Thanks to one and all for turning up for the Bob DeBow ODOM Masters regatta today.
Jess Atkinson did a masterful job of launching this new series of Regattas honoring the Legends of Argonauts. Today was the first of the series – honoring Bob DeBow.
In this really fun and crazy wind ODOM Regatta, some handled conditions somewhat better than others.
Continuing his fine form for the year, Kerim Baran took home the gold! 7 wins for the day, certainly the boat to beat.
Some pictures (thank you to Freddie Rocha!) and results are below:
ODOMs are on the pond again on April 12th (and the Soling 50’s) for points racing.
Whilst 20 boats might seem a lot to have on the start line, it was! Though, to everyone’s credit, the presumed carnage was almost non-existent, almost. 🙂
A lot of ducking and weaving but all in all the skippers played rather nicely and when necessary took the applicable penalty when required.
Thanks to Tom Warren for being RD and running a great set of six heats with varied courses and not one general recall!
Breeze was a little shifty but generally, it was up and down the pond with only the odd hole. 🙂 If you were fortunate enough to break away you generally were spared being a victim of the melee behind. :O
Welcome to Richard Diamond from up North who joined us today. Whilst not being scored in the points series, I’m sure he enjoyed himself nevertheless.
Second class on the water were the IOM’s with Kerim Baran taking over with the RD duties. 13 boats! RC sailing is alive and well in San Diego! Go the Argonauts!
Unfortunately the DF 95’s stole a lot of the good breeze and left the IOM’s with a mixed bag of ‘litter’. The holes were bigger, the shifts were erratic and by the end of six heats I think everyone had their turn in getting ‘ponded’. 🙁
Gotta take the good with the bad sometimes.
One thing that wasn’t bad was the superb weather. The sun beamed down on us all day long, what a wonderful place we have to play boats.
Good to also see David Woodward pop up and join us travelling from afar, and to all the other sailors that travel reasonable distances to get to our stomping ground.
We appreciate you all. 🙂
P.S. Richard also sailed in the IOM’s making up the 13.
Here are some shots from the start line of the IOM races of the day.
Next week is the Bob Debow Masters trophy event for ODOM’s.
This is going to be a sell out! Even if you don’t have an ODOM, come down and join the peanut gallery.
14 ODOM’s out on the pond today. They’re breeding!
This week Steve Delva did a great job as RD for both classes. Thanks Steve and thanks Bill Bridge for laying the marks and Gil Jansky for retrieving them.
The tuning clinic last week obviously paid off with the fleet being very close throughout all heats, at times a little too close. :O
With a good breeze blowing, some skippers didn’t quite have their time on distance calculations dialled in, me included! :O
Nevertheless, penalty turns were taken as applicable and there was some healthy discussions afterwards, which highlighted how any one situation can have at least two perspectives.
Well sailed guys…
Next was the Solings. Breeze was still which saw these heavier displacement boats revel in the conditions.
Some tight racing throughout the heats with lots of close encounters.
Apologies Gerry for my ‘Specsavers’ moment. :O
All in all it was a fantastic day on the pond with a number of onlookers from the public and almost standing room only in the peanut gallery.
Wonderful to see some of the sailors from the ODOM’s stay to watch the show.
– Chris Davidson (VC Sail)
And thank you, Larry Grant, for recording and sharing some of the races on our Facebook Group:
Fellow Argonaut Jess Atkinson has been the driving force behind our robust and exciting Calendar of Events.
Jess has been diligently working on a new series of 12 Race Events to be hosted at the San Diego Model Boat Pond, designed to honor both past and present Legends of the SoCal RC Sailing Community.
The first four events in this prestigious series are scheduled as follows (also available on our Calendar):
– Bob Debow Masters Trophy (ODOM) – March 29, 2025 – Pete Jefferson Challenge Trophy (DF95) – July 5, 2025 – Chuck Black Memorial Trophy (IOM) – August 30, 2025 – Filippo Busalacchi Trophy (Soling 50) – October 18, 2025
The Sailing Instructions for these events can be accessed in the document below.
