Experience over 120 boats racing over two days on San Diego Argonauts Model Yacht Pond. Competitors who are racing for year end championship points will go head to head running 6 laps (almost one mile) on a course with 30 foot diameter turns expectng to hold their lanes in heat racing style. Points are accumulated after four rounds of racing based on their place of finish with the traditional John Perry Studio trophies awarded at the end of the day.
Come view Semi-Vee Flat Bottom Boats, Sport Hydros, Crackerboxes, Catamarans, Jersey Skiffs, Outriggers, and the crowd favorite Classic Thunderboats.
There is no fee for spectating. Bring a chair or a blanket and kick back and enjoy the San Diego summer sun.
Saturday and Sunday July 26-27, 2025. 9:00 AM 4:00 PM
Perfect sailing conditions greeted the twelve competitors for the inaugural Tri-Dragon Team Challenge; the first of its kind in Travelers Trophy history. Six teams fought hand-to-hand in tightly sailed matches all afternoon. Many heats were decided by lead changes just before the finish. The Championship was determined by the Final Race of the day between Team Red and Team Green. Congratulations to the winners and all the participants! (Special thanks to Len Bose who gave up his racing spot to a fellow competitor to help Umpire the Event!)
Excellent Video and Commentary courtesy of Dr. Jim Sears!
First to kick off yesterday’s racing was the IOM’s.
Gerry Wold signed up as RD for both classes and he certainly had a challenge ahead of him. The breeze was coming from the direction every Argonaut holds with much disdain, across the pond!
Fortunately there was a bit of West in it ( At times?) and Gerry was able to set courses that stretched the length of the pond. This was going to be ‘one of those days’, the wind swirled, there were plenty of holes and mother nature just kept everyone guessing the whole day.
After winning the day, I have to say that it wasn’t due to me being the fastest, perhaps just the luckiest. :O
Add another seven boats and we saw the DF’s hit the water. Same challenges but now with the increased number of boats, everyone’s chances of getting ‘lucky’ were a whole lot less.
“Go left young man” seemed to be the strategy but that was sometimes easier said than done.
Even with quite a biased line at the North shore end, the fleet fought for the pin end and if you got away cleanly you were in good stead. (Not so easy to achieve). BUT, even then the top mark was like a roulette wheel, enter the zone and cross your fingers. :O
Apologies for setting it there but more so for not moving it after the IOM’s. Sailing two boats sometimes causes some time management issues. :(.
All in all the racing was extremely ’sporting’, penalties were taken appropriately and there was a high level of consideration amongst the competitors for the challenging conditions.
Congrats to the podium placegetters and congratulations to all all competitors for turning up and making it a great day at the pond.
If you havent already entered the TT teams event next weekend, get your entry in it’s going to be great fun and ’something different’.
Or even just drop down and bolster the numbers in the peanut gallery. 🙂
Thank you Kerim, Gerry and Jon for collecting the marks and putting the boat Etc. away.
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!
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.
