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!)
The Region 8 DF95 Travelers Trophy season continued on Saturday, August 8, with a great day of racing at Mason Regional Park in Irvine, home of the Orange County Model Sailing Club.
Entries were limited to 17 skippers, allowing everyone to race together in a single fleet. With temperatures in the mid-80s, bright sunshine, and consistent winds, conditions were ideal for an impressive 16 races.
And San Diego Argonauts sailors had a very strong showing!
🥇 1st – Jess Atkinson – 28 points 🥈 2nd – Keith Ives – 42 points 🥉 3rd – Larry Grant – 49 points 4th – Dennis Rogers – 60 points 5th – Stephan Cohen – 72 points
Awards were presented by Len Bose, AMYA President and originator of the Region 8 Travelers Trophy series.
Photo credits: OCMSC
Don Frakes served as PRO, with Bob “Shoe” Schumacher, Alex Brown, and Rock Kendall handling scoring.
A big thank-you to everyone who helped make another full day of Travelers Trophy racing possible — and especially to our friends at OCMSC for hosting us at Mason Park.
There’s also some good news from our friends in Orange County: OCMSC has launched its own YouTube channel!
The new channel gives sailors throughout Southern California — and anyone curious about radio-controlled sailing — a chance to see some of the action at Mason Regional Park.
And they have already posted videos from Saturday’s Travelers Trophy regatta:
It’s great to see another Southern California model sailing club putting racing footage online. Videos like these help introduce newcomers to the sport, let sailors study the action, and help connect our growing RC sailing community.
So give OCMSC a subscribe and help get their new channel off to a great start!
And Then Came Sunday…
Saturday’s fleet racing wasn’t quite the end of the weekend.
The next day, many of the same sailors were back at Mason Park for the DF95 Team Challenge, a very different — and very fun — format featuring two-person teams and only four boats on the course at a time.
We’ve already covered all the action from Sunday in a separate post:
In the latest episode of San Diego Argonauts Radio, Commodore Jess Atkinson sits down with Bruce Andersen, U.S. Marblehead Class Secretary and Chairman of the International Radio Sailing Association (IRSA), for a fascinating conversation about one of the oldest, fastest, and most technologically advanced classes in radio sailing.
The Marblehead has a history stretching back nearly a century. Originally developed in Marblehead, Massachusetts, the class evolved from free sailing to vane sailing and eventually radio control. Today’s Marbleheads bear little resemblance to those early boats. At 50 inches long with 800 square inches of sail, modern Marbleheads are lightweight, carbon-fiber, deep-keel racing machines capable of remarkable acceleration and speed.
As Bruce puts it, if tightly controlled classes such as the IOM and DragonForce are the NASCAR of radio sailing, the Marblehead is Formula One.
Jess and Bruce explore the evolution of the class—from the home-built boats that once dominated American radio sailing, through legendary designs such as the Scalpel, to today’s extremely narrow and sophisticated Grunge and Red Ant designs.
They also discuss why Marblehead racing declined in the United States as sailors migrated toward the more easily transported IOM and, later, the DF classes—and why that trend may now be starting to reverse.
New fleets and renewed interest are appearing on both coasts, with experienced IOM sailors increasingly adding Marbleheads to their boat sheds. Regattas are beginning to combine IOM and Marblehead racing, and the Marblehead will be one of the featured classes at San Diego Argonauts Race Week 2027.
And there is a reason sailors keep coming back to them.
They are fast.
Really fast.
Modern Marbleheads feature sophisticated rigs—including their distinctive swing rigs—and acceleration unlike almost anything else in radio sailing. As Jess describes it, sheet in the sail and the boat can take off “like a rocket.”
Bruce and Jess also talk about how newcomers can get involved. Their advice is simple: don’t buy one first—sail one. Come to a Marblehead regatta, introduce yourself, and chances are someone will happily put a transmitter in your hands.
Also in this episode, Jess gives a big shout-out to everyone who helped make the 2026 San Diego Argonauts Open House such a successful “party at the park,” and wraps up with results and highlights from recent ODOM, DF95, and IOM points racing at the Mission Bay Model Yacht Pond.
If you’ve ever wondered why Marblehead sailors become so enthusiastic about these extraordinary boats—or you’re simply curious about the history and evolution of high-performance radio sailing—this is an episode you’ll want to hear.
Are Marbleheads simply enjoying another moment in the spotlight, or are they truly making a comeback?
Give the episode a listen and decide for yourself.
Our 2026 San Diego Argonauts Open House is in the books, and what a day it was!
First and foremost, thank you to everyone who volunteered, brought boats, shared their expertise, cooked food, helped with setup and cleanup, or simply spent time welcoming visitors. This event was a tremendous success because of you.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the day was seeing approximately one-quarter of our membership come together to make it happen. Members displayed their boats, taught newcomers how to sail, staffed STEM and Maker exhibits, answered countless questions, cooked lunch, hauled equipment, and made every visitor feel welcome.
The atmosphere at the pond was fantastic from start to finish.
Hundreds of Hands-On Experiences
Throughout the day, visitors had the opportunity to explore nearly every aspect of our hobby.
Beautiful sailboats, scale models, and power boats were on display, while many guests took the controls of an RC sailboat for the very first time.
One of the highlights was watching children—and plenty of adults—go from never having touched an RC sailboat to confidently sailing upwind in just 10 to 15 minutes.
It’s always exciting to see how quickly people discover that RC sailing is both approachable and incredibly rewarding.
STEM & Maker Faire Activities
A special thank-you goes to Jeff Sparksworthy, Rob Wood, Robin Cahill Simpson, and Steve Delva, who created and staffed our STEM and Maker Faire tables.
Visitors explored topics including:
– Electronics and batteries – Radio control systems – Glues and adhesives – Fabrication techniques – Building methods and tools
These hands-on exhibits sparked countless conversations and demonstrated that our hobby is much more than simply sailing boats—it’s a wonderful blend of engineering, craftsmanship, creativity, and lifelong learning.
Thank You to Our Volunteers
It’s always risky to start naming names because someone deserving is inevitably forgotten, but several members deserve special recognition.
Bob and Gil kept everyone well fed with the famous BobDogs.
Bill Bridge quietly handled countless behind-the-scenes tasks, including bringing coolers and helping with cleanup.
John Scripps made the pizza run happen.
Jess Atkinson, Pat Nevitt, and Tom Warren spent much of the day greeting visitors, answering questions, and representing the club.
Jon Rogers, Dennis Rogers, Gil, John Scripps, Keith, Steve Ross, Ben, Tom, Pat, and many others generously handed over transmitters and patiently taught visitors the basics of RC sailing throughout the day.
Special recognition also goes to Pat Nevitt and Dave Endert for bringing their beautiful schooners, which attracted plenty of attention.
Looking Toward the Future
One particularly exciting outcome was the attendance of two local high school teachers, who expressed genuine interest in partnering with the San Diego Argonauts on future STEM education programs. They experienced firsthand how RC boats can inspire students to learn about engineering, physics, electronics, and teamwork, and we’re looking forward to continuing those conversations.
Another idea that emerged throughout the day was to host similar events several times each year. Rather than limiting ourselves to one annual Open House, we’d like to organize periodic “Learn to RC Sail“ days focused simply on introducing newcomers to this wonderful hobby.
Thank You!
Finally, thank you once again to every member who helped make this event such a success.
As several members said afterward, this truly was an “Outstanding day at the pond.” The enthusiasm, generosity, and willingness to share our hobby with others reminded all of us what makes the San Diego Argonauts such a special club.
If you took photos or videos during the event, please send us a few of your favorites—we’ll continue updating this recap as more memories from the day come in.
The Argonauts Board and the Race Week Committee have officially met and selected the dates for our 16th Triennial San Diego Race Week, which will take place at the San Diego Model Boat Pond from September 27 through October 11, 2027.
Our current plan is to host eight National Championship Regattas across eight model yacht classes over two weeks.
We are currently working with the AMYA class organizations to finalize the Race Week schedule and determine the order in which each class will compete.
Mark your calendars! We look forward to welcoming sailors from across the country for two exciting weeks of competitive racing and camaraderie at one of the premier model yachting venues in the United States.
Stay tuned for additional details as planning continues.
Can High School Robotics Students Change the Future of Radio Sailing?
In Episode 13 of San Diego Argonauts Radio, Commodore Jess Atkinson sits down with Kerim Baran and Jeff Sparksworthy to discuss one of the club’s most exciting new initiatives: bringing high school students, STEM education, and maritime robotics together at the San Diego Model Boat Pond.
🤖 The vision behind the upcoming RoboBuoy Challenge, where students will design and build radio-controlled (and eventually autonomous) robotic buoys
🛠️ The five hands-on maker stations that introduce students to electronics, radio systems, adhesives, metalworking, and basic fabrication skills
🏫 Partnerships with local high schools and the long-term goal of creating semester-long STEM and robotics programs centered around marine technology
🌊 Reviving the historic connection between San Diego schools and the Model Boat Pond—while inspiring the next generation of engineers, builders, sailors, and innovators.
The episode also previews our August 1st Open House, where the public can experience these STEM activities firsthand, learn to sail RC boats, and discover everything the San Diego Argonauts has to offer.
🎧 Listen now and learn how today’s students could help shape the future of model boating!
