Strong but shifty winds, high humidity and sunny warm temperatures ruled the day for September Points Racing.
Mike Fruciano traveled all the way from Phoenix (along with Rod Sturgess) to RD the DF95 Fleet; Thanks, Mike! Results below:
Next was the IOM’s turn. Thanks to RD Craig Mackey! Results below:
Videos and Commentary courtesy of Steve Ross!:
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:
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.
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.
Not bad for one day at the pond!
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You can learn more about Argonauts’ STEM Robotics Program with local high schools here:
https://www.sandiegoargonauts.org/stem-programs-for-youth/
You can learn more about the MiniMax project here:
https://www.sandiegoargonauts.org/2026/08/26/minimax/
Videos Courtesy of Steve Ross:
Congratulations to Argonauts Commodore Jess Atkinson who will be GIVEN THE CHAIR for winning the 2026 Dragon Flite 95 Region 8 Travelers Trophy! (His personalized Lounge Chair will be presented at the first race of the 2027 season at the Long Beach Yacht Club.)
Congratulations to Annoying Orange who bested the Defending Champion Boys of Summer to claim the top prize in Team Challenge II with Team BS coming in 3rd!
Teams Green, Orange and Black advanced directly to the Finals, while Red, Blue, Yellow and White duked it out in the sudden-death Wild-Card Bracket:
Team Red emerged the victor to join the Finals:
In the Finals, Annoying Orange ran the table and won the championship (having lost only a single race in Stage 1 to 2nd Place Boys of Summer).
Videos courtesy of OCMSC and Larry Grant:
Thanks to Len Bose & the Orange County Model Sailing Club for hosting the Event and providing logistics, mark management (and ice-cold bottled water!)
Video courtesy of Steve Ross:
There were no Soling Skippers for July 11th Points. Odom results below:
Videos courtesy of Steve Ross:
