August 2005

NAMBA INTERNATIONAL PROPWASH
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Cathie Galbraith
1815 Halley Street
San Diego, CA 92154
(619) 424-6380
Fax (619) 424-8845
e-mail: cathie.galbraith@namba.com
PRESIDENT
Alan Hobbs
2402 Old US Highway 91
Cascade, MT 59421
(406) 468-2706
e-mail: alan.hobbs@namba.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Al Waters
162 Avenida Chapala
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 746-2408
e-mail: al.waters@namba.com
Web Page: www.namba.com
VOLUME 35, NUMBER 2
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE
AUGUST 2005
President’s Message
By Alan Hobbs
NAMBA President
Nelson Outboard Engine ……..
2
District Eight Director’s Report
3
District 16 News ……………..
3
News From District 19 ……….
4
Electric Report ……………….
4
VP Goes FE …………………..
5
My Apologies ………………...
6
News from District 20 ………..
6
Watch That Paint Scheme ……
8
Scale News …………………...
8
News from District Nine ……..
9
District Four and FE Racing …
9
District Rules ………………... 10
News From Eleven …………... 11
2005 F/ E Nats - Michigan Cup. 14
Flying the Unfriendly Skies …. 18
NAMBA Fast Electrics Nats ... 19
Odds and Ends……………….. 19
I'm writing this President's Message a few days before I leave for the 2005
NAMBA Nats. You know it will be a great time. By now, most of us have competed in
several races and are well into the hunt for district points. Good weather and good
water can lead to some pretty exciting times. I wish you all the best of luck.
All too often I forget that there is more to NAMBA boating than racing nitro. We
have large groups of electric, gas, and combat boaters along with the nitro boaters.
Competition is competition, whether you are running in heat races, time trials, or
trying to sink an opponent. But, many NAMBA boaters don't compete at all.
These members want to run their boats with friends just for fun. They depend on
NAMBA insurance to cover their liability needs. Insurance coverage is their primary
reason to join NAMBA. We are all responsible to each other. Not only do we practice
safe boating to protect our friends and ourselves, we als o practice safe boating to keep
our insurance premiums in line. We practice safe boating to make certain that
insurance companies want our business.
In May, I was racing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Their pond is an irregular shape
with two peninsulas cutting the pond in half. One area is reserved for model boats. The
other area is reserved for rowing. During the races on Sunday, a person rowed around
the peninsulas and into the race course area. The Calgary CD did the proper thing, he
stopped the races. Then the CD went over to talk to the man in the rowboat. Guess who
wouldn't leave? He wanted to sit in his boat and watch the races up close.
Other Calgary club members went over to this person to explain that this area was
reserved for model boating. He wanted written proof or he wouldn't leave. I walked
over to the shoreline near him and asked him to come over to the park benches up on
the shore to watch our races.
Either that, or if he would row back around the peninsulas we could start up
again. By this time he was just rude. He called us several choice names and refused to
leave. He said that he would sign a letter holding us harmless if we hit him. He said
that if a model boat came close, he would row out of the way. He would not leave.
The races were put on hold. The CD was ready to call the local authorities and ask
them to explain the situation. About that time, the man decided to row back around the
peninsulas and our racing started up again. On his way, he called us R/C geeks who
wanted to control everything. The Calgary club handled this situation correctly. As
long as there was someone in the water, even though a couple of hundred yards away,
no R/C boats were allowed to launch.
Continued on page 2
PROPWASH
President’s Message
(Continued from page 1)
While we all face some situations that test our patience, common sense tells us to
not take chances. If you cannot resolve the problem by cordially explaining the
situation, let the authorities or property owner settle matters. Some people just aren't
smart enough to recognize the danger. We have to be the responsible party. Please
continue to make safety your highest priority.
2005 Elections
This is an election year for odd-numbered districts, NAMBA President and VicePresident. If you are interested in serving NAMBA in one of these offices, get a
petition signed by at least ten NAMBA members nominating you. You must also sign
the petition indicating that you accept the nomination. Please do this quickly as the
election will be upon us sooner than you think.
The most important job within NAMBA is District Director. Sometimes the people
best qualified for this job do not step forward. Either they don't realize that they have
the ability to do the job well, or they don't feel that they are needed. Perhaps they are
on the shy side or worry that they won't get support. Why don't you approach someone
you think would be a good District Director, offer to help, and get them to run for
office? Then make certain to vote and step forward to help.
Well, I'd better get my boats and equipment packed up. It's about time to head for
the 2005 NAMBA Nats hosted by District 11, their first NAMBA Nats. I wish you
good luck and good times with your model boats.
The Nelson Outboard Engine
By Lohring Miller
District Eight Director
There are currently no mass produced outboards larger than 3.5cc. However, there
are still some good limited production choices in the larger sizes. One of the best is the
Nelson 45 and 47 for the NAMBA B and C Modified Tunnel classes. Henry Nelson
has built this engine for many years for various airplane racing classes. His rear
exhaust version started life in 1990 as an aircraft FAI racing engine. That year it set
the world FAI racing record and captured
four of the five top places at the AMA
Nationals. The front intake version won the
FAI world championships in 1999, and it
was the engine used by the top three
finishers. The side exhaust version is the
choice of most of the Quickie 500 racers.
The outboard marine engine is the front
intake, rear exhaust FAI engine with a
water-cooled head. The clockwise rotation
outboard version is equipped with an
outboard flywheel and a rear power takeoff.
It is also available with counter clockwise
rotation and different accessories for
inboard use.
An overall view of the Nelson 45
Even though the outboard version has been around for some time, it has not been
particularly popular. I believe this is because it is not a simple, bolt on outboard. The
engine is not as user friendly as the old K&B engines, and it requires assembly by an
experienced boater. The design looks very conventional with an ordinary front intake
through the crankshaft. The sleeve has an exhaust port flanked by two transfer ports
and opposed by a single boost port. The head uses a special glow plug that seats on its
tapered end. However, the short stroke of .710 inch coupled with a bore of .900 in the
45 version give different operating characteristics from other designs. The advertised
2
rpm range is 26,000 to 30,000 rpm,
considerably higher than most 45s. Pipes
need to be shorter, carburetion is more
critical, and setups are different. Still,
when everything is working, the engine
is faster and more durable than a K&B
Semi Pro or the older K&B engines. I
have raced it against the Irwin CMB
conversion and the Nelson is as fast or
faster. The power claim of 3+
horsepower seems reasonable.
The Nelson piston and sleeve from the
exhaust side
The engine is available from Gary
Preusse of G&M Models. He can be
reached at (630) 279-2451. The engine
comes ready to bolt onto a standard
K&B lower unit with everything but a
carb. This is not a trivial problem
because the aircraft engines don’t use a
standard carb. The recommended carb is
a late model K&B 7.5 carb though the
11cc carb and the Geraghty 45 carb have
been used. A shim comes with the
engine so these carbs will fit. Because
the mounting area is short and uses a
one-side draw bar, getting the carb to
stay on is difficult. The carb neck needs
to be shaped to match the shim and the
assembly should be sealed with silicone.
You can’t tighten the draw bar too much.
Once everything is together, don’t take it
apart. A tuned pipe adapter needs to be
made. You may be able to purchase one,
but I made one from a copper plumbing
fitting and steel plate. Ruggedness is
needed here as well, and the first one I
made cracked. Finally, the fine wire flex
shafts break after very short runs. I got
some heavier duty ones from Garry
Preusse.
August 2005
PROPWASH
Break in is important. Gary sends a quart of castor oil with the engine and
recommends two ounces per gallon. Use it. I didn’t personally break in my 47 sleeve
and the power is not as good as the 45 sleeve where I followed Gary’s break in
instruction. The piston is very tight so it will take at least one or two gallons of fuel
before the engine is fully broken in. Be sure to set the low speed mixture adjustment
very rich. My engine stalled when I got off
the throttle until I adjusted this. Pulling out
two coils of the wire on the special Nelson
glow plug also helps. By the way, these
plugs are not particularly expensive and are
available from Gary. After the engine gets
broken in, try shortening the pipe. Mike
Bontoft picked up about 5 mph just by
shortening the pipe from where he ran it on
his old K&B. I’m running around ½ inch
shorter than the same pipe on a K&B SemiPro. I’ve been running the old style Irwin
pipe with the stinger sleeved slightly and a
Prather stinger muffler. I’m sure other
similar pipes will work well also. I run a
The Nelson piston and sleeve from the
Mark Anderson style 1450 prop. The
boost port side
trailing edge is cut back and the blade is
slightly cupped. This is the same prop I
have run for years, but the setup is a little different with the Nelson. The engine needs
to rev, but the greater power may result in the propeller running deeper for control.
Test it on your hull.
Overall, I believe the Nelson is the best 45 outboard power head available for heat
racing in the modified classes. It needs no internal modifications, but does need a carb
and tuned pipe adapter. With the .010-inch larger bore sleeve, your 7.5 outboard can
race in a higher displacement class and probably beat most 11cc-powered boats. The
quality of construction is superior to any similar outboards. Gary Preusse fully
supports the engine with parts and can help other outboard supplies. Considering all of
the above, the price of around $300 is reasonable.
District Eight Director’s Report
By Lohring Miller
District Eight Director
Racers in our district got serious about local racing this year. No one has the excuse
that they are only testing for the NAMBA Nationals . Even so, Jerry Dunlap and
myself plan to represent District Eight in New Hampshire this summer.
So far this season the tunnel classes are being dominated by Eric Bourlet with his
heat record setting OS powered Van Hooten Lynx. A five-lap time of 1 minute 37
seconds is fast for any boat, but is unheard of for an A Stock Tunnel. Adam Warren is
second to Eric in A Stock Tunnel. However, Eric also leads in A Modified Tunnel and
A Outboard Hydro with his Lynx, as well as B Stock Tunnel. The race is much closer
in B Stock with Gene Gager and Mike Bontoft close behind Eric. Mike Bontoft has
been the man to beat in B Modified Tunnel since he upgraded to Nelson power on his
Van Hooten tunnel.
The sport hydro classes have not had their usual attendance this year. Bruce
Mooring’s beautiful Sport 20 boats are starting to race regularly and Bruce leads the
class. Jerry Dunlap will take his Mooring boat to the Nationals. Sport 40 has been
suffering from the absence of Mark Anderson and Eric Bourlet who finally wore out
their Mutts. Others have stepped forward and Mark Knox’s Mutt currently leads. Gene
Gager’s Miss Burian has been the boat to beat in Sport 60. A Mono is one of the most
exciting and competitive classes with the Mac 21 powered Seducers dominating.
Continued on page 4
August 2005
District 16 News
By Keith Warham
District 16 Director
The District 16 race season started
May 14th and 15th in Calgary with eight
classes represented. The weather was
good and some excellent racing was seen
even though it was only the first race of
the season.
The second and third races were held
in Edmonton on May 28th and 29th and
June 11th and 12th. After a five year
absence A OPC emerged once again
with three entries. I understand there are
three or four more being readied and
may show up at the next District race.
Also for the first time in the District
Sport 21 was run with three entries
raced, and again there are several more
being finished and should show up
before the season ends. This appears to
be another fun class. Another class that
hasn't run in a number of years was R/C
Scale which has appeared again with six
boats entered. Good to see them back
again.
The Hydro classes are all strong
classes in the District with some
excellent heats and close finishes. A
Mono is another strong class in the
District with 10 entries entered in this
year’s events.
The boys from Kelowna brought their
Gas Mono's to the last Edmonton race
and ran G2 and GX2 classes. This was
the first time that Gas boats had run and
they definitely put on a good show. We
hope that they will be back for another
District race before the season ends. By
the time this news letter is published
District 16 will have completes half of
the race schedule for this year.
Good luck to all those attending this
years NATS.
3
PROPWASH
District Eight Director’s Report
(Continued from page 3)
Dave Solway, Bruce Mooring, and Kelly
Groul constantly mix it up, but currently
Dave leads Bruce and Kelly. Newcomer
Chad Teodoro is leading in B Mono. Gas
Mono is showing new signs of life with
Eric Bourlet’s M&D Zenoah powered
Lazer 45 leading.
Allan Burn’s MAC powered Eagle
passes Mike Bontoft’s gas hydro
There is a hydro revival in the district
this year. Adam Knox’s outrigger leads
A Hydro followed by Bruce Mooring’s
Sport 20. The situation in B Hydro is
similar with Dave Winterbottom’s rigger
chased by Ken Mallit’s Sport 40. The
big change has been in Open Hydro.
This year there are seven X hydros
contending for points. Mike Bontoft’s
Quickdraw powered Eagle currently
leads the nitro powered boats.
Eric Bourlet has a commanding lead
in three boat high points and season high
points. Mike Bontoft and Gene Gager
follow in the three boat points series,
while Bruce Mooring and Mike Bontoft
follow in overall high points. However,
only the first three races have been run,
and there are five to go. It looks like a
great race season.
4
News From District 19
By Tony Rhodes
District 19 Director
Well, once again I had to be reminded that the newsletter is coming up. It seems
like we just did this. Oh well, here is some of the news from our District.
I apologize for not getting an article in for the first newsletter of the year. With the
construction boom such as it is in California, I am very busy with work. The season
started with a gas race in Havasu City Arizona at a new location. The race was held by
the London Bridge. There were about 150 boats for the two day event. The NAMBA
boaters got a lot of support from the local businesses, and about 2500 spectators
enjoyed the racing. This race is going to be held again in 2006 with promises of even
more support from the local businesses. Good work to all of those who worked hard to
get this race organized.
The first heat race was postponed due to the excessive rain everywhere. Most of the
contestants made the trip to Scottsdale, Arizona for nothing. The race was rescheduled
for May and it went off without a hitch. Thanks to the Scottsdale Model Boaters and
all who helped them. Most of the races since that rough start have gone well with good
attendance. The gas races are averaging over 90 boats and the heat races have had over
140 each time. Scale racing is down a little but it will come back up.
By the time this newsletter is published the Nationals will be over but I’m sure not
forgotten. I had to miss this one unfortunately. Just too much work and no way to put
it off for the three weeks I would be gone. I hope the people who were able to make it
from our district had a great time and did as well as they hoped.
This is the middle of my fourth year as District Director and I have enjoyed the
experience very much. It was a challenge to say the least, and hopefully the next
Director will enjoy it as much. This is election year for us in the odd numbered
districts as well as elections for President and Vice President, so don’t forget to get out
and vote to make your district and NAMBA what you want it to be. Until the next
newsletter, good luck and good boating.
Electric Report
By Doug Twaits
NAMBA Electric Chairman
The 2005 NAMBA Electric Nationals is now in the NAMBA record books. These
National titles are the most sought after titles in the land. The winner of any one of
these NAMBA classes will reside in our record book forever. In the future, when we
have race programs, we can include all the class champions for all the years the
Electric Nationals have been held. The Nitro Nationals have been doing this for many
years. The 2005 Electric Nats was held in Michigan this year, and was held in
conjunction with the Michigan Cup race. This turned out to be NAMBA’s finest
electric racing moment as there was close to 500 entries at this race.
Up for grabs was the Michigan Cup trophy and again this year Team RumRunner
came home the victor. It’s been a while since I raced in Michigan, but I do remember
the first year it was awarded and Team Fine Design won the honors. My son and I
were part of that team, so it does bring back good memories. At this time I know Team
RumRunner won the Team Championship, Individual High Points was won by Dick
Crowe and Doug Twaits Jr. Also Mr. Offshore was won by Doug Twaits Jr. I don’t
have all the winners and second and third place finishers at this time. Going to the
RumRunnerRacing.com site will get you all the places and who won what. Hopefully
in this newsletter or the next we will have a race coverage article by one of the fellows
who was there.
On a local racing note, please keep me informed of your local district racing. This is
where we race our boats the most! On the east coast in District One, we have two races
already completed. We will have two Saturday races, on Septemb er 10th and October
8th at Randolph Park, N.J. Again, keep me up on what’s going on in your area!
August 2005
PROPWASH
VP Goes FE
By Al Waters
NAMBA Vice President
Earlier this year Terry Davis, District
Director from District Two asked me if I
would be interested in going back to the
2005 FE NAMBA Nats to CD their
races. The event was held over four days
at Camp Dearborn in Michigan,
June 2-5, 2005. Dave Bestpitch from
District 9, NAMBA Awards and
Records Chairman provided their
trophies and also met me there to help
run the races. Over 495 boats ran in 25
classes from Mono and Crackerbox
classes to Offshore, Sport, Outriggger
and even 1/8th Scale Unlimited
Hydroplane.
Hosting the Nationals really takes a
lot of work and organizing. My
responsibility was to line up the drivers
meeting using FE and NAMBA racing
rules and call the races. Dave handled
not only the trophies but helped in the
scoring, record applications, and
judging. We provided an objective
perspective to running Nationals and
instituted ideas we both had learned over
the years. Driver’s reps, a different style
of radio impound, and course judging
were a few of the ideas we were able to
use improving on what they were
already accustomed to doing.
The weather was beautiful with light
winds in the afternoon all through the
event until midway through the awards
presentation at the race site when what I
would call a tornado watch came flying
through town. Evidently this is normal
weather in Michigan. Wait until I get
even and show them an earthquake
scare.
Dave and I showed up at the pond
Wednesday, an open water day, to
observe the cours e and meet some of the
boaters. I met Terry Davis who also
doubled as the event director, Fred
Seiwert who was everywhere supplying
electrical outlets for all the entrants, who
were supplied tables and chairs under
long rows of tents. When Fred was
through there, he was off building
awning shade for the drivers and judging
stand. Dennis Whitt is the President of
the Mid Michigan Electrics Unlimited
club who was the host club of the event.
He was off running around with Ken
August 2005
Joye and Charlie Ostrand, who were the glue keeping things together. John Hainer
handled the computer duties, sound system, and all of the logistics of keeping updated
heat sheets for me. Then there was Rebecca Hainer and Cathie Stolz. They were two of
the hardest working women (they would beat out most guys also) I have ever seen.
Rebecca was with me at the CD table and she was all over the points, heat place of
finish, heat times, placement finish for the day, scratches, and additions.
Cathie ran the radio impound all day, every day except for an occasional lunch
break. The style of radio impound we used was a little different for the FE boaters then
they were accustomed to. Cathie was so good, she had the radios ready, would let me
know about back to back frequency conflicts, entrant scratches, and even if a radio was
gone for more than one heat when it should not have been. We instituted a $5.00
“pony up” rule if a radio was left on or gone too long. She made some good money
for the club the first couple of days. She had everybody in line after that. Not to be
forgotten was Terry Davis’ wife, Dawn Davis. She provided the lunches every day.
Hot dogs, pizza, deli sandwiches, fried chicken and all the fixen’s. There was plenty to
go around including second helpings. And you know how I like my second helpings.
Being a nitro person was a real experience for me at an FE Nats. I learned a lot as
well as I know that the FE boaters learned something from me and the way I conduct a
race. It worked out real well for everyone.
If you have never been to a FE race, here are a couple of things that you would not
be used to. The boaters are put on a 5 minute clock of which the last 30 seconds is the
mill time for the start. You use that time to peak charge your batteries and tape up the
radio box. During the 30 seconds, the pitmen go to the launch area and drop the boats
in the water in front of the drivers stand where they head out to the left of the start/
finish buoy. Sure makes it fun as the CD trying to match boat and driver. The boats
then head for the right hand turn. They come down to the start at the expiration of
Continued on page 6
The Mid - Michigan Electrics Unlimited NAMBA F.E. Nationals Committee.
Front row: Fred Seiwert, Ken Joye, Terry Davis. Middle row: John Hainer.
Top row: Charlie Ostrand, Rebecca Hainer, Dennis Whitt.
Not shown: Cathie Stolz and Dawn Davis
5
PROPWASH
VP Goes FE
(Continued from page 5)
the clock. Along with the last 5-second NAMBA racing rule, we instituted a lane
commitment rule at the exit of the right turn to the start line rule. This concept worked
really well.
When a boat had completed its 5 laps, it turned right just past the start finish line
and sat in the infield until racing had stopped. This helps with the place of finish of the
boats. Why? Here is why. Thermaling! In an 8-boat heat, it is difficult enough to
follow the first three boats that are potential winners. But occasionally a boat will
thermal. This is when the speed control overheats due to many different reasons in the
boat setup. At any moment, it can come back to life and you are back racing. It doesn’t
happen a lot, just enough to throw you or your judges off track on the leaders. To help
out, the pitmen all carry stop-watches and when the heat is over, we use those times to
sort out the boats behind the leaders. It’s an honor system that worked out well. One
other note in FE racing. You have to really be on your game as three heats are run
rather than the customary four in nitro racing.
Along with Mono and Crackerbox heat racing, Offshore and the Sport classes are
very popular. They ran every day. The boats got bigger and faster. There were still the
classes that had the basic 6 cells that looked like Nitro OB mono speed but they were
just as competitive. They were the driver’s classes.
As usual at a Nats, the first day was a late start and a late ending. The second day
was quite different. We had our act together and had plenty of time for lunch and after
racing open water. It gave me a chance to really get to know everyone and see how
these little electric rockets can run so fast.
The third day was as successful as the previous day with one difference. Dave
Bestpitch and I were invited to the social gathering up on the park hill. Ca mp
Dearborn is a park located near the General Motors Proving Grounds. You could drive
throughout this park for a week and still never see it all. I was told that this once
belonged to GM and was used as a recreation facility for their employees and families.
Fred Siewert was our host. He cooked hot dogs, hamburgers, brats and this big pot of
his famous Kansas City Sloppy Joe’s. After a few frosty beverages and a couple Joe’s,
I slipped and called it Kansas City Silly Chili. The name has stuck since. We had a big
group of people. It’s what I think make a Nats a successful Nats. Having the
opportunity to bench race, tell lies with the best of them, and to just get the chance to
know everyone.
Well, before we knew it, it was Sunday and the last day of the Nats with more
Sport and Mono racing. But there was something else that was special. 1/8th Scale
Unlimited racing. I kid you not. Running at speeds in the low 50’s, these boats were an
incredible sight. Read all about them in another article in this edition of the Propwash
by the Scale Unlimited Chairman. Oh! That’s me.
Awards were handed out at the end of the days racing. That is when the tornado
watch came rolling through. Dennis Whitt and crew hurriedly handed out the last of
the awards and we had to take cover. It didn’t take anything away from the quality of
the Nats. The Mid Michigan Electrics Unlimited did a fine job at the largest FE event
in history. I was honored to be a part of it.
My Apologies
By Cathie Galbraith
NAMBA Secretary
One day after the last newsletter went in the mail I realized that we had not
changed the listing for the Director of District Eight to reflect Lohring Miller. I
sincerely apologize, both to Lohring for the omission and to Kirk McKee, the outgoing
director, for any unnecessary calls or emails he might get because he is still shown as
the director. As you can see, it has been corrected in this issue and will be shown
correctly on the listing that appears on the web page.
6
News from District 20
By Kelly Stout
District 20 Director
Here in Colorado our race season is
in full swing, with only one race having
to be postponed due to weather. As we
get ready for the July break, it sounds
like a lot of left over winter projects are
going to get finished and ready for our
next race on July 31st .
We have been averaging around 50
boats per race up till now, and with all
the boats still in the building and testing
stage, it looks like we may see 65 to 70
boats at our races the rest of the year.
Everyone is welcome to come to
Colorado and race with us at any of our
district races or fun runs. Check our web
site at www.NAMBA20.com for our
schedule. You can also enter online for
any of the district races.
Cody Stout wins a coveted Crazy Al’s
Jacket and Crazy Al’s collectors hat
A few of us Coloradoans made the
trip north to Kalispell for the Crazy Al’s
race last September. The one thing you
can always plan on at Crazy Al’s is a
good time. It was nice to see the bunch
from Canada again, and to have the
pleasure of spending time with the
almighty Al Hobbs.
It was cold, rainy, and muddy the
whole weekend, but we were racing and
playing with our toys, that beats working
any day of the week, not to mention the
beautiful surroundings in Montana. Our
group fared well at the race with only a
few completely destroyed boats to bring
home and fix.
August 2005
PROPWASH
Watch That Paint Scheme
Scale News
By Steve Harrison
Odessa R/C Association
By Al Waters
NAMBA Unlimited Hydro Chairman
Radio control boating is a fun and interesting hobby. One of the un-sung
advantages of our hobby is having the bragging rights to a unique and good-looking
boat. (Fast does not hurt either!) To deck out a hull, we all go from sticking on a few
decals up to and including a high dollar paint job. It all depends on how much time,
money, and imagination you have.
I have been racing radio control boats in District Seven now for nearly 10 years. In
that time, I have gone through four different hulls in the Crackerbox Class and two
different hulls in the A OPC Tunnel. Each hull has had its own “personality” and I
gave each one a distinctive paint scheme and set of decals. My first (and favorite)
crackerbox was “Smoking Joe.” It was bright yellow with metallic purple and blue
trim. On that huge forward deck was
plenty of room for a Joe Camel enlarged
from a matchbook cover. Joe was not real
fast but man did he look good going
around the course!
What this is all getting around to is this:
Be careful when you invest in a set of
decals to decorate that new boat! I never
realized that a large corporation could get
so bent out of shape by having their logo
on one of our toy boats.
Last year, I finally decided to decorate
my white crackerbox with a set of decals.
At the time I was employed by a
distribution center of a nationwide
discount store, so I approached the
Regional Vice President and he gave me
permission to use the design from a
company event T-shirt as the pattern for
Crackerbox as it appeared in the local
my decals. His only stipulation was that I newspaper
had to win.
Well, about sixty bucks later and just a little bit of my own labor, I had a snazzy
looking crackerbox all decked out in decals, pin striping, and was ready to race.
Before the decals, my record was miserable – very few finishes and they were usually
in or close to last place. After the decals, my record drastically improved – I held up
my end of the agreement with the RVP by finishing in second or third place in every
race that I entered. Now I am not saying that a set of decals made my boat run better
or faster. But I am saying that it looked better decked out and I felt more confident
about it. OK – I’ll go ahead and say it - my luck had changed! Or so I thought.
In January of this year I left the
Distribution Center on what I thought
were good terms to take a job with
another company locally. That is when
(unknown to me) my luck changed again.
As a means of generating interest in our
hobby, our club, the Odessa Radio
Control Association, publishes a picture
in the local newspaper after each District
7 race with information about the
participants. The picture after the April
race had a real good deck shot of my
pride and joy.
For my fifth consecutive year I will
be traveling to Washington to race my
Scale Unlimited at Tri-Cities and hang
out with the BIG boats. For me to drive
all the way from Southern California to
Washington, there must be a good reason
as this race is only two weeks after the
NAMBA Nats in New Hampshire. If you
are a true Scale Unlimited enthusiast,
this is a venue you really must make one
day.
There is also the Bill Muncey
Memorial in San Diego every September
that is also run in conjunction with the
BIG boats. The Southern California
Scale Thunderboat Association has
hosted this race since 1977.
Last year, the Northwest Scale
Unlimited Championship held its
inaugural race and it was a big success.
This race is run in October in
Ellensburg, Washington and put on by
Marty Shallenberger (a fellow Oberto
scale racer). I fly there to CD the race.
This event is top notch with some great
racing, an evening dinner get together,
and even a swap meet and social hour.
Check out the advertisement in this
Propwash. Details of these races and
much more information can be found
under the Scale Unlimited portion of the
NAMBA web site.
With all of the scale racing going on
throughout the country, I had my sights
set on one particular event. The
NAMBA FE Nationals held in June in
Dearborn, MI. District Two Director,
Terry Davis talked me into coming out
and CD’ing their event. On the last day
of the Nats the Scale Unlimiteds raced.
Yes, full on 1/8th Scale Unlimiteds
following the Nitro Scale Unlimited
rules. There were a couple of minor
appearance details and milling procedure
differences but nothing that can’t be
worked out as the FE community wants
to compete on the same level in Scale as
the nitro boaters.
To say that I was impressed was an
understatement. The guys went to a lot
of detail in building these boats. Roger
Newton brought out Slo Mo, a vintage
round nose all the way from
Continued on page 10
Continued on page 9 Crackerbox after the successful removal of
the decals
8
August 2005
PROPWASH
Watch That Paint Scheme
(Continued from page 8)
In May I received a return receipt
requested letter from Corporate Offices
advising me that I was in violation of the
registration of their name and had ten
days to remove it from my boat. After
the initial shock of the form and tone of
the letter, I decided I did not really want
“THEIR” decals on my boat. As it turns
out, it did not take me ten days but more
like ten minutes to peel off the offending
decals. Then I sat down and wrote them
a letter back explaining my side of the
story, how I got prior permission,
keeping my part of the bargain, etc. As I
explained in the letter back to the lawyer
lady who signed the nasty-gram, I felt
safe in keeping the outline of the state of
Texas by assuming they did not have the
“rights” to the outline of the state nor the
flag colors of the state of Texas – yet.
Now I still have a snazzy looking
cracker box that I am even more proud
of and I am sure that it will still win. It
has to because it is not longer weighted
down with contraband decals or legal
entanglements.
Propwash
Advertising Rates
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Business Card - $25.00
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1/2 Page - $50.00
Full page - $100.00
These prices are per issue. Multi
issue discounts are available. Advertising will be printed in the body of the
newsletter in the same color as the text.
Please call for quotes for special or two
color printing. Should an advertiser
choose to supply the Propwash with
professionally printed or multi-colored
flyers for insertion into the newsletter,
the charge will be $50.00, as well as the
delivery to the NAMBA office of
approximately 1500 flyers.
Please call the NAMBA office at
(619) 424-6380 for more information or
for special advertising requests.
August 2005
News from District Nine
By Gary Crawford
District 9 Director
Hello, fellow model boaters. By the
time you read this, District Nine will have
approached the mid-point of our 11 race
season. Championship points battles are
beginning to heat up. For example: in A
Mono, Jim Wilson is in first place,
followed by Jeff Alvey in second place
with a mere five points separating the two.
Roger Hooks, Sr. set a new B Hydro
record with a time of 1:11:16. Now, what
makes this interesting is that Roger set the
record twice. The first time Roger set the
record, Roger e-mailed me at home and
asked “Where do I get the paperwork to
fill out and submit my record to
NAMBA?” Long story short, I explained
that the engine had to be disassembled and measured for bore and stroke at the end of
the race day and then he could fill out the record application. Roger said “Oh…” When
I saw Roger at the next race, I told him “Hey Roger, I have a heat race record
application here today if you need one.” Roger said, “Okay.” He then went out and set
the record again in the very next heat! That time it was official. Congratulations
Roger!
Mike McKnight, our District Nine webmaster, has done an excellent job with our
website – www.NAMBA9.net. Mike keeps our District well informed about what’s
happening in model boating as well as some info on the Full Scale Unlimited Hydros.
Mike’s passion is Scale Hydros and he has a vast amount of information on many of
the boats and teams - past and present. A real treat for everyone who attended the Lodi
Model Boaters race at Lake Minden was “movie night.” After the races and dinner on
Saturday night, Mike assembled a 10’ x 10’ large screen and DVD projector. The first
movie was a copy of the “Grand Prix Classic” race held in Fremont and filmed by the
“Outdoor” channel. The “feature” film was “The Madison.” The boaters in attendance
really enjoyed the movies and the evening weather was very accommodating.
A group of boaters from our District are planning on attending this year’s Nationals
in New Hampshire - the Molls (Gary, Nancy, and Spencer), the Terry’s (Alan, Brenda,
Ryan, and Ally), Jim Piazza, Dave Bestpitch, Gary Crawford, Don Osman, and Jeff
Wells. Since they are driving, Don and Jeff have graciously agreed to transport all of
our boats in Don’s trailer. We wish them an especially safe and uneventful journey.
I hope I get to see many of you at the Nationals. Be safe in your travels and good luck
racing.
District Four and FE Racing in the Midwest
By Doug Robichaud
District Four Director
What follows is a first…a report from District Four. In addition to this report, there
are a few other firsts for Dis trict Four over the past couple of years:
1. The first NAMBA sanctioned club in District Four, the Madison (WI) Area
Fast Electrics.
2. The first NAMBA sanctioned race in District Four, the 2004 Sardine Classic.
The third annual version will take place on July 16-17, 2005.
3. The first District Four Director, a position which at this time is effectively a
volunteer effort.
4. District Four racers attending their first NAMBA Fast Electric Nationals.
Continued on page 12
9
PROPWASH
District Rules
By Alan Hobbs
NAMBA President
Earlier this year, when racing started up in most districts, I got several telephone
calls asking me about rules they could not find in the NAMBA rulebook. Some calls
were from new members. Some calls were from people that had been members for
years. Here are some of the more frequent questions:
1. I tried to race at a NAMBA sanctioned event last weekend. I had my membership
card and showed it to them. But, they wouldn't let me enter. Don't they have to let me
race?
2. I sent my entry and a check to the CD a couple of weeks ago. Something came up
and I couldn't go to the race. Now the CD won't give me my money back. Doesn't he
have to at least give me a credit for the next race?
3. I couldn't go to the race a couple of weeks ago so I didn't enter. It was rained out
and they rescheduled it for this weekend. I can make this race, but the CD won't let me
enter. How can they refuse to let me enter?
4. I just moved to this district. I've been racing my 1969 Notre Dame scale for the
past several years and it runs really good. They tell me that I don't have the
registration for the 1969 Notre Dame in this district, so I can't enter it in any of the
district races. What are they talking about? How can they keep me from racing my
boat in the scale class?
These are some examples of district racing rules. The NAMBA National Rulebook
covers a lot of areas. These are the rules that apply at the NAMBA National
Championships, and apply to almost every situation. However, some districts feel that
they must turn to more stringent rules to cover local problems. An example would be
requiring a lower db limit because of local ordinances.
My experience has been that no rulebook can address every situation, especially at
the local level. There is a need for the district to write rules that apply to their local
needs. In the case of large dis tricts with big race turnouts, the host club and CD need
to know who is entering their race in time to resolve frequency conflicts and prepare
the heats. They need a cutoff date for entries. The national rulebook does not set a
cutoff date for district race entries.
Another example is the case where a member sends his entries in on time, but does
not include a check. Then, he doesn't show up to the race. He sent in entries, didn't pay
and didn't show up. What if the CD had to resolve some frequency conflicts by
making other people change their frequencies? All the heats were set up. The CD went
to all the work involved. Maybe there were awards purchased. The national rulebook
does not cover entry payments for district races.
In the instances of entry deadlines, and payments, your district may feel it is
necessary to approve some stringent rules. This is especially the case where there have
been previous problems.
Personally, I don't care if everybody in a district runs the same scale hydro. To me,
scale is another class. To other people, scale hydro is a special class and as many
different hulls as possible should be represented at a race. If the district votes to allow
only one of each Unlimited Hydro scale, so be it.
The point is that there are some local concerns that must be addressed by local
district rules. These rules do not necessarily apply anywhere other than that district. I
do not have any problem with district rules at all. In fact, I have frequently encouraged
the districts to take the lead in solving their own local problems.
I am concerned that some members aren't aware of their district rules. It is
important to make certain either through a district rulebook, the district newsletter,
and/or district meetings that all district members, active or potentially active, are
aware of the specific district rules. Not only should they be aware of the district rules,
they should know why the rules are in place and what must be done to comply.
10
Scale News
(Continued from page 8)
Washington. Others included early and
late model picleforks such as the Miss
Budweiser’s, Elam Plus, Miller
American, Squire Shop, and the Atlas
Van Lines.
Roger Newton’s Slo-mo-shun V
Paul Pachmayer’s “Blue Blaster”
The Atlas Van Lines
Some of the boats had their FE
growing pains but a few were really
dialed in. The course size was extended
to give these electric behemoths a
chance to air out. So what about speed
and maneuverability? Right now they are
pulling just over 50 MPH. There is more
speed to come as they play with the hull
set up, props, motors, and battery types.
They turn every bit as well and ride on
the water just like the Nitro Scale
Unlimiteds. However, they are quieter.
The best part was watching them take off
from a standing start in the launch area.
FE motors have a lot of torque compared
to nitro motors. When the driver would
punch the throttle you could hear the
motor scream (by electric standards). It
sounded exactly like a turbine taking off
at the BIG boat races. Water would drive
itself over the front sponsons until the
hull broke loose and took off. The
likeness to real boats is really amazing.
August 2005
PROPWASH
And now you ask about cost? You
can spend from $1000 all the way up to
$2500. Most of that difference will be in
the choice of speed controller and motor.
Is high end better and faster? Maybe yes
and maybe no. There are many who feel
that they can be just as competitive with
the not so expensive equipment. After
all, to finish first, you have to first finish.
Kelly Brooks and his Miss ELAM Plus
I have to congratulate all of the FE
Scale boaters for their efforts in building
these boats and putting them on the
water. Many thanks to Dave Arndt who
furnished all of the Unlimited pictures
for this article. And to Kelly Brooks who
the led the way with a perfect day in
points at the FE Nats, won Scale
Unlimited Concourse with his Miss
Elam Plus, and set a standard for others
to follow in building a quality boat.
News From Eleven
By Richard “Rags” Grenier
District 11 Director
As I write this the NAMBA Nats are less than a week away. The butterflies are
starting to set in as I wonder about preparations and the hope that all goes as
planned. I'm amazed by the amount of racers coming early to either practice or start a
mini vacation. We have a lot of activities scheduled and look forward to providing a
great time for all the participants. A full report on the Nats will be in a future
Propwash.
At our district level, we have two points races under our belts. The May race was
held at the Nats site and drew 80 nitro and gas boats, a very good turnout for District
11. We had a couple of new racers join us and we hope that they continue to race, as
they had a good time and joined NAMBA for the year, as opposed to a single event
fee.
The class that has surprised me is the new G-1 Gas Sport Hydro. We started the
class into the 2004 season and this year there are already seven boats in the class. It is
also one of the larger classes entered in the Nats, so I have to believe other districts are
experiencing the same kind of growth. The nitro classes are staying strong, but gas is
gaining the edge numbers wise. We haven't lost any nitro racers, but new members
coming in are predominately running gas.
I did want to mention Mike Noonan, who at the May race lost control of his AHydro and crashed wide open into the shore, causing more damage to a boat than I
have ever seen. Everybody felt there was little reusable and that he would most likely
drop out of that class at the Nats. Lo and behold, at the June race he is running an AHydro! In what could only have been a large number of late nights, Mike totally
rebuilt everything and had it running! Very impressive, Mike. Good luck and good
racing to all NAMBA racers!
The Propwash
NAMBA International
1815 Halley Street
San Diego, CA 92154
(619) 424-6380
Fax - (619) 424-8845
e-mail cathie.galbraith@namba.com
Editors Cathie Galbraith and Al Waters
Newsletter Contributors
Dave Bestpitch
Gary Crawford
Terry Davis
Jack Garcia
Richard Grenier
Steve Harrison
Alan Hobbs
Lohring Miller
Tony Rhodes
Doug Robichaud
Jay Stone
Kelly Stout
Doug Twaits
Keith Warham
This newsletter is sent to all members
free of charge as a part of their membership.
All articles contained herein may be
reproduced as long as proper credit is given
as to author and publication source.
August 2005
The 2005 NAMBA Nats drivers stand. What made this structure so incredible was that
the area was cleared by club members and built by hand. It was easily capable of
supporting at one time seven drivers, seven pitmen, seven judges, scorers, contest
director and sound equipment
11
PROPWASH
District Four and FE Racing
(Continued from page 9)
Five of us made the trek to the
Michigan Cup and all had a great (and
educational) time during the week.
I can’t really talk about District Four
activities without bringing the entire
Midwest and some non-NAMBA
sanctioned clubs and events into the
discussion. We fast electric racers might
not yet have the numbers of our gas/nitro
cousins, but our dedication and passion
for our hobby doesn’t play second fiddle
to anyone.
The Midwest has always had a couple
of great FE programs but in recent years,
Middle America has become a virtual
hotbed of FE activity. The MidMichigan Electrics Unlimited (MMEU)
and their MI Cup have been a flagship
NAMBA event for many years. Batavia,
IL although not a NAMBA sanctioned,
goes back even further. Batavia is one of
the longest running FE annual events in
the country.
In the past couple of years,
Wisconsin, Minnesota (Edina Model
Yacht Club Fast Electric Group) and
Ohio (Cleveland Area Fast Electrics)
have put themselves on the FE map.
Toronto has a strong program just north
of the border, regularly attended by US
NAMBA racers.
Who would have thought five years
ago that having too many events to
choose from might become a problem
for some of us? What a great problem to
have!
All of the races mentioned run a full
menu of classes that appeal to everyone,
but each race has its own personality.
East of Lake Michigan, MMEU and
CAFÉ have pioneered and are big fans
of Offshore; to include big, fast boats
with high cell counts. Wisconsin and
Minnesota seem to favor the sprint and
700 motor spec racing classes. Batavia
offers a lot of innovative 05 motor and
spec classes as well as a variety of
endurance and sprint racing. Again, all
of these races have something for
everyone but have developed their own
unique personalities.
So who are we in Wisconsin besides
Packer fans and Cheeseheads? As I said
earlier, our club is the Madison Area
Fast Electrics. We are small, with five
12
very active members and several others
who show periodically. We got started in
FE five years ago as a result of hosting a
scale r/c boat regatta. Spectators kept
coming up and asking: “When are the
races?” We decided that the following
year, we’d give them what they asked
for. We found Andrew Gilchrist’s site at
www.fastelectrics.com and he gave us
some advice on how to get started. Then
we visited Batavia and learned more.
The next year we went back to
Batavia to race and the bug bit us bad.
That was four years ago and through that
first race at Batavia, we also developed a
very close relationship with the
Minnesota club.
All of us in MAFE run N2 Mono and
LSO. Most of us run LS (19T) Mono, P
Sport Hydro, LSH and P Mono and the
rest of our classes are represented by our
own personal interests. We’re working
to get on the Offshore bandwagon with
our cousins across the big pond. We
have a wood hydro fanatic and a mono
maniac. We’re at the pond at least twice
a month and usually more often than
that.
We are lucky to have a phenomenal
site…a relatively weed-free man-made
lake fed by one of the most popular trout
steams in the Midwest. We have the
blessing of the village board and are
allowed to have a driver’s stand and a
(surveyed) race course permanently
installed in a pristine village park that
includes a shelter big enough for about
25 pit tables. Many have said we have
the fastest water in the US, a fact that
constantly gets us in trouble when we
travel elsewhere where the water is
usually rougher. (We’re not slow
learners, just fast forgetters.) Lake
Marion is protected on one side by a 400
foot bluff that provides for generally
very calm water. We have tall grass
edges that absorb and break up the chop;
edge grass that the village allows us to
trim for events. The lake is shallow
enough that we have never lost a boat.
We can walk out and find them with our
feet (after making sure they are drowned
enough to be glitch free).
We have so many opportunities to
race elsewhere that we haven’t even
developed our own point series. Most of
our local pond time is spent preparing to
go race somewhere else. We are committed to remedying that by starting
something but many of us have had
significant personal distractions this
year.
We host two annual events. One is a
scale event drawing all types of model
boaters, the other a fast electric race, The
Sardine Classic. Tradit ionally, we have
held both in June but moved the race to
July this year because we all wanted to
go to the Electric Nats.
Like most clubs, we grow one
member at a time. For example, this past
weekend we hosted our scale event. A
16 year old kid showed up with a
beautiful scratch built scale cabin cruiser
that his uncle is helping him build. He
was very interested in our demo races
and started asking about how to build a
race boat. Saturday night, we all went
home and rummaged through our
workshops. Sunday he was presented
with an ABS Vintage (Campbell)
Shovelnose kit, a 700 BB motor, a used
Rc-Hydros.com ESC and enough
hardware to get the boat up and running.
We can’t do that with everyone, but
this kid’s passion and interest struck a
cord with all of us. Interestingly, his one
concern is finding the time to get it done
for our race this year. He’s a 2 handicap
on the Junior PGA tour and golf
occupies a lot of his time. None of us
have any doubt that he’ll be racing with
us soon.
That is an intro to our club and
District. Like all of NAMBA, we are
passionate about and dedicated to our
hobby, opinionated in our views,
competitive, fun-loving, and diverse in
our interests. Visit our website at www.
madisonrcboats.org.
I hope more FE clubs and Districts
with FE activity will use this newsletter
to tell us more about your programs.
Other sites related to the article:
www.mmeu.com
www.bataviarc.com
http://www.emyc.org/articles/
article_boat.asp?id=8
http://www.brooks93.com/cafe/
http://www.lousfastrc.com/
August 2005
PROPWASH
NAMBA OFFICIALS AND CHAIRMEN
Revised August 2005
PRESIDENT:
Alan Hobbs
(406) 468-2706
alan.hobbs@namba.com
VICE PRESIDENT:
Al Waters
(760) 746-2408
al.waters@namba.com
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY:
Cathie Galbraith
(619) 424-6380
cathie.galbraith@namba.com
CHAIRMEN:
Hall of Fame:
Doug Twaits
(973) 347-5765
doug.twaits@namba.com
Unlimited Hydro:
Al Waters
(760) 746-2408
al.waters@namba.com
Nationals:
Dave Rychalsky
(973) 724-4607
dave.rychalsky@namba.com
Electric:
Doug Twaits
(973) 347-5765
doug.twaits@namba.com
Gas:
Russell Stark
(909) 613-1819
russ.stark@namba.com
Mono/Hydro:
Open
Deep Vee/Offshore:
Open
Outboard:
Andy Smith
(941) 995-3145
andy.smith@namba.com
Records/Awards:
Dave Bestpitch
(916) 608-1908
dave.bestpitch@namba.com
Safety:
Bill Bridge
(858) 449-9344
bill.bridge@namba.com
Sport Hydro:
Eric Bourlet
(253) 460-7283
eric.bourlet@namba.com
District 1:
Charlie Ott
(718) 634-0877
charlie.ott@namba.com
District 2
Terry Davis
(586) 749-0114
terry.davis@namba.com
District 3:
Ron Drake
(813) 707-1879
ron.drake@namba.com
District 4
Doug Robichaud
(608) 767-2050
doug.robichaud@namba.com
District 7:
Jay Stone
(915) 497-9673
jay.stone@namba.com
District 8:
Lohring Miller
(541) 345-7897
lohring.miller@namba.com
District 9:
Gary Crawford
(925) 682-6490
gary.crawford@namba.com
District 10:
Open
District 11:
Richard Grenier
(603) 524-2628
richard.grenier@namba.com
District 16:
Keith Warham
(403) 253-9031
keith.warham@namba.com
District 19:
Tony Rhodes
(310) 549-6810
tony.rhodes@namba.com
District 20:
Kelly Stout
(970) 454-0963
kelly.stout@namba.com
DISTRICT DIRECTORS
August 2005
13
PROPWASH
2005 Fast Electric Nationals Featuring the Michigan Cup
By Terry Davis District Two Director and FE Nats CD
This can’t be legal. If the government
finds out how much fun we’re having we
may be in trouble. This years Fast
Electric Nationals was held at Camp
Dearborn in Milford, Michigan, and was
hosted by the Mid Michigan Electric
Unlimiteds club. This crew had played
host to the Michigan Cup race for five
years prior to hosting the FE NATS this
year. They’re familiar with putting on a
good sized show, but never one of this
magnitude. The 5th Annual Michigan
Cup crested at about 222 entries. This
year’s Cup (MC6) was combined with
the Nationals and the entrees soared,
peaking at nearly 500 entrees. I’m told
that at the very least this race was the
largest in NAMBA FE history. The
MMEU club pulled together as a whole
and got it done. Each and every member
played a part. They were able to improvise, adapt, and make decisions on the
fly. The only thing they couldn’t handle
was the nasty storm that rolled through
during awards.
Needless to say I’m extremely proud
of the MMEU gang. As the contest
director on the sanction, the race was
technically my responsibility. NAMBA
VP Al Waters came out to call the racing
for us. What an asset this guy was to us.
He and Dave Bestpitch kept us moving
on the water. NAMBA is fortunate to
have these guys among it’s ranks. I think
all of FE learned something from these
guys.
Doug Petersons scary fast P Mono
With Al and Dave officiating on the
stand I became more of a race manager.
It worked great for me. Unfortunately
my racing was horrible. I may have been
distracted (ya think?) I should have
taken the hint when the module in my
14
radio crapped out. Ray Fuller hovered
over my boat until he figured out what
went wrong. Then Ray had me use his
radio for my last heat. How cool is that?
As race manager you get exposed to
just about every little piece of a race.
You see the race fro m the surface down
to the underbelly where things go wrong
and tempers flare. On behalf of MMEU I
would like to thank each and every racer,
not only for making the trip to play with
us but for conducting yourselves like
absolute gentlemen. And ladies. Let’s
not forget the ladies.
Steve Reesor’s N2 offshore with a boxed
end wrench taped to the deck to compensate for the rougher than expected
conditions
At the suggestion of Al and Dave we
had plans to award a Sportsmanship
Award. The club was supposed to keep
an eye out for someone that we thought
went above and beyond what was
expected of him. At the first opportunity
that we had to discuss the matter we
found that a number of us had the same
name in mind. That nominee was given a
unanimous nod after he declined a
placement he didn’t feel he was entitled
to due to a buoy cut that was missed by
the marshals and the CD. That racer was
Steve Reesor. Steve came to the CD
stand after the day’s racing and presented his case. He would have won the
class but it just didn’t feel right. He
wanted to set a good example for his pit
man Neil. Neil is Steve’s son and they
pit for each other more often than not.
It’s quite the father and son team. Neil is
an accomplished racer in his own right.
Unfortunately mom nature had no
interest in sportsmanship. I think she’d
had enough of us. In the mayhem that
ensued after Sundays racing we didn’t
get to give Steve the recognition he
deserved. Nice work Steve.
We should have given a tenacity
award to Steve Vaccarro. He ran one
boat in about a half dozen classes just by
changing the cells and props. Here’s the
crazy part. The boat finished every heat,
even though the boat flipped umpteen
times. Al estimated that it went over 42
times. The boat was self righting. Every
time you would think he was done he
was back up and running. Steve’s boat
was proof that you don’t have to spend
gobs of money to race in a bunch of
classes. Unless you just want to have 19
boats for 19 classes. And yes, some do
just that.
Who says electrics cant fly?
We saw some fresh faces too. Mike
Ello, a new racer, showed up on Saturday. He had a hand crafted customized
Traxxas Villian. The only thing Traxxas
on this thing was the shape of the hull.
Drives, gears, rudders, and brackets,
everything was machined from aluminum. It was really a work of art. He
had multiple electrical problems with the
boat. We made sure he got anything and
everything he needed to get out there and
run at his first race. He did get to race
too. The boat was pretty quick but a little
squirrelly. He didn’t place but he made
some friends and went home having had
some fun and most importantly with a
smile on his face.
I had so much fun this year that I
don’t know how I’ll go back to a normal
sized race. It was fantastic to meet in
person all the guys that I only knew from
screen names and email.
August 2005
PROPWASH
2005 FE NAMBA Nationals Results
QS SPORT
1. Scott Bickford
2. Tom Costello
3. Larry Jaques
N2 MONO
1. Alan Nayman
2. Doug Twaits Jr.
3. Howard Tucker
N1 MONO
1. Dan Proulx
2. David Newland
3. Scott Bickford
N2 OFFSHORE
1. Dennis Whitt
2. Neil Reesor
3. David Newland
P SPORT
1. Dick Crowe
2. Tom Costello
3. Jaques / Proulx
T OFFSHORE
1. Howard Tucker
2. Chris Fine
3. Paul Pachmayer
P OPC
1. Dick Crowe
2. Dennis Whitt
3. Mark Anderson
S MONO
1. Dennis Fine
2. Howard Tucker
3. C Fine / N Reesor
N2 HYDRO
1. Dick Crowe
2. Charles Toms
3. Doug Twaits Jr.
N2 SPORT
1. Alan Nayman
2. Dave Arndt
3. Tom Costello
Q HYDRO
1. Doug Twaits Jr.
2. Chris Costanza
3. Jeff Cirves
P HYDRO
1. Brian Vega
2. Pete Steinke
3. Chris Costanza
O MONO
1. Neil Reesor
2. David Newland
3. Doug Twaits Jr.
O HYDRO
1. Dick Crowe
2. David Newland
3. Randy Naylor
CRACKERBOX
1. Paul Pachmayer
2. Jay Stolz
3. Jacob Hughey
LSH
1. Chris Costanza
2. Dick Crowe
3. Pete Boyle
Q OFFSHORE
1. Chris Fine
2. Kelly Brooks
3. Doug Twaits Jr.
Q MONO
1. David Newland
2. Doug Twaits Jr.
3. Chris Fine
S OFFSHORE
1. Dennis Fine
2. Kelly Brooks
3. Ken Joye
N1 HYDRO
1. Doug Twaits Jr.
2. Scott Bickford
3. Steve Reesor
O SPORT
1. Ken Smith
2. Mark Anderson
3. Scott Bickford
S HYDRO
1. Doug Twaits Jr.
2. Chris Fine
3. Brian Vega
P MONO
1. Alan Nayman
2. Steve Vaccaro
3. Larry Jaques
1/8 SCALE
1. Kelly Brooks
2. Randy Naylor
3. Alan Nayman
P OFFSHORE
1. Doug Twaits Jr.
2. Brian Vega
3. Newland / Kennedy
MR OFFSHORE: Doug Twaits Jr.
INDIVIDUAL HIGH POINTS: Dick Crowe / Doug Twaits Jr.
TEAM HIGH POINTS: Team Rumrunner (Awarded The Michigan Cup)
CONCOURSE HYDRO: Kelly Brooks
CONCOURSE OFFSHORE: Dennis Whitt
August 2005
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PROPWASH
2005 NAMBA FE Nationals ……….
The drivers stand provided excellent viewing of the race course. In the background rows of tents supplied shade and
electricity to all of the entrants
Photos courtesy of Dave Arndt
Many boats survived hitting “holes” created by other boats in
the very popular Offshore classes
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And some boats did not fare as well. Yes, there are two boats in
this photo
August 2005
PROPWASH
………. Home of the Michigan Cup
The water was rough as the Offshore classes really tore it up
with popular new M course
Boaters were required to hold their lanes to the start. Here is a
perfect example of great driving
Photos courtesy of Dave Arndt
With 30 seconds remaining on the start clock, pit men ready their drivers boats by resting them in the launch area
August 2005
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PROPWASH
Flying the Unfriendly Skies
By Lohring Miller
District Eight Director
Warning! The advice in this article is
based on others and my experiences in
trying to fly on airlines with model
boats. Neither NAMBA nor I condone
any disregard of current government
rules for airline travel. Furthermore, I
will make a very bad witness at your
trial, but I promise to send a card to your
next of kin when you are executed for
terrorist activities.
Modelers have been traveling to
contests by air for a long time. My first
experiences were when I traveled to the
AMA Nationals in 1957 and 1958 with
two friends. We managed to fit ourselves
and our planes into a Beachcraft
Bonanza for the flight. Then the big
challenge was getting a scale B 24 into
the four seat, single engine aircraft.
Lenny Blake tells of the time when he
put his radio and tools in his mono, put
everything in a bag, and carried it under
his arm onto the plane. Airport personnel
did check it, but he was allowed to carry
it on. Al Hobbs was my inspiration for
model boat travel when he showed up
for the Florida Winter Nationals with his
boats packed in a hard shell golf bag
carrier. Airlines understand golf bags
and they are durable enough to protect
the boats.
Surprisingly, nitro and oil residue
doesn’t set off alarms, but beware of
fertilizer residue. The big problem is the
inspectors. Few have any experience
with models and there are no specific
guidelines for fuel-powered vehicles.
Guns have carefully worked out
standards for shipment as checked
baggage, but not models. You can have
11 pounds of ammunition with your gun.
On my early trips, the boats were looked
at, the tools and radios were inspected,
and the small containers of grease, oil,
and sun tan lotion were ignored.
The first signs of more serious
problems came when Mike Bontoft was
not allowed to check the box containing
his gas rigger because it smelled like
gasoline to the inspector. The fact that
there was no gas in the tank or carb
didn’t matter. Fortunately, alcohol/nitro
fuels don’t smell much. The last time I
traveled, an inspector wanted to look at
the inside of my tunnel boat. After much
discussion, it was decided that the
residue in the fuel tanks was a hazard, as
well as the grease and after run oil.
Fortunately it was on the return from the
race, so I donated the tanks and
petroleum products to the Kalispell
airport and took the expensive things
home. Bill Bridge and Lenny Blake had
similar problems. However, Bill was
carrying his after run oil in a Bruit
aftershave bottle in his carry on luggage.
This made it through the carry on check
with no proble m.
From these experiences I suggest
these steps. First, the maximum weight
A hard shell golf bag carrier works well
for tunnel boats and outrigger hydros
Then came 9/11. Shortly after the
attacks, I made the mistake of traveling
with my tool box that had a picture of a
revolver with the caption “Forget the
dog, beware of owner” on a sticker. I
was searched at every stop. These days
your container will be opened and
checked with a bomb sniffer.
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A good example of a neatly packed golf
bag for transporting a boat and support
equipment
is 50 pounds for checked baggage. My
golf bag with two tunnel boats and
support equipment can weigh more than
that. If it is overweight, there will be an
extra charge of around $25. Fuel, of
course, can’t be carried. Arrange to ship
the fuel to the race from the
manufacturer. No tools can be carried
on. Put them with the boats in your
checked baggage. Radios, engines,
battery chargers, and similar equipment
can either be carried on or packed with
the boats. Expect them to be looked at
since they aren’t on the list of standard
things seen in luggage. Radios, of course
can’t be turned on during flight.
Boat, radio, and support equipment.
Everything needed to go racing
Petroleum products and anything that
looks flammable that is not a standard
consumer product can cause problems.
Either plan to purchase these at the race
or try putting small containers of grease
and oil in your carry on bag. If it’s
searched and not just x-rayed you might
have to throw these things out. Be sure
that everything is clean and that the fuel
tanks are completely flushed and dried. I
recommend using alcohol. Rubbing
alcohol will work and probably can be
carried on in small amounts. Flammable
liquids or solids are not supposed to be
allowed, but ammunition and consumer
products like creams and hair sprays are
allowed. If it looks like that you
probably will be ok. Remember the Bruit
story.
With a little thought and care, travel
with model boats isn’t difficult. The
pictures show the boats and equipment
that I am taking to the 2005 NAMBA
August 2005
PROPWASH
Nationals. This is enough to enter five
classes with engine changes. Modelers
traveled to the 2004 NAMBA Nationals
from Australia with several boats per
person. Racers from Europe regularly
attend races here. Riggers and monos
easily fit into golf bags. Sport and scale
hydros probably require special
containers. Dave Rychalsky with his
Frosted Flakes scale boat has traveled
from New Jersey to most of the
Nationals since 1998. Even gas boats can
be transported with careful cleaning.
Kevin Taylor flew in to the 1998
NAMBA Nationals with his gas rigger
for only that event. Al Hobbs has taken
his riggers all over to the World and
Australian Championships. If you forgot
something or break things, remember
that you have friends at the race. I’ve
been loaned starters, glow drivers, tools
and glue. I’ve also loaned my
equipment and tools to others. It’s what
racing in NAMBA is all about.
NAMBA Fast Electrics Nats
By Dave Bestpitch
NAMBA Records Chairman
All I can say about the Electric Nats held during June is “Wow what an event!” The
speed of these seemingly “radio shack boats” as I remembered them from the past, is
impressive! I had an exciting time and I even felt the lure of competition. I even
challenged Al Waters to a race in the new class, 1/8th scale hydros.
Look out nitro guys these boats are quick and they even sound like their big sisters
with the slap of their sponsons on the water and the whine of their motors. These boats
are fast, highly sophisticated, and highly durable. As a nitro racer, I was never (in the
past) impressed by the speed of the electrics but with the tech advances made in the
last 10 years these boats have come alive. I did notice their fuel is reusable. Hmm!
I have always been an advocate of the different disciplines we have in NAMBA and
always have offered my help, but didn’t realize what I was in for when they said
“come on down,” we can use your help. I helped with the scoring hoping to add my
expertise on race format using the race manager program sold by Ron Byrd. Hope I
did! They had everything all ready to go, I just tweaked the heats each morning with
Al Waters doing the narrating and co-CD responsibility. We became a great team, he
announcing and I timing and scoring each event. Now don’t let me forget all the help
from the racers and ladies that were there taking care of radio impound and scoring.
Did I say help? They were outstanding! The entrants were also helpful and with a
little guidance made the event go smoothly.
Did I mention that the event was in Michigan? Born and raised in New York I
know about how quickly the weather can change in just a few hours. The weather
turned for the worse in just minutes during the end of the outdoor awards ceremony.
We ran for cover! It was great to be close to home. Everyone including locals and all
the NAMBA racers were friendly and very hospitable.
If they need help again, I’m planning to go, as I had a great time, and would suggest
to anyone not in fast electrics, Go! I guarantee it would be well worth the trip.
Odds and Ends
By Cathie Galbraith
NAMBA Executive Secretary
Well, by the time you read this both the Electric and the Nitro/Gas Nats are in the history books. While I was not able to attend
either one this year, I have it on good authority from those who did attend that they both went off extremely well. Congratulations to
both of these Nats committees for hosting these events and thanks to all the sponsors who supported them. There is excellent coverage of the Electric Nats in this issue and the Nitro/Gas Nats will be covered in the next one.
Why did I not get to go to t he Nats, which as most of you know I try to attend each year? Well, it boiled down to that age old
problem of needing to pay your bills before you play. More specifically, I started a new job this year and had not yet accrued enough
time off to be gone for ten days. As many of you know, I have worked out of my home for almost 15 years. While I am still doing
that, I also agreed to work for a friend in his office. It started out as part time and has evolved into a full time job. While this was
quite a culture shock to someone who was used to being at home and making their own hours, I am getting used to it and am actually
enjoying it. However, it does make conducting NAMBA business during the day a little harder. No longer can you reach me at home
during working hours. However, in an effort to alleviate the inconvenience to all of you, I do forward my email and my phone to the
office.
On another note: As you will recall, we recently voted on several electric rule proposals. Proposal #1 was defeated by the 61 people who voted. However, these same people did vote to implement Proposals 2-4. Because of the expense of sending out rulebook
pages and due to the fact that we hope to have the entire new rulebook out shortly, these new and revised rules will not be mailed out
to all members. I will be happy to email complete Electric rule sections to anyone who wants them. Just drop me an email requesting
them. They are also available in the rulebook that is on the NAMBA web page.
As most of you are aware, NAMBA elections are held in the fall each year. This year we will be electing District Directors for all
of the odd numbered districts as well as the positions of President and Vice President. Start thinking of who you would like to guide
your districts and your organization for the next two years. Maybe you would like to take a turn at the helm. Anyone desiring to run
for any of the above referenced positions should submit a petition signed by at least ten current members of your district as well as a
signed letter of acceptance from the nominee.
August 2005
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