I’ve just returned from a 12 1/2 hour trip to the T-37 Nationals Regatta. T-37s are 37” long Radio Control Sailboats. It was an AMYA (American Model Yachting Association) regatta, sponsored by PNMYC (Pacific Northwest Model Yacht Club) and SYC (Seattle Yacht Club).

Usually, I race. But since I hadn’t had my boat out to practice but twice since May, I didn’t feel ready for it. So this year I worked Race Committee. I’ve done that twice, and it is still fun, but without the frustration of the light air. I got to see a lot of old friends that I usually sail with, but missed due to covid scrapping all of our regattas last year and this year until this one.

Every year there is some SWAG that goes with participating. I’ve posted a picture of this year’s swag filled with Irish Whiskey & water.

My job, as part of the race committee, was to watch the starting line and call over-early boat numbers so they would know they had to go back and restart. Also to call the South end mark to insure all boats rounded it. Now, normally you would know if you rounded a mark when racing a sailboat. But in RC you could be 40+ yards away, and have several boat between you and your boat and the mark so you can’t always tell. Hence, someone watching. I’m posting a couple of videos of an actual start to one of the 12 races we ran. You can see the line, and hear the timer counting down. You can also see the boats approach the line, and seem to stop so they don’t go over early Clever use of rudder and sails is how they stop - these boats are totally wind powered for motion. There are batteries powering the servo that hauls in and lets out the sheets, and the servo that rotates the rudder. But no propellers drive these boats.

I also had to be there to hand out the prizes, since I am the Commodore of PNMYC.