Author: Kerim Baran

Points Day Results – Soling 50’s & ODOM’s (Aug 9, 2025)

Surprise! What another great day on the pond!

Thanks Steve Delva for being the RD for both classes and thanks also Steve for helping Kerim and I pack everything away.

Good breeze and a good number of boats on the line for each class.
Welcome back Ken Titilah, hopefully we’ll see more of Ken for the remainder of the year.

Formalities out of the way it was on to the water.

Not surprising, Chris Staiger started clocking up a few bullets after settling in and consistently finished in the top three, taking out the day narrowly edging out Chris Davidson, Larry and Ty.

Racing was generally quite close with quite a few position changes as skippers navigated the tricky shifts and pressure lines.
Uncharacteristically there were no flying port hand starts from Bill this week. Must be saving himself. Stay tuned.

ODOMS’s were next on the water with some extremely tight racing between all boats at various times.
Kerim continues to light the pond on fire with another win overall. It’s not too late to enter the Nationals at San Francisco coming up!

The level of competition in this class has certainly lifted, in fact, the level of racing has lifted right across the board.
The information/ tuning sessions coupled with the ongoing sharing of knowledge is what makes being a part of the Argonauts so enjoyable.

Thanks guys for another great day at the pond.

A day of play next week, so bring what you got!

Best of luck to all of the Argonauts venturing up to Mason park next weekend to participate in the last DF 95 Traveller’s Series event on Saturday and to those skippers also participating in the team racing event up there on Sunday.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – Argonauts are go!

2025 AMYA ODOM R8 Championship Results (Aug 2nd, 2025)

The sun was shining, sky was blue, we ran a race or two.
The water was warm, and skippers were here, too.

Times are tough, we are low on parts —
So here’s your sailing salute… on a scorecard!

= = = =

It was just another beautiful day at the San Diego Model Boat Pond for this year’s Region 8 ODOM Championship. Eleven competitors raced in near-perfect conditions. The wind was from the West, with oscillating gusts and shifts from NW & SW.

Top 6 Finishers – ODOM Region 8 Championship

  1. Jess A (Sail #56) – Net: 16
    Smooth, steady, and fast—Jess sailed a near-perfect regatta.
  2. Kerim (Sail #714) – Net: 19
    Kept it clean, calm, and consistent for a well-earned second place.
  3. Larry G (Sail #85) – Net: 29
    Tactical and consistent—always near the top.
  4. Gerry W (Sail #591) – Net: 46
    Sailed strong with guts and grace, edging into the top tier.
  5. Chris D (Sail #69) – Net: 50
    Kept the pressure on—smart lines and consistent sailing paid off.
  6. Tom W (Sail #19) – Net: 51
    Sneaky starts and crisp mark roundings, quietly slipped past boats

Thank you to Dennis Rogers, Ben Reeve, Jess Atkinson, Chris Davidson, and all others who helped put together this regatta—and to Bob Williams for serving up his legendary Pond Dogs that kept the fleet fueled and smiling between races!

Points Day Results – DF95’s & IOM’s (July 19, 2025)

And just in time for Christmas!

Thank you to Mike Fruciano for travelling so far to join us for the IOM’s and extra thanks for taking on RD duties Re/ the DF 95’s.

Thanks also to Kerim for being RD for the IOM’s.

Good fleet numbers in both classes and some very tight racing.

Great to see newcomers Jack and Roberto out on the water. I’m sure we’ll see more of them both in the future.

Unfortunately Jon Rogers suffered some Tech. issues with his recently acquired IOM and wasn’t able to make the start line.

Watch this space. I’m sure Jon will compete very well once he’s sorted out.

See you all at the pond. 🙂

2025 AMYA ODOM CLASS REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (Aug 2nd, 2025)

San Diego Argonauts will be hosting the 2025 AMYA ODOM Class Regional Championship at the San Diego Model Yacht Pond on August 2nd, 2025.

To register, send an email or call Jess Atkinson (details in the NOR document below). An entry fee of $15 will be collected at the Pond on the day of the event. Notice of Race & Sailing Instructions are below.

2025 AMYA Odom Regionals @SD2Download

Pete Jefferson DF95 Masters Regatta Results

Today was a good day to go sailing in San Diego. The Pete Jefferson award was happening for DF 95’s.

Eleven skippers showed up for the challenge – aka The 12 Race Masters Series ribbon run. Conditions were 4-6 knots from the west.

Really great group. Sportsmanship was high that really made this day a blast and the dogs from Bobs grill (pond dogs) were the lunch break treat.

Dennis Rogers won the day with Chris Staiger in second and Larry Grant in third.

Jess Atkinson was our RD and the host. He ran a smooth and fun event as usual.

Points Day Results – Soling 50’s & ODOM’s (June 7, 2025)

What can I say about today?  Not a whole lot without using some graphic words not suitable around children.  June gloom is in full swing.  Today was about survival, as in surviving the fickle winds.  On the plus side; it wasn’t raining.  It was really only fun for those that played the lucky shifts correctly.  Chris Davidson laid out the course and Steve Delva ran a tight ship as RD for both classes.  Thanks Steve! 

Despite the challenges the Soling guys had a fairly tight fleet in a mix of short and medium courses in shifty wind mostly out of the NW.  In the end, Larry Grant prevailed and Gerry Wold had a very strong showing.Despite the challenges the Soling guys had a fairly tight fleet in a mix of short and medium courses in shifty wind mostly out of the NW.  In the end, Larry Grant prevailed and Gerry Wold had a very strong showing.

The ODOM guys followed with all medium courses in pretty much the same challenging wind conditions.  Larry Grant again dominated the fleet with Kerim Baran and Jess Atkinson hot on his heels.

A big thanks to Kerim, Steve Delva and Gil for collecting the marks and cleaning and putting the skiff away!

-Pat N.

Argonauts Open House Recap – A Big Day at the Pond!

On Saturday, May 31st, the San Diego Argonauts came together to host an unforgettable RC Boating Open House and Family Fun Day at the Model Boat Pond in Mission Bay Park. The event was a resounding success—bringing together Sail, Scale, and Power divisions for a day of hands-on RC action, community connection, and wide-eyed joy from kids and adults alike.

Over 70 guests joined us throughout the day, including many who found the event through our Eventbrite promotion. They got a chance to take the helm of model steamships, tugboats, Civil War-era Ironclads, ferries, sailboats, and speedboats, guided by friendly Argonauts eager to share their passion for the hobby.

Even a freak tropical disturbance couldn’t stop the fun! Though we wrapped up slightly early due to nearby thunder and lightning, the spirit of the event was already firmly sealed with 57 hot dogs and 4 pizzas served, dozens of boats in motion, and countless memories made.

From Our Club Leaders

Rear Commodore Tom Warren reflected:

“Thank you Commodore Pat and Staff for an excellent day at the pond. The Open House really showed that we are Argonaut Strong.

Families enjoyed the mid-day activities without that cell phone menace! From young to old, everyone had a chance to test drive an incredible variety of boats.

This is the kind of community engagement the AMYA would be proud of—and a perfect story to share with them. Thanks always go to how this club participates, from the organizers to the Scale, Power and Sail fleets. We are all-in.

If you have photos or videos, please share them—we’d love to include them in an article for the AMYA magazine and on our website!”

Commodore Pat Nevitt shared:

“I can’t thank you all enough for hosting such a successful club fun day and open house. Seeing all three divisions in full force, with family and friends alongside, was truly special.

At one point, someone counted over 70 people in attendance, and I spoke with many who found us through Eventbrite. Guests definitely got to see the best of the Argonauts!

One of the most heartwarming moments was watching members hand their controllers to eager kids and teach them the finer points of model boating. So many smiles!

A huge thanks to Bill, Al, Bob, Kurtis, Kerim, and the many others who made this possible. You all made me proud. Let’s look at doing this again.”

Event Highlights – Photo Gallery

Event Video Recap

More Photos

Coming Soon

We plan to put together an article for AMYA featuring this event, including photos, testimonials, and details about how Eventbrite and local outreach helped draw in a great crowd. Stay tuned—and if you have media to contribute, please email us at sdargonauts @ gmail dot com.

Thanks again to everyone who participated, volunteered, or simply showed up with curiosity and joy. The Argonauts spirit was on full display—and the pond was buzzing with life.

Let’s do it again soon.