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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.

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.

We’ve been invited to take part in a special Father’s Day event at Santee Lakes on Sunday, June 15th from 10 AM – 2 PM. This grand opening celebration for the new lake concessionaire will feature live music, family activities, and a unique opportunity for the Argonauts to sail and showcase our boats on beautiful Lake 4.

All divisions are encouraged to participate! We’re looking to field:

– At least 10 DF95s for sailing exhibitions and racing
– At least 8 scale or power boats, including fast boats

We’ll have full support from the park staff—including free entry, a rescue boat, and access to premium display areas near the restaurant’s 400-seat deck. This is a fantastic chance to show off our hobby, connect with the public, and maybe even attract new members.

Let’s make a splash! Please RSVP ASAP with our commodore Pat Nevitt so we can confirm our club’s participation.

Questions or want to get involved? Come see us at the pond this Saturday or reach out directly.

Another great day on the pond guys.

Kicking off the days racing were the IOMs with Commodore Pat Nevitt doing a great job as RD. First race was going to be our standard medium course just to scope things out but that was changed to a long course after some advice was offered to the VC of Sail from the Godfather of IOMs, Mr. Mackey. Not wanting to wake up in the morning with a horses head in my sail bag, I kindly passed this advice on to the RD who willingly obliged. 🙂
Long courses were the order of the day with some superb competition throughout the heats.
Good to have Jason and Dennis back on the starting line with Dennis racking up four bullets and taking out the day, well done.
With the Region 8 Regatta on next week it’s sure to be a great couple of days.

But wait, there’s more!
Next on the pond were the DF 95s, 18 in fact! What a show.
With that many boats on the start line and on the course all at the same time there was bound to be ‘interactions’. Plenty of penalty turns and close avoidance measures being put to the test.
All skippers conducted themselves very well, kudos to you all for sailing as sportsman should, the Corinthian spirit is alive and well. 🙂
BUT…….
Oops, I forgot to mention the RD. Headmaster Mackey was back to keep things in order. Apparently word got out there would be a host of boats in the playground and anarchy was not to prevail.
As most of you that sailed the January points race would know, Craig runs a tight ship and after a general recall or two, you guessed it, the black flag rule was invoked.
Those skippers that weren’t up to speed on what the black flag means, definitely know now! :O
Heats were all medium courses in a very fluctuating breeze that kicked hard to the right at times making any venture out to the left somewhat perilous and not without risk.
Great to see so many boats turning up and providing some very tight racing.
Welcome to John Lisenby who has only just got into sailing the DF 95 and by all accounts is having a ball.

A big thank to everyone who manned their rakes this morning to clear the shoreline of the dreaded slime. Very much appreciated. 🙂
Thanks also to Kerim, Jason and Dave for helping get the boat and buoys away.

See you all next time!

Regards

Chris