Taking your radio-controlled sailboat to an out-of-town regatta is a great way to meet fellow sailors, experience different conditions, and sharpen your racing skills. But how do you get your boat, rigs, and equipment there, and arrive ready to race?
In this episode of San Diego Argonauts Radio, Commodore Jess Atkinson shares his approach to packing a competition-ready travel kit, drawing on his experience traveling with IOMs and DF95s.
Jess walks listeners through his travel setup, including a hard case with wheels, fitted foam to secure the hull and components, and a protected tube for the keel bulb. He also explains how clear containers help keep tools and spare parts organized and visible during inspection.
For his IOM rigs, Jess describes a separate rig box packed inside a padded surfboard bag. His DF95 setup fits the boat and rigs into one case, with careful attention to the space needed to protect everything.
The central lesson: choose a case that fits your equipment, secure every component, and plan for the knocks that can come with travel.
Pack Spares and Prepare Them Before You Leave
A well-packed boat is only part of being ready. Jess emphasizes carrying a practical selection of tools, repair materials, and spare parts so a small equipment failure doesn’t cost you the next start.
Among his suggestions:
Spare receivers already bound to your transmitter
Spare rudder servos and prepared replacement winches
A spare rudder and patches for hull or fin damage
Essential hand tools, including Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and needle-nose pliers
Rigs for the conditions you may encounter, including a C rig when needed
A luggage tracker, a useful suggestion from fellow sailor Larry Grant
Jess also recommends practicing rig changes and equipment replacements at home. Knowing how to make a repair quickly can make all the difference between heats.
Travel to Learn and Keep Racing
The episode opens with reflections on Jess’s recent US One Meter regatta in Sacramento, where sailors raced with B rigs on Saturday and A rigs on Sunday.
Different venues bring different challenges, and Jess encourages sailors to embrace the learning opportunity. In shifty conditions, his advice is simple: keep working forward, one boat at a time. A series of small gains can bring you back into the race.
September Points Racing
Jess wraps up with September DF95 and IOM results from Mission Bay. Dennis Rogers won both fleets, with Craig Mackie and Chris Staiger completing the DF95 top three, and Kerim Baran and Len Bose taking second and third in the IOM fleet.
Thanks also to Steve Ross for filming the points racing and making it available on the Mission Bay Pond YouTube channel—a valuable resource for reviewing the action and learning from each race.
What makes a day at the pond special? Competitive sailing, a beautiful setting, and… perhaps most of all, the people.
In this episode of San Diego Argonauts Radio, Commodore Jess Atkinson takes listeners pondside at the Soling 50 National Class Championship Regatta, sharing highlights from the racing and conversations with the sailors, volunteers, and spectators who make our club such a welcoming community.
Serving as Principal Race Officer, Jess helped oversee 26 races with a nine-boat fleet, supported by good breeze, a full pond, and plenty of camaraderie. Three visiting sailors from (North Bay Radio Sailing in San Rafael: Jim Wondolleck, Gene Harris, and George Pedrick) made the trip south, bringing a third of the fleet.
Congratulations to the top three finishers:
1st: Chris Staiger, earning his fifth Soling 50 national championship
2nd: George Pedrick
3rd: Ty Beach
Jess also recognizes the people who made the event possible: class secretary Ben Reeve, who handled the organizing; Kelly McCormick, who assisted with race management and scoring; Jason Brooks and Gil Jansky, who helped monitor the racing; and Pat Nevitt and Steve Ross, who filmed the action.
Voices from the Pond
Between races, Jess turns the microphone toward the shore for a few informal conversations.
Longtime member Kim Robbins shares the spectator’s perspective, complete with friendly commentary from the pond’s “peanut gallery.” Bob Williams, known for his much-appreciated “pond dogs,” and other familiar faces weigh in on the pleasures of good racing, good company, and a shady spot to watch it all.
New member Charman French talks about getting her DF95, Mermaid, assembled and sailing with help from fellow Argonauts. Her story is a wonderful reminder of how much a welcoming club can help someone get started, from rigging and tuning to building confidence on the water.
More Club News
The episode also includes a recap of recent ODOM and Soling 50 points racing, a visit from local police officers who tried their hands at radio sailing, and an introduction to the club’s growing MiniMax school STEM initiative, led by Kerim Baran and Jeff Sparksworthy.
Whether you come to race, learn, volunteer, or simply enjoy the view, there’s a place for you at the pond.
The San Diego Argonauts enjoyed a good day at the 5th Annual Walter Munk Day on Saturday, October 3, at La Jolla Shores. With temperatures reaching around 95°F (about 20 degrees warmer than usual) it was a hot day to celebrate our oceans!
We met many families and children, connected with fellow sailors, and had valuable conversations with leaders in STEM, robotics, and education from across the San Diego region.
Our exhibit offered an opportunity to introduce visitors to model boating and share our growing school STEM program built around 3D-printed MiniMax RC sailboats.
Those conversations were an encouraging step as we continue developing the program.
This week, our focus turns to preparing the introductory session for University City High School students, introducing the MiniMax project, the sailing competition, and the physics of boats and sailing.
Thank you to the Argonauts members and friends who helped with our exhibit, everyone who stopped by, and the organizers who brought this community celebration together.
Our original event announcement follows below.
Argonauts to Exhibit at the 5th Annual Walter Munk Day on Oct 3rd, 2026
The San Diego Argonauts are excited to participate as an exhibitor at the 5th Annual Walter Munk Day — Celebrate Our Oceans, taking place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Kellogg Park in La Jolla Shores.
Walter Munk was one of the world’s most influential oceanographers. During his remarkable 80-year career at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, his pioneering work helped advance our understanding of ocean waves, tides, currents, climate and the sea floor. Walter Munk Day brings that legacy to life through interactive exhibits celebrating ocean science, exploration, education and conservation.
This year’s event will also recognize several important milestones:
The 75th anniversary of the Scripps Scientific Diving Program
The 10th anniversary of the Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology, founded by Walter Munk
The 75th anniversary of the gift of Kellogg Park to the City of San Diego
The 50th anniversary of the release of JAWS
The day begins with a Kumeyaay Smudge Ceremony and Bird Songs at 9:30 AM, followed by the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:00 AM. Exhibits and activities will continue until 4:00 PM.
What Will the Argonauts Bring?
Our exhibit will introduce visitors to the many sides of the San Diego Argonauts, from radio-controlled sailing and scale-model boating to our growing STEM and robotics initiatives.
We expect to display a variety of RC boats, club photographs, videos, and educational materials. Computer monitors will help us show visitors our boats in action, while hands-on displays will give children and families a closer look at how radio-controlled boats are designed, built and operated.
We also plan to highlight our developing school-based STEM program, including our work with 3D-printed MiniMax sailboats. The program combines design, 3D printing, electronics, boatbuilding, sailing and team racing to give students a practical and memorable engineering experience.
Weather, space and event logistics permitting, we may also demonstrate selected boats at our booth and beyond.
Hands-on robotics, engineering and ocean-science exhibits were among the highlights of Walter Munk Day in 2025.
A Great Match for the Argonauts
Walter Munk Day brings together scientists, educators, conservation organizations, students, engineers, ocean enthusiasts, and families from across San Diego. Last year’s exhibitors included organizations involved in oceanographic research, marine robotics, underwater exploration, environmental education, marine wildlife and ocean conservation.
It is a perfect environment for the Argonauts. Model boating naturally brings together water, wind, engineering, electronics, craftsmanship, competition, and fun, and it gives us a wonderful way to introduce young people to the science and technology of the marine world.
Scenes from the 2025 Walter Munk Day celebration at Kellogg Park in La Jolla Shores.
Watch Highlights from Last Year
The following video offers a look at the exhibits, activities and atmosphere of the 2025 Walter Munk Day celebration:
Argonauts: We Need Your Help!
We are looking for several San Diego Argonauts members and friends to help us staff the booth throughout the day.
Volunteers can help with:
Setting up our tables and displays
Transporting and displaying RC boats
Greeting visitors and introducing them to the club
Explaining how our sailboats, scale boats, and other models work
Demonstrating radios, electronics and hands-on activities
Talking about our sailing classes, public events and STEM programs
Supervising boats and equipment
Taking photographs and video
Breaking down the exhibit at the end of the day
You do not need to stay for the entire event. Even helping for a two or three hour shift would be extremely valuable. Setup begins at 8:00 AM and must be completed by 9:15 AM. Breakdown begins at 4:00 PM.
We would especially appreciate members who can bring interesting boats or displays, including sailboats, scale boats, submarines, unusual powered boats, works in progress, electronics, 3D-printed components, portable power stations to power the laptops & monitors, or other items that can help us tell the Argonauts’ story.
If you can volunteer, lend equipment, or provide a boat for the exhibit, please contact Kerim Baran or speak with us at the Model Yacht Pond.
This is an excellent opportunity to introduce thousands of San Diegans to the San Diego Argonauts, promote our activities and help inspire the next generation of sailors, builders, engineers and ocean stewards.
Please save the date: Saturday, October 3, 2026. We hope you will join us at Kellogg Park!
Learn more about Walter Munk Day and the Walter Munk Foundation at:
The San Diego Argonauts have published a new video series featuring longtime club member and sailing coach Jon Rogers.
Created for beginner & intermediate-level RC sailors, the beginner series introduces the basic principles of sailing and demonstrates the first four or five practical drills every new sailor should master. These exercises are designed to help beginners understand how a sailboat responds to the wind, improve their boat-handling skills, and confidently sail up and down the San Diego Model Yacht Pond.
In the Intermediate Sailing Series, Coach Jon covers how to identify wind direction, recognize and stop sail luffing, and adjust sails for three key points of sail: close-hauled, beam reach, and run.
Whether you are completely new to sailing or simply want to strengthen your fundamentals, Jon’s clear, pond-side instruction provides an excellent place to start.
Learn to Sail with Coach Jon Rogers
Introduction
Back & Forth Drill
Understand Luffing
Tight sails upwind, Loose sails downwind
Tacking, Gybing, and Upwind to the Buoy
Downwind Sailing & Gybing
Intermediate Sailing with Coach Jon Rogers
You can also watch the complete series on our YouTube channel:
We have added all nine videos to our Sailing Classes for All Ages page, where they will remain available as a free learning resource for new sailors, families, students, and anyone interested in learning how to sail an RC sailboat.
To find the page, use the website menu and go to:
SanDiegoArgonauts.org → More… → Sailing Classes for All Ages
For competitive sailors, Jon’s 26-video “Coaching with Jon” series is also an excellent resource and is listed under our YouTube Courses and under the Coaching with Coach Jon page on our website.
We hope these videos help more people discover the fun, challenge, and lifelong learning that sailing offers. After watching, come visit us at the San Diego Model Yacht Pond and put the lessons into practice!
A big thank you to Jon Rogers for sharing his time, knowledge, and enthusiasm with the next generation of sailors!
Our original vision centered on the RoboBuoy Challenge: inviting students to design and build remotely operated or autonomous robotic racing buoys that could position themselves on the water, hold their location, and potentially reshape a racecourse between races.
That vision is still very much alive, however, after conversations with local educators, students, and fellow model boating enthusiasts, we realized that there was an important first step we could take.
Before students build the racecourse of the future, why not help them build the boats that will race around it?
At approximately 22 centimeters long and only about 120 grams when ready to sail, the MiniMax may be tiny, but it is a real sailboat. It has an adjustable mainsail and jib, separate rudder and sail controls, and enough performance to support both recreational sailing and organized fleet racing.
Most importantly for our purposes, it offers students an approachable and affordable introduction to:
3D printing and digital manufacturing
Electronics and radio-control systems
Mechanical assembly
Materials and waterproofing
Buoyancy, balance and stability
Aerodynamics and hydrodynamics
Sail design and tuning
Troubleshooting and iterative engineering
Teamwork, sportsmanship and racing strategy
From One Prototype to a School-Built Fleet
Our initial goal was simple: print one MiniMax, build it, sail it, and learn everything we could.
That first prototype has now been completed and successfully sailed. Along the way, we worked through the kinds of real-world challenges that make projects like this so valuable: selecting lightweight electronics, configuring the transmitter and receiver, reversing servo direction, fitting extremely small components, rigging the sails, sealing the hull, and testing the completed boat on the water.
Each challenge became part of the learning experience, and part of the knowledge we can pass along to students and future builders.
The first San Diego MiniMax taking shape—complete with radio equipment, rigging materials and plenty of hands-on problem-solving.
The MiniMax has already proven that it can sail alongside vessels many times its size. During one of its first outings at the Model Yacht Pond, our little pink prototype shared the water with two beautifully detailed scale schooners, a fitting image of the extraordinary range of model boating.
Small boat, big pond: our first MiniMax sails alongside two large-scale schooners.
Now Working with Two San Diego Schools
The initiative has quickly progressed beyond a single experimental boat. The San Diego Argonauts are now actively engaged with educators at two local San Diego schools to explore how MiniMax construction, sailing, and racing can become part of a practical STEM and robotics experience.
At University City High School, we have been working with engineering and robotics teacher Zach Scott, using the school’s impressive fabrication facilities to print and begin assembling the next boats.
Jeff Sparksworthy and Kerim Baran from San Diego Argonauts with UCHS engineering and robotics teacher Zach Scott during a recent MiniMax work session.
The process begins with digital design files and rolls of filament. Hulls, keels, rudders, boat stands, and numerous small fittings emerge from the school’s 3D printers and are then cleaned, fitted, assembled, and tested.
MiniMax components being produced on a school 3D printer
From there, we install the radio receiver, two tiny servos, and the linkages that control the rudder and sails.
A newly printed MiniMax hull and stand during the early stages of assembly.
The transparent hull provides a clear view of the MiniMax’s compact radio receiver, rudder servo, sail servo, and control linkages.
The sail and rigging system introduce an entirely different set of skills. Students work with carbon-fiber rods, lightweight sail material, small fittings, and carefully measured lines to create an adjustable sailing rig.
Constructing a MiniMax sail and rig from lightweight materials and 3D-printed fittings.
A freshly printed MiniMax hull and keel assembly during preparation and finishing.
The Program We Are Developing
The current concept is for students to work in small (2-3 person) teams, with each team responsible for building and preparing its own boat.
The program would progress through several practical stages:
Understand the boat — Learn the basic parts of a sailboat and how wind creates motion.
Print the components — Explore 3D-printing methods, materials, tolerances, and quality control.
Build the hull and appendages — Assemble, seal and test the hull, keel and rudder.
Install the electronics — Connect the receiver and servos and configure the radio system.
Build and tune the rig — Make the sails, assemble the spars and adjust the control lines.
Test and improve — Conduct flotation and sailing trials, diagnose problems, and make modifications.
Learn to sail — Practice steering, sail control, starts, mark rounding, and basic racing rules.
Race as a fleet — Conclude the program with an organized MiniMax regatta at the San Diego Model Yacht Pond.
Our working objective is to help students build a fleet of approximately 15 to 20 boats—enough for multiple teams to sail and compete together.
The final regatta will not simply be a race. It will be the culmination of an engineering process in which students see something move from a digital file to a collection of printed parts to a functioning vessel they can control on the water.
Learning from the MiniMax Creator
We also recently recorded an in-depth conversation with MiniMax creator Brett McCormack. Brett explained the history of the boat, the thinking behind its design, how it is built and sailed, and how he hopes it can introduce more young people to model sailing.
This interview, and the lessons emerging from our local pilot, will help us develop clearer build instructions, teaching resources, and practical guidance for schools and model yacht clubs interested in creating similar programs.
Phase Two: Bringing Back the RoboBuoys and Much More
The MiniMax fleet is our immediate focus, but it is not the end of the journey.
Once students have gained experience building, controlling, and racing these boats, a likely second phase (perhaps beginning next semester) will return to the original RoboBuoy concept.
Students could design and construct remotely operated or autonomous racing marks capable of propulsion, station keeping and course positioning. More advanced teams could explore GPS, sensors, microcontrollers, cameras, wireless communication and autonomous navigation.
The program could then expand beyond identical MiniMax sailboats into modified and increasingly sophisticated marine vessels of many kinds, including:
Autonomous and remotely operated RoboBuoys
Sensor-equipped research boats
Rescue and recovery vessels
Camera and environmental-monitoring platforms
Experimental sailboats
Tugboats and workboats
Submarines and underwater vehicles
Hydrofoils and other high-performance designs
The MiniMax provides an ideal starting point: a manageable project that students can complete, sail, and race while developing the skills needed to tackle more ambitious marine-robotics challenges.
Building Something Other Communities Can Use
The San Diego Argonauts are developing this program in collaboration with local educators and students. The experience gained through these first school partnerships will help us identify what works, what needs improvement, and what resources teachers and volunteers need.
Our longer-term goal is to make the resulting knowledge useful well beyond San Diego. We hope that other schools, robotics programs, makerspaces, sailing schools & clubs, and (model) yacht clubs will be able to adapt the concept and build fleets of their own.
There is much more work ahead… but the project has already traveled a remarkable distance in a short time: from an idea for robotic buoys, to the first 3D-printed prototype, to active collaboration with two local schools and the beginnings of a student-built racing fleet.
And soon, if all goes according to plan, a collection of tiny sailboats will line up together on the San Diego Model Yacht Pond, with students holding the transmitters.
Want to Help?
We welcome participation from:
Teachers and school administrators
High-school and college students
Robotics teams and engineering clubs
3D-printing and fabrication specialists
Sailors and model-boat builders
Electronics suppliers and hobby shops
Corporate and community sponsors
Volunteers interested in mentoring young people
If you would like to participate, support the program, or explore bringing it to your school or club, please contact the San Diego Argonauts.
Together, we can introduce a new generation to engineering, robotics, sailing, other marine vessels, and the remarkable possibilities that emerge when all three meet on the water.
Saturday, September 5, brought another lively day to the Model Yacht Pond, with our ODOM and Soling 50 fleets taking center stage for the weekend’s Points Regatta.
The racing was competitive, spirited, and fun. Thank you to everyone who raced, helped manage the course, kept score, launched and retrieved boats, and contributed to another successful afternoon at the pond.
You can view the race results here:
Some Unexpected Visitors
The pond has a way of attracting people.
During their regular patrol, two local police officers noticed the activity, stopped to see what was happening, and soon found themselves joining in the fun.
Our commodore Jess Atkinson introduced them to our boats and gave them an opportunity to try radio-controlled sailing for themselves.
The San Diego Argonauts have always brought together people from many walks of life. Over the years, our members have included military service members, district attorneys, doctors, teachers, firefighters, engineers, businesspeople, professional captains, professional sailors, Olympic and national-level competitive sailors, retirees, and many others.
It would be wonderful to someday add a police officer, or two, to that mix!
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, we also welcomed our second new woman member in approximately one month, following nearly a decade without a new woman joining the club. That is an encouraging sign. We hope to continue introducing RC boating to an increasingly broad and diverse group of San Diegans.
A Big MiniMax STEM Milestone
Saturday also marked an important milestone for our growing high-school STEM and robotics initiative.
Working with the Engineering and Robotics program at University City High School, we recently completed the first 3D-printed MiniMax sailboat in what we hope will eventually become a student-built fleet.
After two short test sails in a swimming pool, the little MiniMax, which we named “Pink Maxine”, was finally ready to leave the protected waters and venture onto the “high seas” of our mighty San Diego Model Yacht Pond!
Pink Maxine spent some time alongside two beautiful schooners from our Scale Division. Seeing the tiny, modern, 3D-printed sailboat sharing the water with these wonderfully detailed traditional vessels made for a memorable contrast and a great example of the variety found within the San Diego Argonauts.
Like an eager little sibling trying to keep up with its much bigger sisters, Pink Maxine sailed confidently alongside them and did a remarkably good job of it. It may have been the smallest sailboat on the pond, but it looked perfectly at home!
This first boat is an important proof of concept for the school program. Students will be able to learn about 3D printing, design, electronics, radio systems, mechanical assembly, sailing, teamwork, and racing through one hands-on project. We thank Castlerack Yachtworks and Brett McCormack, the creator of MiniMax, for making it so simple for schools to engage in such a fun activity.
Saturday’s outing brought together many of the things that make the San Diego Argonauts special: competitive racing, beautiful scale models, public outreach, new friendships, and the opportunity to introduce the next generation to model boating.
A successful race day often begins long before the starting signal.
In the latest episode of San Diego Argonauts Radio, we explore the maintenance habits that help keep our boats reliable, responsive, and ready to make every start. The discussion covers the four primary sailboat classes raced at the San Diego Model Yacht Pond: the DF95, ODOM, Soling 50, and IOM.
Saltwater sailing can be particularly demanding on model yachts. Sheets chafe, metal fittings corrode, rudder shafts seize, electrical connections deteriorate, and even small leaks can eventually cause major problems. Fortunately, many of these issues can be prevented through regular inspection, cleaning, lubrication, and careful storage.
Topics covered in this episode include:
Inspecting sheets, pivot lines, travelers, and other friction points for chafe
Preventing corrosion caused by saltwater and dissimilar metals
Cleaning and lubricating rudder shafts, tubes, goosenecks, and fittings
Protecting keel bulbs and keel-fin slots from corrosion
Checking deck-to-hull joints and rudder tubes for leaks
Keeping receivers, servos, plugs, and other electronics clean and dry
Rinsing and drying boats thoroughly after every sailing session
Identifying small problems at home—before they cost you races at the pond
The episode offers specific recommendations for each class. DF95 owners will hear tips for maintaining the stern turning block, keel bulb, sheets, gooseneck, and sail ties. ODOM and older Soling 50 sailors will want to pay particular attention to their rudder tubes and shafts, where corrosion can eventually seize the entire assembly. IOM sailors are reminded to inspect their traveler systems, elastic tensioners, spars, vangs, goosenecks, and mast fittings.
The central message is simple: inspect and service your boat when you put it away—not when you take it out for the next regatta. That gives you plenty of time to make repairs and reduces the chance of discovering a broken sheet, frozen fitting, or corroded connection minutes before a race.
The episode concludes with a recap of our August points racing. Congratulations to Kerim Baran for winning the Soling 50 racing, Jess Atkinson for taking the ODOM day, Gary Winton for earning the top spot in the IOM fleet, and Chris Davidson for winning the DF95 racing during one of his final sailing days with the Argonauts before returning to Australia.
Whether you are preparing for a major regatta or simply heading to Mission Bay for a Saturday of club racing, a consistent maintenance routine will help keep your boat on the water—and help ensure that you make every start.
