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:
Some Unexpected Visitors
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.
A Big MiniMax STEM Milestone
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/
