65 class
Kurt Boren and Eric Theising showed a lot of new potential, poking their noses in the top half of the fleet in the DF 65 with a couple 5th place showings
New last year, but never competed, and I believe this was his second time racing, John Houfek had a 2nd and a 5th place finish in the DF65 class.
Even Norm Mathews, with his second time ever steering an RC boat, was able to negotiate the race course. My first time racing, I couldn’t even get around the race course once! Good job Norm! It will come. All it takes is stick time! I am proof!
But the most pleasant result I saw was, that always competitive, always trying hard, Victor Gorokhov, notched his first ever win, with a win in the One Meter Class! I really couldn’t have been more happy for him.
These guys are coming on fast! A warning to the regulars, you might want to get some stick time in before our next race day!!!
Off the water, a big shout out to both Victor Gorokhov and Kurt Boren. This past race day, Alan Krusinger experienced a medical condition, and both were instrumental in getting him aid and arranging an ambulance for him. We are happy to report, that after a short observation and medical procedure, Alan is home and back to his Semper Fi self!
On the Water it was good racing as usual. We set up the course at the Promenade, as the wind was southerly. The velocity was down, but came back as the day wore on, even backing some before the end of the One Meter Racing. That shifting provided some very interesting starts and sprints to the windward mark. To all you Port Tack starters or quick flop over to port, remember, the starboard tack boat has rights!!!
There were several regulars missing in July, as vacations and family needs came into play. However, gracing us all the way from France, (I guess he wanted to get out before the Olympic stuff) was Old Timer Steve Andre. It was good to see him and his hot boat. It did not disappoint. Hope you can find time to revisit us. Speaking about missing, if anyone sees Chris Carpenter, tell him we miss him! LOL.
Regarding membership, there was an initiative set forth early in the year that each member try to bring a friend and introduce them to RC sailing. There is still lots of time to do this, and I hope you all can help promote the club. Membership is the key to a fun, successful club, and it’s every member’s responsibility to help bolster membership. If you can, try to bring someone to our next practice session. There they can try sailing in a no-stress, non-racing environment. The club now has several DF 65s built and ready to go to new members.
The Total Results for the day have been posted with a link below. However, the season is only half over and things will change before the end, it always does! The racing year goes until the 3rd Saturday of November, so there is still amble opportunity to bring someone and let them enjoy cooler temps and the steady air of fall.
If anyone has any questions or suggestions regarding membership or the club, please feel free to email them to me at JEbell2694@msn.com.
Look forward to seeing you all at the pond.
John Ebell
Overall race results for 2024 thus far are here.
August Race Day
Odoms tactically maneuvering for the start
And then the wind died...again!
We're hoping for a good club showing in September!
Let's all get to the pond for a great day of sailing on
21 September!!
DF65 Action Video.movVideo: DF65s negotiate the leeward gate
Note 719 leading the group...for a short time!
Mike Rickels was awarded his 2023 Race Plaques with the Commodore's CONGRATS!! Well done Mike!
Day #6 August 2024
What an interesting day our August Race Day turned out to be! I have heard of home and away pond advantage, but never heard of away pond while you were home. Thats what happened! Upon arrival to the pond, RD Mike Rickels determined that the underwater vegetation was going to be a problem. After looking over the entire pond, he did find us a new location at the very southern end of the pond. It was clear of vegetation, easy to launch from, and he was able to line up on axis with the wind to boot. What a Win/ Win situation I thought. Little did I know how it would turn out.
We had never sailed at that location of the pond so an advantage knowing the location was thrown out the window. As the day wore on, we all were delt little and big surprises. Who knew that end of the pond would regularly serve up 40 degree shifts left! and also right. I later commented to Mike that the course was equally skewed in both directions!!
We had a pretty good turn out, and everyone made the best of the wind, and it was actually a beautiful day. Several of the new guys continue to impress us. David Rakena took 3rd for the day in Vics and actually won two races in the same class. He also topped himself taking 2nd for the day in the DF65 taking a 1st and a second. I watched him seek out the wind paths downwind and ride them effectively to the leward mark. He definitely has some smarts!
Richard Herbert is also excelling, as he took 2, 2nd place finishes in the DF 65 and 2, 3rd place finishes in the Vic. However, what really impressed me was his performance in the One Meter Class. Richard took 2nd place for the day in the One Meter Class with (6) yes (6) 2nd place finishes and a 3rd out of 7 races. That is some consistent racing. I like to attribute it to the boat I sold him, but I think its more a thing that competitive racing pumps through all Aussies! I think its bred into them!
James Earle actually had one race in the One Meter Class won, but forgot which lap he was on and sailed past the finish. He also had a 3rd and 3 4th place finishes. I had several battles with him downwind. He is quite the competitor.
Rick Yepe, in his first time really ever racing, had a 5th and a 6th place finish in the One Meter Class. Lots of potential there!
John Houfek had a 3rd place finish and several other strong finishes in the DF 65 Class. I know once he finds his groove, we all better watch out. John also was quite adventurous sailing a Soling One meter in the One Meter Class. He found out that that boat is a heavy air boat. Its still fun to be out there John, so good on ya for trying it!
Eric Thesing had a 3rd and (3) 5th place finishes with his brand new Focus in the One Meter Class. Its a good looking boat Eric, keep plugging away with it!
Norm Mathews continues to also improve with his DF65. It was very encouraging to see him come to the pond early and practice. Very easy to see his improvement from race day to race day!
Kurt Boren also did well for the day in the DF 65 class with a 2nd, 3rd and (2) 4th place finishes. Kurt also won the sportmans award for helping Jervis Retrieve his boat! Thanks for that Kurt!
Mike Rickels did a bang up job as RD. Although I don't know who is more the task master now, Him or Tom Walsh!!
It really is great to be racing with you all and the competition is a lot of fun. Its also great to see our newer members get out there and start doing well. Here's a warning to all you guys who have missed a month or two. Better get you game face on, because these guys mean business!
More info coming soon so keep your eyes open!
John Ebell
Overall race results for 2024 thus far are here.