MICHAEL ON DESIGN

 10 years ago I moved into a  small house on Redd’s Pond in Marblehead, MA. I noticed several buoys arranged around the pond. Later that day several  gentlemen showed up with model boats they had built and began racing around the buoys. This was interesting I thought.

As a life long racing yachtsman, it was impossible to just stand there watching all this jostling, bumping and yelling going on around me every weekend. So I decided to get a model boat and began ‘thumb boat racing’. 

The boats are controlled by radio transmitters and receivers. You control the shape of the sails and the angle of the rudder with your thumbs. I DFL’ed my first race (yachting  term for last) but was determined to get better at this new way of racing boats.

Several years alter I bought a Vintage Marblehead model boat. It was built in 1970 and is over 9’-6” tall. It’s a big boat! This year I entered in the Vintage Model Boat North American Championships with the goal of finishing 3^rd. I knew the 2 guys that would surly beat me were both past national champs and had over a 100 years of model boat racing between them. Third would be amazing for a neophyte like me.

24 races later, I just missed 3rd by 3 points but was very happy to have had the chance to race with some of the best model boat sailors in the world.  I came across the link below in Maine Magazine and hope you take  a minute to look at how beautiful these old girls are and how fierce the competition is. Drop me a line if you want. I have a Vintage Marblehead boat for sale. Better yet, come on over to the house and I’ll show you how to’ thumb boat sail’.

Check out the on-line 2007 VM Regatta Report Here.

Tags: Diversions //