2009 News »

12/27/09

The first report of some pretty great holiday-related hydro gifts, this one from Doug Brow:

“I must have been really good because I got a new Hobby King 4x6s Multi-charger/balancer/discharger with three extra Quattro 4x6s charge/balance boards. Now I can charge all four batteries at once after running my new 1/7-scale 1966 Miss Budweiser that Â Santa (Jeff Campbell) is building me. But wait thereâ€™s more!! Six brand new Zippy Batteries. Lucky Me!!”

If you’re also interested in sharing, please send your webmaster an email, and we’ll post it on the club’s website.

12/25/09

Get a cool hydroplane-related holiday gift that you’d like to share the news with everyone? If so, send your webmaster an email, and we’ll post it on the club’s website.

For starters, Nelson Holmberg got Zippy batteries! Good thing, since he’s adding a second boat to the fleet in 2010, and was down to just two good racing batteries by the end of 2009.

12/24/09

As a reminder, the registration period for the 2010 season runs from January 1 through to January 31. The dues for 2010 will remain at $25 per member, plus $5 per boat up to a maximum of four hulls per member. The Membership Form for 2010 has been updated to include a waiver form. As we operate in more public arenas we have to be aware of the potential hazards associated, and work within accepted parameters to protect the club and its members. The signed waiver form will need to be returned along with the Membership Form and dues. If you want to mail the forms, make checks out to â€œERCUâ€ and send to:

ERCU
5327 South 140th Street
Tukwila, WA 98168

Forms will also be available at the January 10 members meeting.

12/21/09

With several new boats in the club, we’re again out looking for additional boat bios, to keep our boat roster fresh and up-to-date. If you have a boat (any boat, not just a new one) that hasn’t yet been posted on the website’s “Boats” page, please fill out a boat bio input form, and send it by email to the webmaster. You can find the form by clicking here. We’ll help you with photos

If you have any quesions or need help, please contact the webmaster.

12/19/09

The December issue of ERCU: The Newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

12/18/09

PGI Models is alive and well, in spite of some recent website problems. Unbeknownst to PGI Owner Mike Gossler, the web host for his site had recently by mistake listed the site as cancelled, leaving the impression to many that PGI had sold everything and ceased to exist. The website has now been fixed, and PGI continues to offer graphics, motors, speed controls, batteries, chargers, parts for RC boat racing and model kits. For those long-time followers, the old site www.scalerc.com no longer connects automatically to the new site. If you havenâ€™t checked them lately, go to www.pgimodels.com and see what all they have to offer.

12/17/09

Looking for that last-minute gift idea to add to your holiday wish list? Well, here are a couple of suggestions:

Patrick Gleason’s 1981 Thousand Trails RTR hydroplane package (just add batteries) is still for sale. You can find out more about the boat by clicking here. If you like the hull, but want to see a different name on it, the boat could also be the Miss Tri-Cities, Miss Prudelco, the Lite All Star (first version), Budweiser Light, the Bob Taylor Special, or the American Speedy Printing.

There are also numerous gift ideas for the hydroplane fan available through the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum gift shop. You can see the museum’s collection, and order online, by clicking here.

12/9/09

Mark your personal calendars, here are the ERCU winter meeting dates and places:

January 10 â€“ Members Meeting at 11 a.m.; registration, rules finalization, race schedule updates, at Red Dot in Tukwila.

February 13 â€“ Model R/C Show at HARM: noon-4 p.m. Great time for boat inspections. Short meeting if necessary.

March â€“ Spring Training in lieu of separate members meeting. Date and location to be confirmed.

April â€“ let the racing season commence!

12/8/09

The official results of the recent survey regarding how frequently the 1/7-scale Electric Scale Unlimiteds should run at ERCU events are in. A total of 41 people voted, and 10 of them made additional comments.

Here are the results of the survey, followed by member comments:

At all ERCU events: 51.2 percent (21 votes)

At about half of ERCU events: 39.0 percent (16 votes)

Should not run with ERCU: 9.8 percent (4 votes)

Total votes: 41

1. More boats + more variety= More interest, better show. Better show+more variety= More potential members for BOTH classes.

2. These boats are a nice addition to the clubs agenda for the fans.

3. Many of us run both classes. It’d be a pain to have separate venues making for twice as much travel and $$.

4. As of this time the 1/7 plus 1/10 does not make a long day. As both clubs grow in members it might be a problem, but so far no problem.

5. Limit the number of heats for 1/7 scale boats in consideration of the size of the 1/10th scale turn out.

6. Include 1/7 Scale in all but the historically most heavily attended E-RCU events. Avoid small venues.

7. Need to keep both classes running on the same weekend due to the number of crossover drivers racing both classes. Does not seem unmanageable at this time. Lake Bellevue might be the exception due to track size

8. Time to get a separate schedule for the 1/7th scale boats. Let 1/10th scale run by themselves!

9. I feel that so far that it hasn’t been a problem. With the way we ran the race days I feel that there is room/ time for both.

10. Thanks for asking. I appreciate the opportunity to offer input.

12/7/09

The new Contest Board has had their positions assigned for 2010. They are as follows:

Chairman â€” Jeff Campbell

Secretary â€” Rick Lentz

Registrar/Treasurer â€” Henry Marvin

Race Coordinator â€” Judy Fenton

Technical Inspector â€” Mike Campbell

Scale Inspector â€” Gary Simmons

Statistician â€” Ben Keller

12/5/09

Not unlike many non-profit organizations around the nation during this recession, the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum â€” a hydroplane racer’s favorite non-profit â€” is working through the slow economic times. If it works for you, please consider a donation to them at this time. More information is available at the “Join Today!” link on the museum’s website.

12/4/09

Here is the agenda for Sundayâ€™s ERCU member meeting at Red Dot Headquarters in Tukwila.

11 a.m.Â â€” Call to order

- Introduce 2010 board members

- Reports from board members

- Discuss 2010 race schedule (how many and when)

- Discuss rule book updates

- Discuss trailer needs

- New business

1 p.m. â€” Adjourn

12/2/09

BOAT SHOP UPDATE: From Cougar Racing Team’s West Vancouver (Wash.) boat shop, here’s a quick update.

Nelson Holmberg has begun repairs to the 2009 U-5 Formula Boats, and has created a paint booth in a garden shed in his back yard. The U-5 repairs include fixing damage to the right non-trip, right fairing, cowling and canard (from an accident in the Gold Cup), which had been temporarily repaired with tape, as well as damage to the transom and bottom of the hull that occured when the strut broke in testing for the final race of the season, which ended the hull’s season. Once the repairs are finished, the boat will receive a new paint job, using the actual color of red used by the real boats.

Also from Nelson’s shop comes news that he has officially registered the 2009 U-7 Graham Trucking, which is currently being built in the Bradshaw Boat Works shop.

12/1/09

The first meeting of the winter season is scheduled for 11 a.m. this coming Sunday (Dec. 6) at Red Dot in Tukwila. The winter schedule will be finalized, and other business matters will be discussed. A meeting for Electric Scale Unlimiteds members, current or interested, will follow the ERCU session.

There have been some questions about registration during the winter. Per our rules registrations are made on a first-come first-served basis, and are active from the date of registration through December 31 of the same year. If you want to register a boat before January 1, 2010, that registration will expire on December 31 and will need to be renewed before January 31, 2010 for the owner to retain the registration.

To see if your boat of interest is available, check the Master Hull Roster in the Club Info section.

11/30/09

Out on the internet forums, H1 Unlimited (formerly the American Boat Racing Association) is said to be working on another international race for the big boats, this one in Brazil. Read more from Sam Cole by clicking here.

11/29/09

BOAT SHOP UPDATE: Courtesy of Modern Class Rookie of the Year Terry Harmer, here’s an update from the Allegro Racing Boat Shop in Bellingham, Wash.

“I’m starting the final finishing of the Seattle Too. Craig will do the “mahogany” paint job. Ran it a few days ago and I appears to run fine.

“My 1/7-scale Squire is hanging on the wall (I’ve run it several times and it is fast and handles well) in primer. Ion’t plan to do anything more on it until I find out if there will be enough 1/7-scale moderns to have races next year.

Still working on the handling of the 1/10-scale Spirit of Dayton Walther. I’ve got some new ideas to try . . . thanks to Rick.

“I have a 1/10-scale hull just out of the mold that will make Pay ‘n Pak etc. My last resort if I can’t get the Dayton Walther to handle.”

11/28/09

BOAT SHOP UPDATE: This winter’s first boat shop update is from Rod & Alex Daum’s Great Lakes Boat Shop in Woodinville, Wash.

“Nothing big this year from Great Lakes, just a shift to spread Spektrum radio gear (DSM 2) in all the boats and a new (2009) U-3 Grandview on the Lake for Alex.”

Next up, an update from Terry Harmer’s Allegro Racing. If you’d also like to submit an offseason Boat Shop Update, please email it to the webmaster.

11/27/09

The November issue of ERCU: The Newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

11/25/09

Thanks to everyone for the great response on our “Guess Who” photo, provided by the MiniCzar, David Newton.

All answers were correct in identifying Bernie Little (on the left) and Roger “Czar” Newton (right). David explains, “I think the picture is taken in 1978, by looking at the tails in the pits. I believe my dad was contracted by Bernie to make the model as a mock-up as he was thinking about getting a hull from Knowlen, which instead went with a Ron Jones hull and Circus and Squire picked up the Knowlen hull.”

Those who submitted the correct answer, in order of how they were received:

Ben Keller

Rick Lentz
Jim Latimer
Gerry Bordon
Jeff Campbell (David gave Jeff extra credit for also correctly identifying the race site)
Kerry Kjos
Doug Brow
Brad Lewis
Skip Young
John Burkey

11/24/09

Who are these two guys (especially the one on your right)?

If you know the answer to this “Guess who this is” photo, email the webmaster. Go ahead and send in an email even if you just THINK you know.

11/23/09

If you’ve got action â€” or even planned action â€” in your boat shop this winter, we want to hear about it. Please send in your boat shop news (and pictures, if you want) and we’ll post it on the website this winter. Email your boat shop news and pictures to the webmaster.

11/22/09

Results from the 2009 ERCU Awards Banquet are now online! You can find them here.

11/21/09

J. Michael Kelly in the U-7 Graham Trucking won the inaugural Oryx Cup and UIM National Championship in Doha, Qatar today. Steve David and the Miss Madison/Oh Boy! Oberto team finished second to repeat as national high points team and driving champion. The U-16 Ellstrom presents Elam Plus finished third after leading four laps and literally flaming out. More information can be found by clicking here.

11/20/09

The club will commence its winter schedule with the Members Meeting to be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6 at Red Dot in Tukwila. After introduction of the new board members and the proposed winter meeting schedule, items for review and discussion will include a recap of the 2009 season, and discussion of such topics as preparation for 2010 registration, proposed racing rules changes, preliminary 2010 racing schedule and impacts of the 1/7-scale class on ERCU races. 2010 NAMBA Membership forms will be available at the meeting. Everyone will be encouraged to send in their insurance form well in advance, as NAMBA cards will have to be presented prior to participation in an ERCU race. One-event applications will still be available, but these are only good for one event for the year.

The desired schedule is to complete the business and adjourn the meeting by 1 p.m. Following the ERCU meeting, ESU will convene to discuss 1/7-scale preparations for 2010, open to all who are interested in knowing more about this class.

11/19/09

The American Boat Racing Association (ABRA) today that after five years it is retiring its name and will officially be known simply as H1 Unlimited.

Citing the international expansion of the sport into the Middle East and beyond the board of directors approved the name change.

You can learn more about the name change by clicking here.

11/18/09

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum is hosting a “Slumber Party at the Museum” for viewing the Doha Oryx Cup/World Championship race this Friday night in Kent. For more information, visit the museum’s website here.

11/17/09

Please take a quick (one question) survey to help determine how frequently the 1/7-scale boats should race at ERCU events, beginning in 2010. Your input is valuable and appreciated. Click here to take the survey. Please be sure to click the “Done” button after you answer the question. Thanks!

11/16/09

The ERCU members elected for the 2010-11 term on the Contest Board are Henry Marvin, Gary Simmons and Judy Fenton. They join the members in the second year of their term â€“ Jeff Campbell, Mike Campbell, Ben Keller and Rick Lentz. Positions each member will serve in will be deterined in time for the December member meeting.

11/15/09

The latest Mystery Boat question was: What hydro ran this motor cowling?

Answer: It was the 1964 Eagle Electric, with this cowl, under the boat in the Seattle pits. Here’s a complete picture. The Mystery Boat photo from a couple of days ago was altered so that it wasn’t a dead giveaway. Thanks to Kirk Pagel for this week’s Mystery Boat.

11/14/09

Here’s another cool shot from Doha! Thanks to U-5 crew member Jim Bakke for passing along this photo to share with modelers and hydroplane racing fans.

11/12/09

New Mystery Boat photo: What hydro ran this motor cowling?? Thanks go out to Golden Thunder Hydroplane Photography for this pic.

Email the webmaster with your guess.

11/11/09

Black Friday Sale!
Donâ€™t forget to mark your calendars for Friday, Nov. 27, as Newton Marine will be having its first annual Black Friday Sale!Â Do not miss out on savings of 30 percent off all stock at www.newtonmarine.com. Newton Marine will also have sales on its photo archive with buy two pictures, get one free (of equal or lesser value).Â You will not have to camp out in front of any mall to get these savings, only your own computer.Â Simply make your purchase at www.newtonmarine.com anytime on November 27 and enter in the promotional code of â€œblkfriday09â€ and 30 percent will automatically be taken off your bill.Â For picture orders send in your order to newtonmarine@gmail.com with the same promotional code and you will receive an invoice automatically.Â All orders will be required to pay via PayPal, no mail-in orders please.Â This is only a one-day offer valid for November 27 and will expire at the stroke of midnight.Â All sales do not go towards shipping.Â Any questions about the sale please email David Newton at newtonmarine@gmail.com.

Happy Holidays!
David Newton

Newton Marine

11/8/09

Mystery Boat solved! Numerous guesses came in on the first Mystery Boat photo of the offseason, and two folks got it right. Kirk Pagel and future ERCU and Rose City Model Yacht Club (and former RCU) member Brad Lewis correctly identified the Mystery Boat as Jim Harvey’s U-2. It’s the same hull that Dr. Ken Muscatel raced in 2008 as the Breathless Blue boat. Its canoes were re-used on Muscatel’s new boat and its center section has likely been deposited at a local Puget Sound area landfill. The boat started life as Harvey’s two-wing T-Plus, and was last run (before Muscatel bought it) as the 2002 Miss Trendwest. Thanks to everyone who played along. A new Mystery Boat photo has already been submitted and will be posted soon.

In the meantime, here’s a photo of the U-2 Miss Trendwest.

11/7/09

The big boats have arrived in Doha, and have been unloaded from the ship. Thanks to Jim Bakke of the Formula Boats U-5 team for sending along this cool photo.

11/6/09

Some good guesses have come in so far on the Mystery Boat. Not telling if we have the right one yet or not. Keep guessing for a couple more days!

11/4/09

A traditional part of the 1/10-scale hydro season Silly Season is underway, and the Mystery Boat is back!

Can you identify the modern boat in this photo? Email the webmaster with your guess.

11/1/09

Halloween was a treat to 1/10-scale hydroplane racing at the Lake of Tualatin Commons.

More than 1,000 visitors who came out to the lake for the Tualatin’s annual Giant Pumpkin Regatta and were there plenty early to see five ERCU & Rose City MYC members put on an exhibition of what our “little boats” can do.

Carl Switzer of the Tualatin Parks Department was a super host, providing this opportunity to be part of one of Tualatin’s biggest events of the year.

Among the racers who ran their boats were Ron Daum, John Earnest, John Howell, Jesse Shehan and Greg Sawicki. All of the drivers were given a barbeque lunch and treated like kings by the event organizers.

The new RCMYC club boat was a big hit and a few spectators took the opportunity to drive it.

Other boat racers who attended the event were Brad Lewis (former RCU member who moved to Houston and is now back in the Portland area), as well as a friend of Howell’s who has purchased the old Sunny Jim Jam (which Howell recently replaced with a new boat), and former and current RCU’ers Bill Amick, Dave Blacksten, and Dave Fox. RCMYC’s Glenn Powers was also in attendance, but without his boat.

After the event, Lewis said he was hooked on the electrics and would be looking for a boat to buy so he could join both ERCU and RCMYC.

Blacksten, Fox, Howell, Daum, and Earnest were all members of the original Rose City Model Yacht Club when they ran 1/8-scale nitro boats in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

10/30/09

The October issue of ERCU: The Newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

10/29/09

Next week will be a busy week for voters. Tuesday, Nov. 3 is the date of the general election, and Thursday Nov. 5 is the last day to have your ballot for ERCU board member election and banquet reservation postmarked. If you havenâ€™t mailed yours yet, this would be a good time.

10/25/09

Dear fellow ERCU members:

I just realized it has been several days since the website was last updated, and that it has happened several times this month, and wanted to take a minute to assure you all that I have not lost sight of my responsibilities as the ERCU website updater. As many, or perhaps all, of you already know, I’m running for elected office here in Vancouver â€” the Vancouver School Board. This month, as the campaign heats up and the outlook is that the race will be close, I’ve been spending almost all of my time outside of work campaigning. I want to win badly enough that I’m willing to work as hard as I need to.

So … while that means the website hasn’t been updated on a daily basis, I just wanted to explain it. When I do have materials for the site sent to me, I make the time to get them posted as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, this kind of schedule won’t last forever, and as of this writing there are just nine days left to go in the campaign (not counting today). And once its done, I’ll be able to get back to a more consistent schedule of updating the site.

Thank you all for your continued patience and for your support. This is a fantastic organization.

-Nelson

10/21/09

On October 18, 1/10-scale racers from District 8, for the first time, had the opportunity to try out the recently adopted NAMBA rules for our class of boats. The race was put together rather quickly through the cooperative efforts of the Rose City Model Yacht Club, Puget Sound Fast Electrics, Electric Radio Controlled Unlimiteds and Classic Thunder. I would like to thank the members of all four clubs for their contributions. It is our hope that we will be able to have a few regional points races each year and plan to present the idea at the next District 8 meeting.
The attendance for this first race was rather small compared to individual club events weâ€™ve seen. I think some folks assumed the weather was going to be a carbon copy of the horribly wet stuff they saw the day before. Surprisingly enough, the light rain of Sunday morning subsided and we had almost perfect weather and perfect water throughout the whole day. A total of 17 1/10-scale boats showed up to compete. There were also six of the 1/7-scale boats on hand to help fill out the day. It was fairly quick day and we wrapped up three preliminary heats in each class, one consolation heat, all of the final heats and an awards presentation by about 3 p.m. In spite of the low numbers in the modern class and 1/7-scale, we kept with the â€œwinner take allâ€ final heat format for all of the classes.
1/7-Scale Exhibition
The 1/7-scale competition started the day off with Craig Mullen driving Ben Kellerâ€™s Hawaii Kaâ€™i III to a win in Heat 1 followed by Jeff Campbellâ€™s Liâ€™l Buzzard, Mike McIntoshâ€™s Miss Timex and Bob VandenAkkerâ€™s Notre Dame. Mike Campbellâ€™s Miss Burien and Gary Simmonsâ€™ Eagle Electric did not finish.
Heat 2 saw the Eagle Electric bounce back with a win. Liâ€™l Buzzard was second, Hawaii Kaâ€™i third, Timex fourth and Notre Dame fifth. Miss Burien did not finish.
Heat 3 was won by the Liâ€™l Buzzard, ahead of Eagle Electric and Timex. Miss Burien finished fourth and Notre Dame was fifth. Hawaii Kaâ€™i did not finish.
The 1/7-scale final heat was won by Gary Simmons driving his Miss Eagle Electric followed by the Hawaii Kaâ€™i in second, Miss Burien in third, Notre Dame in fourth, Liâ€™l Buzzard was fifth and Miss Timex was sixth.

1/10-scale Modern
The six boat field raced together all day long with two boats being scratched from competition during the day. Craig Mullen withdrew the Pay â€™n Pak after one heat of racing. The boat finished second in its only heat and then was sold to an eager buyer who is anxious to learn all about running it in future events. Ron Daum withdrew his Llumar Window Film after two heats when it developed a problem.
The preliminary heats finished with Mike Campbellâ€™s Country Boy on top with 1,200 points, followed by Bill Smileyâ€™s Charlieâ€™s Girl with 625, Mike McIntoshâ€™s T-3 Miss Budweiser 475, Craig Mullenâ€™s Pay â€™n Pak 300, Matt Sandersâ€™ Squire Shop 275 and Ron Daumâ€™s Llumar Window Film with 194.
The final heat was for all the marbles and with only four boats remaining, everyone had a chance to win. Country Boy had dominated so far in the day and the others knew they would have to pull out all the stops to have a shot at beating him. It turns out that a couple of them pulled a little too hard. Charlieâ€™s Girl and Budweiser jumped the start, leaving the Squire Shop to take the lead briefly. It wasnâ€™t long before Mike got the Country Boy into the lead, and went on to a first place finish. The Squire ran well, but couldnâ€™t catch him and finished a strong second. A great battle for third ended with the Bud bringing home third over Charlieâ€™s Girl who would finish the day in fourth.
1/10-scale Vintage
We started the day with 11 vintage participants. Mitch Dillardâ€™s Slo-Mo-Shun IV was fast, but had some bad luck early on. The Mo lost a battle with a wall of water in lane 1 going into the first turn in Heat 1A. It led in Heat 2A only to strike something in the water and violently tumble its way to a DNF. The boat was shelved for the rest of the day in an act of mercy, reducing the boat count to 10 after two flights.
The shining star of the vintage prelims was Steve Dumanisâ€™ Thunderbolt which accumulated 1,100 points. Mike Campbellâ€™s Harrahâ€™s Club tallied 927. Kellerâ€™s Hawaii Kaâ€™i, driven by Mullen had 925, followed by VandenAkkerâ€™s Eagle Electric with 769 and Simmonsâ€™ Miss Everett with 550. Those six boats advanced to the front line of the final.
The winner of the consolation heat would join the final Heat field as the trailer boat. Mike Schultzâ€™s Miss Exide could not answer the call, so only three boats were left to run in it. Jeff Campbellâ€™s Pride of Pay â€™n Pak Outrigger outran Daumâ€™s Thriftway Too and McIntoshâ€™s Shakeyâ€™s Special and moved on to the final.
The final was a wild one, full of acrobatics and rollovers. Yep, attrition would take its toll. Four of the seven starters would not finish this one. Harrahâ€™s Club had the lead, but blew over. Thunderbolt took over the lead, but was passed by Hawaii Kaâ€™i. Mullen held on to the lead and went on to victory. Thunderbolt would later go upside down trying to give chase. Such Crust III would also fall prey to the DNF bug. Lastly, the very fast Outrigger Pak would continue to struggle and would not finish. No one was going to catch the Kaâ€™i once it took the lead. Finishing a solid second was the Miss Everett followed by the Eagle Electric in third.
I want to say thanks for all of the racers who turned out for the event and hope that others will participate in future events like it. We had a good time and Iâ€™m hoping that regional events will become a traditional part of 1/10-scale racing in NAMBA Region 8. I can only imagine how much fun it would be with a little more time to plan so that we can insure that members from all four clubs can attend. Iâ€™m definitely looking forward to racing in the next one.
Sincerely,
Mitch Dillard
A big fan of 1/10-scale Racing

10/9/09

Ballots for the 2010 Board Member Elections and the RSVP forms for the Annual Banquet, along with stamped, self-addressed envelopes, were put in the mail today. Due to scheduling conflicts the date of the banquet had to be moved to Saturday November 14, still at the Great American Casino in Tukwila.

Please return the ballots and RSVPs postmarked not later than Thursday, November 5.

10/7/09

Sunday, October 11 is the date set for the 1/7-scale exhibition race at Twin Lakes in Marysville. The tentative schedule is attached. Here’s a schedule for the weekend. Site setup will occur on Friday afternoon.

2009 NW Scale Championship Race Schedule

Saturday
7 a.m. â€“ Park Opens
8 a.m. â€“ Open Water (controlled)
8 a.m. â€“ Registration begins
9:45 a.m. â€“ Drivers Meeting
10 a.m. â€“ Heat 1A 1/8 scale hydro

End of every section Miss Vegas boats run to allow nitro to get set for next round.

Total of three rounds and one final for Vegas boats.

Four sections of 1/8-scale on Saturday and two on Sunday)
Open water for all classes after heat racing

Sunday
7 a.m. â€“ Park Opens
8 a.m. â€“ Registration begins for gas and electric Thunderboats
8 a.m. â€“ Gas and electric thunderboats open water (controlled)
9:15 a.m. â€“ Drivers meeting
9:30 a.m. â€“ First of three rounds of gas and electric Thunderboats
Total of three preliminary rounds â€“ one connie and a final for gas and electric Thunderboats
One electric â€“ one gas â€“ one nitro heats until all prelims are finished
One electric â€“ one gas â€“ one nitro connie
One electric â€“one gas â€“ one nitro final

10/6/09

The 2009 1/10-Scale Fall Regional is set for Sunday, October 18. It will be held at Twin Lakes in Marysville (south lake on the east shore by the parking lot). The basic schedule for the day can be found by clicking here, and a copy of the section of the NAMBA rulebook that we will be using for this race is here. There is information on the schedule about pre-registering for the event. You should be prepared to bring your own power source for charging etc. Keep your fingers crossed and hope the weather will be kind to us.

The race was made possible by the cooperative effort of four clubs racing 1/10-scale in NAMBA’s Region 8. The representatives of Rose City Model Yacht Club, Puget Sound Fast Electrics Model Boat Club, Electric Remote Control Unlimiteds and Classic Thunder should be commended. I would personally like to thank everyone who stepped up to make this event happen. This is hopefully just the first of many regional races that will be run in future years. We are at least going to try and get two of them run each year, one in the fall after our seasons end and one in the early spring if possible. At some point we may even have NAMBA sanctioned events on courses where NAMBA records can be established.

Though this first one was put together very quickly, it is something we had been thinking about since the winter when the NAMBA rules were first proposed by our committee. Hopefully it’s just the beginning of something we think is pretty cool. We hope to see you out racing on October 18, or at least on the shore watching and helping out. If you have questions, let us know and we’ll try and get them answered.

Sincerely,
Mitch Dillard
A big fan of 1/10-scale hydroplane racing.

10/1/09

The September issue of ERCU: The Newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

9/21/09

Sunday September 27 marks the day for the last race of ERCUâ€™s 13-race 2009 Red Dot Championship Series.

In honor of the club founder, Roger â€œCzarâ€ Newton, the Newton Memorial is marking its second annual race date at Cherokee Bay Community Club.

The race CDs are David Newton and Monte Steere, and have prepared for an outstanding event. As usual for this venue, Dan Gilmore will be preparing edible eats at lunchtime.

By vote of the attendees of the Gold Cup, vintage boats will be running with Graupner 45 carbon fiber propellers.

Setup will commence at 7:30 a.m., with registration and testing until the drivers meeting around 10:30. Plan to be there â€œone more timeâ€ this season, and help make this a worthy finale to the 2009 season.

David reports that the first 30 racers to register will walk away with a secret prize in honor of the event.

9/18/09

Stout Tools will sponsor the ERCU Gold Cup qualifying this weekend, and will be giving away a Porta-Band band saw.

9/15/09

This coming Sunday is the ERCU Red Dot Championship Seriesâ€™s premier racing event of the year â€“ the Gold Cup. Scheduled for Sunday, September 20 at Lake Wilderness in Maple Valley, Wash., the 1/10-scale unlimited hydroplane club is holding the seventh annual running for this prestigious trophy. The format is four rounds of preliminary heats, followed by the consolation heats and the finals for both vintage and modern classes. Set-up will commence at 7 a.m. sharp. A one-hour qualifying session will be available for those wishing to vie for the fastest qualifier trophy. The drivers meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m., with racing to commence soon thereafter. Vintage boats can use any propeller. The three-minute clock between heats will be used to help keep the event on schedule. It is hoped for a large turn-out, so charge up those batteries and make plans to bring as many boats as will fit in the car.

9/9/09

Twin Lakes does not provide power, so bring your generators for the race this Saturday.

9/4/09

Saturday September 12 is the date to circle for the next ERCU race in the Red Dot Championship Series for 1/10-scale unlimited hydroplanes â€” the Sahara Cup. The race will be held at the south pond at Twin Lakes in Marysville (actually closer to Smokey Point/Arlington). CDs Bob VandenAkker and Mike Gossler are preparing for a great day of racing action, and will feature the 1/10th scale modern and vintage boats as well as the 1/7-scale vintage boats. For this race the vintage boats will be allowed to run with any propeller of the driverâ€™s choice. The day will be starting a bit earlier than in the past, although the trailer will still arrive at 7 a.m. Following set-up and registration, the course will be available for testing. The drivers meeting will be held at 10:15 a.m., and racing will commence at 10:30 a.m., starting with the 1/7-scale boats, followed by the modern class and then the vintage class boats.

Taking a page from the Dan Gilmore playbook at the Cherokee Bay races, Gary and Deb Simmons are preparing the menu for a lunch offering. Lunchtime will be worked around the dayâ€™s action, but would tentatively be set between the first and second sections.

Nelson Holmberg (1973 Red Man Too) and Jeff Campbell (1969 Pride of Pay ‘n Pak Hooktail) won the inaugural Sahara Cups in Monroe a year ago.

Itâ€™s still summer, and so far the weather appears to be favorable, calling for mid-70s under sunny skies. Hope to see you all there.

8/25/09

There’s a new boat in ERCU. Mick Shutt’s long-awaited 1978 Miss Budweiser has been finished and ran in competition for the first time last Sunday at the Rose City Model Yacht Club Roger Newton Memorial. Here’s a picture.

The new boat is expected to make its ERCU debut at the Stan Sayres Memorial this weekend at Cherokee Bay Community Club in Maple Valley.

8/23/09

If you’re a fan of Ted Porter’s U-5 Formula Boats unlimited hydroplane, then today was a day you’ll recognize as a fun one! On the same day that the real U-5 swept wins in all of its heats and won the final in Evansville, Ind., the 1/10-scale replica that belongs to ERCU’s Nelson Holmberg also swept all of its preliminary heats and won the modern final at the Rose City Model Yacht Club Roger Newton Memorial in Portland. Second went to Greg Sawicki and the 1973 Red Man Too, and third was Jesse Shehan’s 1977 Squire. Terry Harmer’s Spirit of Dayton Walther, Craig Mullen’s 1991 American Spirit and Rick Lentz’s 1974 U-95 (driven by Gerry Bordon) were all unable to finish the final.

In the vintage class, Ben Keller’s Hawaii Ka’i III won its third RCMYC race, followed by Craig Bradshaw’s 1970 Miss Budweiser II, Mick Shutt’s 1975 Oh Boy! Oberto in third, and Gerry Bordon’s 1970 Parco’s O-Ring Miss in fourth, John Howell’s 1975 Sunny Jim Jam was unable to finish, and John Earnest’s 1962 Gale V was a scratch, allowing Bradshaw to move up from the trailer position after winning the vintage first connie.

8/22/09

Next up on the 2009 Red Dot Championship Series schedule is the Stan Sayres Memorial Race, to be held at the Cherokee Bay Community Club site on Sunday, August 30. We will have access to the clubhouse for this event, which means power should also be available. Generators are always an option. Parking passes will be handed out, although space will be available throughout the paved parking area. The trailer will arrive at the site at 7:15 for set-up â€“ testing can commence once the course is set and registration fees are paid. The drivers meeting will start at 10:30, with racing to commence at 11:00. This race will run the standard ERCU winner-take-all final format. Vintage boats will run the Graupner 45 propeller. Between flights the 1/7th scale boats will run their heats â€“ the format for those boats will be 3 sets of preliminary heats and the final. The schedule for this day – the 1/7th scale boats will open the event, followed by the modern class and then the vintage class.

Dan Gilmore is once again our willing host, having made the necessary preparations for the day. In addition he will be providing coffee in the morning and lunch for all.

8/20/09

The August issue of ERCU: The Newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

8/14/09

Rose City Model Yacht Club cordially invites you to the Westmoreland Park Casting Pond on Sunday, August 23 for the first annual RCMYC Roger Newton Memorial.

Set up will begin at 8 a.m., with the first heat of racing to get underway about 10 a.m.

RCMYC racing rules are very similar to ERCU’s â€” including drive train rules. We use the honor system to judge heats â€” meaning drivers are expected to call their own penalties or be overruled by the heat’s chief referee. And the rule of thumb is, when in doubt, run an extra lap just in case, then meet with the chief referee after the heat.

Weâ€™ll run four sets of five-lap preliminary heats, connies (if boat count supports them), and championship final heats for both classes.

By the way, John Howell will not only be required to start all heats as a trailer boat in this race, but he will also start every heat with a one-lap penalty for his fear of, and discomfort with, the color pink.

So, mark your calendar, get your boats ready, charge your batteries and letâ€™s go racing!

8/13/09

The Columbia Cup at Tualatin this Saturday will require Graupner 45 plastic props for the vintage class.

8/12/09

Here’s a brief video of the U-7 Graham Trucking flip at the Tri-Cities, shot by Kevin Stoltz of Superior Racing Team. Click here to see it on YouTube.

8/10/09

On Saturday, Aug. 15, it will be time to get back after the Red Dot Championship Series when the ERCU Columbia Cup comes to the Lake of Tualatin Commons in Tualatin, Ore., hosted by Contest Director Mick Shutt.

The Columbia Cup will be run at the same location as the last race before ERCUâ€™s mid-season break â€“ the Lake of Tualatin Commons. Shuttâ€™s plans are to keep the points race format that has been used for each of the first two ERCU Columbia Cups.

Under the points format, the winner of the race will be determined by the boat that earns the most points in the course of the race, regardless of where that boat finishes in the winner-take-all final.

Mike Campbellâ€™s 1974 Country Boy is the two-time defending champion in the modern class recording 1,369 points to win the 2008 race by just 200 points over the 1973 Red Man Too.

In the vintage class, Jeff Campbellâ€™s 1969 Pay â€˜n Pak Outrigger won the first race, and in 2008, Brian Gilmore drove the 1960 Thriftway Too to a race win with 1,269 points â€“ beating the Hawaii Kaâ€™i III by just 69 points.

The Kaâ€™i won the final heat, and that broke a points tie for second place with Mike Campbellâ€™s 1969 Harrahâ€™s Club.

A regular ERCU racing format will be followed throughout the day, other than cumulative points determining the race winner.

Raceday setup will begin around 8 a.m., with testing to begin after boats are registered, and a driverâ€™s meeting around 10:30 a.m., with racing to start at 10:45 a.m.

8/4/09

We’re again out looking for additional (AND updated) boat bios, to keep our boat roster fresh and up-to-date. If you have a boat (any boat, not just a new one) that hasn’t yet been posted on the website’s “Boats” page, please fill out a boat bio input form, and send it by email to the webmaster. You can find the form by clicking here. We’ll help you with photos.

8/2/09

The July issue of ERCU: The Newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

8/1/09

U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto â€” The defending champion placed third in the final at Madison. At Detroit, Oberto made the final, and placed second. Oberto won in Tri-Cities.

U-3 Cooper Racing Team â€” Allison motors have no fuel restrictions like the turbines, now set at 4.1 gpm, posted a DNF in the final at Madison, taking sixth place overall. At Detroit, running as Miss Chrysler Jeep, had two blown engines, keeping the U-3 from the final heat.

U-5 Formula Boats â€” Ted Porterâ€™s, Formula Boats placed fourth at Madison. At Detroit, Jeff Bernard finished a respectable third. Watch this boat & driver out west. The team struggled to find speed in the Tri-Cities, but found enough to earn second place in the Columbia Cup final.

U-7 Graham Trucking â€” J. Michael Kelly, finished second at Madison. In Detroit at the Gold Cup, JMK placed fourth. Mike then flipped at Tri-Cities and became a media star. He appeared on Fox News, Comcast.net, KIRO-TV in Seattle, and many other places. The boat was repaired in less than a week, back at the Hydroplanes, Inc. shop in Tukwila, in time for Seafair.

U-13 Spirit of Detroit Racing â€” Dave Bartushâ€™s U-13 was on display at the Gold Cup. It did not run.

U-16 Ellstrom Racing Team â€” Dave Villwock Had a perfect day, winning every heat and the final at Madison. A week later in Detriot, he did it again, winning his seventh Gold Cup and 58th race win. If he sweeps the season, he will tie in all time race wins with Bill Muncey, at 62. After multiple fits and starts, be it an electrical fire in the cockpit, fuel violations, or lane infractions, the Elam finished fourth at the Columbia Cup.

U-17 Our Gang Racing Team â€” Ran as the Miss Activ Water at Madison, but did not make the final heat. At the Gold Cup, likewise, did not make the final. In Tri-Cities, Our Gang Racing enjoyed perhaps their best weekend ever, making strong showings in qualifying, heats and in the final.

U-22 Webster Racing Team â€” At Detroit, Mike Webster suffered a broken finger when his canopy fell on his hand the after the second heat, and withdrew from further racing for the weekend. Webster was back for the Columbia Cup, and looked good in Tri-Cities. In Seattle today, he had the opportunity to draw lane one for his first heat on Sunday. It’ll be his first start on the inside lane with the unlimiteds.

U-25 Superior Racing â€” The main hull (No. 0925) finally made it out of Ron Jones Jrâ€™s shop on Friday night, in time for the Seattle race. The new U-25 did miss the first flight of heats on Saturday. Meanwhile, Dr. Ken Muscatel leased his favorite Leland hull (No. 00100) for the first three races of the year. He did not make the final at Madison. At Detroit, the old Leland hull (running as Miss Jarvis Repair) showed some life, but did not make the final heat. In Tri-Cities, the boat suffered a cracked strut, which ended the weekend early.

U-37 Schumacher Racing â€” Running as Miss Bello Pizza in Madison, Jean Theoret blew over in Saturdayâ€™s heat 1-B. Theoret was airlifted to a Louisville Hospital in critical condition upgraded by race day. DNF at Madison. J.W. Myers â€“ crew chief on Muscatelâ€™s U-25 â€“ was tapped to drive the boat as Miss DYC at the Gold Cup. The team, with J-Dub in the cockpit, gained a podium finish in Tri-Cities. Theoret returned to the cockpit in Seattle, but after one heat of racing, decided he still wasn’t physically ready to be back in the boat yet. J-Dub took over again.

U-48 Go Fast, Turn Left Racing â€” Albert Lee Appliances, did not make Madison final. At Detroit, Brian Perkins broke a strut and did not make the final heat. Perkins did perform in the Columbia Cup final, missing the podium.

U-100 Leland Racing â€” Miss Shoreline Props painted maroon, black and gold, a huge departure from the red ,white & blue former colors, placed fifth at Madison. At the Gold Cup in Detroit, running as Miss Jarvis Painting, Greg Hopp made the final heat, and finished fifth. In the Tri-Cities, the boat ran as the “Jerry’s Tavern” (a pub in Richland, we’re told). A broken gear box after the last round of preliminary heats kept the team from running for a spot in the final.

Compiled by Kirk Pagel, ace reporter

7/31/09

PGI Models business change

After decades of model boat builders using replicas of the real graphics, logos, names, etc., that real boats used with a total understanding from the companies that provided those sponsorships to the real boats as to why this was not a violation of trademark laws, Mike Gosslerâ€™s PGI Models has received a threat from one national tool company that once sponsored the Miss Madison Racing Team with a yellow and black paint scheme (itâ€™s actually now owned by Black & Decker) that heâ€™s violating those laws by selling decals featuring the companyâ€™s name and artwork.

As a result, PGI Models is no longer selling graphics for that particular boat, and you wonâ€™t find those sets online at www.pgimodels.com.

Editorâ€™s Note: We at the www.e-rcu.org office hopes this has satisfied the tool company, but we believe they need to look a little further into why these decals are being produced and sold to model boaters, and their legal counsel should consider why this should not be considered a trademark infringement. This editor, for one, will never again buy another orange and black, or yellow and black, tool because of this action. Makita, Craftsman, Husky, and others are just as good â€“ if not better.

7/27/09

J. Michael Kelly is becoming a national media darling. Video of his flip at the Tri-Cities has been shown all over the nation, including on Comcast.net in the news section, Fox News Channel, ABC News, CBS News, and more. There’s even a chance he’ll be on Good Morning America on Tuesday (7/28) morning.

Here are a couple of links to the coverage:

Comcast.net

Fox News

7/26/09

A couple more ERCU members spied in the pits at the Columbia Cup include Bob VandenAkker with his friend Ruth and Dave Reiser with his son Mario.

7/24/09

ERCU members spotted Friday in the Neil F. Lampson pits include: Doug Brow (ABRA official), Rick Lentz, Howard Price and Ryan Opfer (all working on the U-25 crew), “Doc” Ben Keller, Kirk Pagel, Chick Barsch, Judy Fenton, Jeff Campbell, and Nelson & Dawn Holmberg. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for more, and keep you up to date. Again, let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see or be updated on throughout the weekend. Please feel free to email the webmaster and let him know. We’ll check emails in the evening when we update the website.

7/23/09

Your representatives from e-rcu.org headquarters are off to the Tri-Cities for the big boats Columbia Cup. We’ll try to provide photos and an insider’s perspective on the racing and the activity in the pits and around Columbia Park â€” including the RCU race at the Family Fishing Pond, and catching ERCU members in action with the big boats. If there’s anything you’d like to see in terms of feature ideas, please feel free to email the webmaster and let him know. We’ll check emails in the evening when we update the website.

7/17/09

Straightaway Speed Special: In addition to prizes for everyone who attends, the “special event” at this coming Saturday’s Island Hobbies Oregon Emerald Cup at the Lake of Tualatin Commons in Tualatin, Ore., will be a straightaway speed dash. After the completion of Saturday’s finals, any boat that would like to register its speed will have the opportunity to take three runs through a radar speed trap on the front straightaway. Details and rules will be provided at the race site. Prizes will be awarded for the fastest modern trip through the trap, and for the the fastest vintage pass.
Fan Plan Format: The plan for this race is the typical three rounds of preliminary heats for both modern and vintage, to be drawn in accordance with the Fan Plan — though a little bit modified. Since we don’t have qualifying rounds in ERCU, we’ll group the boats according to their current standing in the Red Dot Championship Series (www.e-rcu.org/standings.html), four or five boats at a time (depending on turnout). We’ll try to have an A Flight, B Flight and C Flight, which will race together in all of the preliminaries. Full points will be awarded regardless of which division the boats are in. Draws for the finals will be the top three boats from the A Flight, the top two boats from the B Flight, and the top boat from the C Flight. Connie fields will be made up of the next best boats regardless of flight, with the first-connie winners advancing to the final as the trailer boat. This format may not work with the Modern Class, depending on the turnout, in which case the format would revert to the normal random draw format ERCU regularly uses.
Prop Preference: The Graupner K45, with no modifications, is the required prop for the Vintage Class at the Island Hobbies Oregon Emerald Cup. Inspections will be done randomly throughout the day, and particularly after the final. (Note: You may change to the prop of your choice for the Straightaway Speed Special, if you wish.)
Race Day Duties: Race site setup will begin at 7 a.m. followed by registration and open water for the purpose of testing and practice. Rose City Model Yacht Club members will be there early, but any and all help is certainly welcome.
Sunny Skies: As of Wednesday morning, the weather forecast is for sunny skies and 85 degrees at the Lake of Tualatin Commons. The mist off of the fountain in the park will likely be welcome in our pits.
Good Crowd Expected: Our events at Tualatin have typically drawn a fair number of curious onlookers in the pits and along the edges of the lake, similar to last weekend’s Bernie Little Memorial in Bellevue — especially when the weather is nice. Please keep in mind that we’re guests of the City of Tualatin in their park.
Fair Warning: Please be sure to know the rules regarding safe lane changes and overtaking another boat. The course at Tualatin has spots that can be tight, with a three-buoy “Roostertail” left turn and a wide sweeping right turn — much like the Detroit course for the big boats. Turn judges and chief referees always keep a keen eye trained for lane violations on this course.
Defending Champs: The only winners in the history of the Oregon Emerald Cup are Mike Campbell (modern – 1974 Country Boy) and Jeff Campbell (vintage – 1969 Pride of Pay ‘n Pak Outrigger). The Tualatin natives both won the inaugural race in 2007, and repeated last year.
Big Boat History: There was just one Oregon Emerald Cup ever run by the big boats. The year was 1971 and the place was Dexter Lake, about 20 miles east of Eugene, Ore. Billy Schumacher won that race driving the 1971 Pride of Pay ‘n Pak. Craig Mullen will be running his model of that same boat at this year’s Island Hobbies Oregon Emerald Cup.

7/10/09

Tomorrow’s Bernie Little Memorial, at Bellevue Downtown Park, will be sponsored by Stout Tools, which has provided a Stout portable band saw to be given away during the race. Lunch will be provided by Steve and Al Twardus of Twardus Iron and Wire.

7/9/09

Ryan Opfer shot some video of this year’s Hydropalooza, and posted it to YouTube. If you’re interested in seeing it, please click here.

7/8/09

Come south; Get a prize!

Thatâ€™s right, in just less than two weeks (Saturday, July 18, to be exact), ERCU will make its return to the Lake of Tualatin Commons in Tualatin, Ore., and everyone who races their boat gets a prize. Some prizes will have great value to them and others, well â€¦ not so much.

Youâ€™ll just have to attend the third annual Island Hobbies Oregon Emerald Cup to see what you could win. And speaking of winning, itâ€™s certain that there will be a different winner in the vintage class this year, as two-time vintage winner Jeff Campbell has already announced he has a conflict that weekend and will not be able to attend the race.

Island Hobbies is our great sponsor again this year.

Despite what the June newsletter said, this is not a points race, but it does follow a modified â€œFan Planâ€ format for section draws, meaning boats will be slotted into heats depending on where they are ranked in the Red Dot Championship Series after the Bernie Little Memorial in Bellevue on July 11.

Fields for the finals will be filled accordingly: 3 boats from flight A; 2 boats from flight B and one boat from flight C. The trailer will be the winner of the first connie in each class.

As per usual ERCU arrangements, site setup will begin at 7 a.m., with testing to follow. Boats wonâ€™t be allowed on the water until they are registered for the event. A drivers meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., and heat 1A of the modern class will begin five minutes after the drivers meeting adjourns.

The race will follow ERCUâ€™s standard format, three rounds of preliminary heats, two connies for vintage (providing boat count supports it), a connie for the modern and â€“ of course â€“ winner-take-all final heats for both classes.

Graupner K45 props will be required for vintage boats at this race, and inspections will be done randomly at anytime throughout the day, including immediately after the final.

As a bonus, Rose City Model Yacht Club is hosting a race the next day at Westmoreland Casting Pond, and all ERCU members are invited to join in on the fun. Keep an eye on your email for more information about that event.

7/7/09

Yes, Gertrude, there will be a race at Bellevue pond this year. In fact, it will be the Bernie Little Memorial Race, and it is scheduled for this Saturday. CDs Mike and Jeff Campbell usually find some ways to make this an especially fun day, so plan to be there and check it all out. In spite of the fretting about “The Wall,” this pond is the only course that has started AND finished nine boats in a heat, all without a scratch or a hiccup.

There will be no restrictions on props for any boat that wants to get wet, modern OR vintage. Setup will commence at 8 a.m., with testing available around 9 a.m. The drivers meeting is scheduled for 10:30 and racing will begin at 11 a.m. Many hands make light work …

7/1/09

The June issue of ERCU: The Newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

6/26/09

Next up in the Red Dot Championship Series will be the Seventh annual running of the ERCU Seafair Trophy Race sponsored by Radio Controlled Hobbies of Woodinville. The event will take place on Lake Tye in Monroe on Saturday, June 27. Setup will begin at 7 a.m.

We do not have the picnic shelters at the park this year so those with generators should bring them. This will be a Graupner K45 event for the vintage class. We have some special events planned and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate. Ssee you at the lake!

6/25/09

The sun rises over the Gold Cup race course in Detroit this morning. This photo is taken with a BlackBerry (forgive the quality) from the 53rd floor of the Marriott Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, looking toward the east. The race site is in the background, beyond the bridge in the center of the photo. That bridge is the famous Belle Isle Bridge. The second running of the 100th APBA Gold Cup is scheduled to be run July 11-12 here in Detroit.

6/18/09

Henry Marvin’s grandson Noah served as the Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes crew chief for the first time at the Maple Valley Days President’s Cup race. He also brought his boat for a backup to Henry’s. Here’s a picture of the Frosted Flakes team. Thanks to Noah and Henry for this great addition to the website.

6/16/09

The Columbia Cup will be here before you know it, and thanks to the courtesy of friend of ERCU Chet Lepinski, Columbia Cup passes and parking are available at a discount.

If you plan on being at the race this year, just fill out this form and send it to Chet (address included on form). The 2009 Columbia Cup Pass Ordering Form Must be Mailed no later than July 8.

Chet will, as he has for years, arrange ordering and pick up of the passes from the Columbia Cup office, and will mail your passes to you.

If you do go to the Tri-Cities, don’t forget the RCU races will take place Friday (practice and testing) and Saturday (racing) at the Family Fishing Pond, just across the park from the big boat pits.

Thank you Chet, for sharing your courtesy with ERCU members, too!

6/15/09

A few notes of interest from day one of the President’s Cup in Maple Valley: â€™58 Bardahl is now officially parked in Gary Simmons’ camp … Mark Gran is so enthused with the brushless set-up in the Atlas … Scott Fetterly wants to join the brushless revolution, as soon as possible â€“ plus his Circus Circus is about ready to launch, about as soon as the driver can be set in place … John Williams has the 2005 U-25 primed and â€œhardwaredâ€, ready to test, although a little heavy … And on the 1/7th side, there is now a completed â€™68 Eagle Electric and a â€™69 Lil Buzzard added to the fleet … Ron Daum introduced his new 1957 Thriftway Too (a.k.a. â€œprune bargeâ€) made her debut, successfully winning Heat 3B going away at the Presidentâ€™s Cup in Maple Valley. Speed control gremlins bit in the first connie, but the boat is very fast, very stable, good handling and well mannered, Ron reports.

6/11/09

Click here for a cool video of RC acrobatics.

Granted, it’s not a boat, but still … pretty impressive what this guy can do with an airplane â€” especially considering he’s in what looks like a middle school, or elementary school, gym. That said, if he could do some of these acrobatics with a hydroplane at 45-50 mph, then we’d really be impressed.

6/10/09

If you have any quesions or need help, please contact the webmaster.

6/8/09

This weekend is the date for the Maple Valley Days Presidentâ€™s Cup, hosted for the seventh consecutive year by CD John Williams. This is a weekend event, with a large crowd on hand Saturday, June 13, along with the community parade. The course will be set up Saturday morning, with the trailer arriving at 7 a.m. Helping hands for set-up would be appreciated, keeping in mind that the park roads close from 8:30 a.m. until about 12:30 for the parade, which this year will include the 1962 Miss Bardahl, courtesy of Dixon Smith. Numerous lakeside events are scheduled for Saturday afternoon, so it would be great to have boats able to run exhibition heats and put on a show for the crowd.

The Presidentâ€™s Cup race will be run on Sunday, June 14, so there will be some pre-race help needed to set the PA system and prepare for the day. The drivers meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. with racing to commence at 11 a.m.

ERCU is one of the major attractions for the Maple Valley Days celebration, so support from the members both days would be very much appreciated.

Per Presidentâ€™s Cup Contest Director John Williams, the vintage class boats will again run with just the Graupner 45 propeller. Modern class boats can run with anything their hearts desire.

6/3/09

If you attended the ERCU Diamond Cup at Friday Harbor on May 30 and had a good time â€” whether you were a racer or a spectator â€” and would like to see the race return to Friday Harbor in future years, won’t you take just a few minutes to write a thank you note to the appropriate folks in Friday Harbor? Here’s who they are and how to reach them.

John Shannon

San Juan County Director of Public Works

P.O. Box 729

Friday Harbor, WA 98250

Pete Rose

San Juan County Administrator

55 Second Street

Friday Harbor, WAÂ 98250

5/28/09

The rules for 1/10 scale hydro have passed, although there was a very low vote count throughout NAMBA. District 8 had the best vote count but it was still well below what I thought it would be. This being said, thanks for the hard work that was done on this project. Please inform the respective club members on the outcome.

Jim Bickford
Vice Commodore
Puget Sound Fast Electric Model Boat Club
NAMBA District 8 Electric Commissioner

5/26/09

These boats are no longer accounted for, and would be available for new registrations to interested racers. Contact the club’s registrar, Henry Marvin, if you’re interested in registering one of these boats.

- 1957 Miss Wahoo

- 1960 Nitrogen Too

- 1952 Such Crust IV

- 1954 Gale V

- 1976 Olympia Beer

- 1988 Winston Eagle

5/25/09

An update on the new carbon fiber Breathless II by Mark Gran:

Painting on the Breathless II is done (thank goodness). Mini Jay Murphy woke up Saturday morning to a nice and glossy hull. The crew at DB Racing was so excited last night that they even installed the instrument panel. Since the crew didn’t have any vinyl graphics for the drain holes on the back of the sponsons, they decided to paint those as well (and even the stringers have wood grain to them). She’s sitting out in the sun today so the clear coat can outgas and dry. DB racing is planning on installing and doing systems checks on Monday, they are working on the new hardware getting it ready for installation.

Mini Jay commented this morning “Man, I didn’t think the crew could pull that paint job off again but someone they managed to do it. I can’t wait to see her when the graphics go on.” It was heard in the middle of the night mini-Jay sitting in the cockpit of his new ride making engine noises and “driving” the boat. Mini Jay and the crew of DB Racing are going to take a break for the rest of the day, grill up a nice fillet of silver salmon and have a couple of cold amber ales to celebrate.

And I just want to say a sincere “Thank You” on this Memorial Weekend to those who have served, continue to serve and will serve our countries armed forces. Especially to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us so that no matter which side of the politic fence we’re on, we have the freedoms and way of life in our country we have today.

5/22/09.

The May issue of ERCU: The Newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section

5/18/09

If we have to start naming names, well, OK . . .

Miss Budweiser (T-2), Kelsey McIntosh

Miss Budweiser (T-4), Henry Marvin

Executone (U-55), Mike Campbell

Executone (U-8), Dave Reiser

Spirit of Dayton Walther, Mike McIntosh

Winston Eagle (Lobster), Craig Bradshaw

And those are just off the top of our head here at the e-rcu.org global headquarters.

If you have any quesions or need help, please contact the webmaster.

5/14/09

A reminder to those who want to sign up for the discount ferry fares â€“ your payment needs to be in by this Friday, May 15. For more detailed information click here. There are still a few rooms available at Discovery Inn, so itâ€™s not too late to sign up for what is shaping up to be a great community event as well as a great race! And there will be plenty of spaghetti for all at the Saturday night awards dinner. If you are still undecided, stick it on your calendar â€“ itâ€™ll be a great weekend!

5/11/09

Ben Keller and Choral Enterprises have taken 1/10-scale hydroplane racing to a whole new level. He has nearly completed version 2.0 of his PT Cruiser (Hawaii Kai Edition), which looks truly great. If you haven’t seen it in person yet at a race site, be sure you take a peek next time you’re at a race. For now, however, here’s a photo. Ben certainly loves his hydroplane racing, just as the rest of us do, and he’s proud to show it! The car and boat look great Ben!

5/8/09

The Bill Brow Memorial is JUST ABOUT HERE! Mona Lisa seems to be pretty happy about Hydropalooza coming up, too. Click here to see what we mean!

Speaking of the Bill Brow Memorial, the new big 1/7-scale hydros will make another appearance for exhibition runs. These huge model hydros, which are powered by FOUR sets of lipos, will run exhibitions during the day’s event.

5/6/09

The Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum’s annual Open House â€” also known as Hydro Fever â€” is set for Saturday, May 23 at the museum.

The event runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tour the great gallery with vintage Unlimited hydroplanes on display.

A live hydroplane memorabilia auction at noon, and Casper Model races for the kids all day.

As many as 15 memorabilia dealer tables are available for a $35 museum donation.

Hot lunch will be available.

For more information, call 206-764-9453.

5/4/09

The Bill Shearer Bagpipe Band is “lucky” enough to be featured in the “Hydropalooza Parade”, leading up to this week’s Bill Brow Memorial at Twin Lakes Park in Marysville. Thanks to Henry Marvin for passing along the parade poster. Click on the photo to the left to enlarge the poster.

You’ll likely never guess which one of these three has really worn a kilt in a marching band before.

5/1/09

Even though the May 9 Bill Brow Memorial Race has yet to happen, itâ€™s time for you all to plan ahead for the Diamond Cup race in Friday Harbor, scheduled for Saturday, May 30.

Doug Brow is doing a great job of organizing this event, and it should be one of the premier events of the year! In addition to the race, there will be a spaghetti dinner and awards ceremony Saturday night, so make it a weekend of it if you can. To take advantage of reduced ferry fares, you will need to pre-register and send a check for fares and registration to our registrar so that it is received no later than May 15. The registration fee is the standard $5 per boat, and the club will purchase ferry fares at $29 for driver/car under 20 feet and $8 for each passenger (the slight additional cost over the posted fares will cover postage). This arrangement will not work if you are thinking of bringing a vehicle over 20 feet long.

With your check, please include the boats being registered, the number of tickets you will be purchasing, and your correct return address. Note that fares are taken at Anacortes for the west-bound run. We all get to come home for free, so you need only one set of tickets!

Checks need to be made out to ERCU and mailed to the club registrar at:

ERCU

c/o Henry Marvin
5327 South 140th Street
Tukwila, Washington 98168

Sending to any other address may delay the posting and could jeopardize your purchase. The registrations can also be accepted at the Brow Race on May 9, if you want to save a stamp. If you do this, please give your envelopes to me, as Henry will be a bit busy running the race that day.

On May 18, ferry tickets will be purchased and sent to those who pre-registered, and should be in your hands before May 22. It is not mandatory to pre-register, only if you want to take advantage of the reduced fares. If you decide at the last minute that you want to come, race-day registrations will still be accepted. Single ferry fares are $51.20 for car/driver and $13.15 for each passenger, if you miss the club purchase offer.

There may still be some rooms available at Discovery Inn. For those of you who want to camp out, the county has decided that camping will NOT be allowed at the race site, due to potential liability concerns. One good option would be the camp sites at the Lakedale Resort, located just a few miles from the race course. More information can be found at www.lakedale.com.

If you have any questions, please ask them sooner than later. Hope to see you all there â€“ this will be a good one!

4/30/09

ERCU gets a full-page mention in the Cherokee Bay Community Club newsletter. Nice work, Kirk!

To see the full newsletter, click here.

4/29/09

Next Race on the ERCU Red Dot Championship Series is the Bill Brow Memorial, presented by Seattle Service, to be held Saturday, May 9 on the south lake at Gissberg Twin Lakes Park in Marysville. More detail on the planned day of fun (with some racing happening too) will be coming from CD Henry Marvin, but to allow for your preparation, Graupner 45 carbon fiber props will be again required for the vintage class boats. This is a generator site, so as usual, bring â€˜em if youâ€™ve got â€˜em. Set up will commence at 7:30 a.m., so plan to be there, if you can, to help.

Seattle Service is providing the awards and prizes and Henry is providing the tunes. The racing, along with the world-famous Hydropalooza blowover contest, promises to be a great time at a great race site.

More information is available on this flyer.

4/24/09

The Rose Festival RC Regatta, presented by PC Triage will finish up Saturday, April 25 with two dash races. In one dash, six modern boats will be drawn randomly from the fields of the first consolation, and the winner-take-all final to make up the field. Same will be trueÂ for the vintage boats. Winners of both dashes will take home $50 each, courtesy of Bob VandenAkker on behalf of PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society). Bob is also giving away $50 to the driver who came from the distance furthest away (by driving miles) to participate in the Rose Festival RC Regatta.

UPDATE (4/24/09, 9:15 p.m.)

The Oregonian notes Rose Festival RC Regatta

To see the story that mentioned our race, click here.

4/23/09

Rose Festival RC Regatta, presented by PC Triage

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Event Schedule

7:30-9 a.m.,Â Course and pit area setup at Westmoreland Park Casting Pond

9 a.m.,Â Registration opens

9-10:30 a.m.,Â Practice and testing

10:30-10:39 a.m.,Â Driver’s meeting

10:39 a.m.,Â â€œFive to the Oneâ€ for modern heat 1A

10:45 a.m.,Â Modern heat 1A

12:30 p.m.,Â Lunch break (30 minutes)

Approx. 4 p.m.,Â Winner-Take-All Rose Festival RC Regatta Final Heat (modern class)

Approx. 4:15 p.m.,Â Winner-Take-All Rose Festival RC Regatta Final Heat (vintage class)
Approx. 5 p.m.,Â Trophy Presentation

4/22/09

It’s the week of the ERCU Rose Festival RC Regatta, presented by PC Triage, and the promotion is well underway, with radio advertising all over the Portland market’s CBS Radio stations. PC Triage and Island Hobbies combined their efforts and resources to produce a 60-second radio spot that’s running on several radio stations in the Portland market.

To hear the radio spot, click here.

4/21/09

The April newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

4/20/09

The Rose Festival RC Regatta, presented by PC Triage â€” and the second race on the 2009 Red Dot Championship Series presented by Bullithead Design â€” is less than a week away.

This is a generator site, so if you have one, be sure to bring it along. If you don’t have a generator, bring your long extension cords so you can share power with those who do have generators.

We’ll be racing on the south side of the pond this year, which should make haul in and haul out a little easier than last year, and will keep the sun out of our eyes all day. This is the opposite side of the pond from where we raced last year.

Click the photo to the left to see a larger version. The course and pits areas are indicated, and the orange area shows available parking areas as well.

To get to Westmoreland Park, from I-5 south, follow exits to Highway 99E/Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd. Stay on 99E/McLoughlin Blvd., turn right at Westmoreland Park sign. Turn right at SE Bybee Blvd. and left on SE 22nd Ave.

The pond we’re racing on is the large square concrete pond, not the natural duck pond at the north end of the park.

The trailer will arrive on site around 7:30 a.m., and setup is to commence right away. Registration opens once setup is complete, and boats are allowed to begin testing once they are registered.

A drivers meeting is set for 10:30 a.m., with the five to the one for modern heat 1A scheduled for 10:39 a.m.

For more information about the race, please click here to see the schedule page, or email Contest Director Nelson Holmberg.

Don’t forget there will be two dashes for cash sponsored by Bob VandenAkker on behalf of PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society), and a cash prize for the participant who comes the farthest distance to race in the Rose Festival RC Regatta.

4/18/09

Doug Brow reports that there are still rooms available at the Discovery Inn for the 2009 Diamond Cup in Friday Harbor, so if you want to save a few bucks this would be a good time to reserve a room â€“ the contact is www.discovery-inn.com. When you call to reserve, be sure to mention Dougâ€™s name or ERCU to claim the best discount. Also, be aware that the club will be asking for confirmed pre-registration for the race on May 1, so discount ferry fares can be secured for those attending. Stay tuned for further updates.

4/17/09

4/16/09

Another 1/7-scale model is just about ready to get wet with a terrific new paint job.

This one belongs to Rick Lentz and will soon become the Savair’s Mist.

Don’t be surprised if it is making an exhibition run or two at the Rose Festival RC Regatta, presented by PC Triage at Westmoreland Park’s Casting Pond in Portland, Ore.

That race is coming up on Saturday, April 25, 2009.

4/14/09

Based on the results at Centralia, and a smaller course surrounded by concrete walls (and an iron pipe in the middle of the pond), let’s run the Graupner K45s right out of the bag â€” and subject to inspection at any time during the race day â€” for the Rose Festival RC Regatta, presented by PC Triage, on Saturday, April 25 at Westmoreland Park in Portland.

The results of the trial we ran during the Champion Spark Plug Regatta in Centralia were good. Increased competition, fewer accidents, quality driving, and an all-around good time had by all. An informal and advisory vote of the vintage owners/drivers who participated in the Champion Spark Plug Regatta came out virtually 50-50 in favor of another race with the Graupner K45 props.

Taking that vote, the smaller race course (and the concrete walls), and the generally positive outcome of the trial, it was the decision of the Rose Festival Contest DIrector Nelson Holmberg that we do it for this race, as well.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let Nellie know.

4/12/09

In May of 2008, ERCU and 1/10-scale hydroplane racing became an official part of Portland’s biggest annual celebration and the Rose Festival RC Regatta made a roostertail-sized splash.

This year, sponsors sought out the event and the Rose Festival expressed its strong desire to keep our race as a festival event.

Sponsors of the race are PC Triage and Bob VandenAkker on behalf of PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society). PAWS is the title sponsor of two dash races (details coming soon), and a cash prize to the racer who came from the furthest distance (clarification on that rule coming soon, too). For the record, non-members of ERCU are welcome to race with us, provided their boats and all equipment conform to ERCU rules.

As one of just two festival events in Southeast Portland last year and this, there’s high value in RC hydroplane racing â€” fast electric style.

The 2009 Rose Festival RC Regatta, presented by PC Triage, is set to take place Saturday, April 25 at Westmoreland Park in Portland.

One year ago, the event drew media attention from Portland’s number one morning news show with live remotes from the park the Thursday before race day, loads of attention in local newspapers, and in all of the Rose Festival’s printed materials and website.

The 2009 version of the Rose Festival is a little earlier than normal this year, so the ERCU race is also earlier than it was last year.

Raceday set up (on April 25) will begin around 7:30 a.m., with the course opening for testing and practice immediately after setup and each driver getting his or her boat registered for the day.

The driver’s meeting will be held at 10:30, with the one-to-the-five sounding at 10:45.

Be sure to make your arrangements to travel to Portland to be a part of the Rose Festival.

4/11/09

The Hydro Insider website quoted ERCU’s own ace reporter Kirk Pagel of Big Boat News in its Friday. Check it out!

www.hydroinsider.blogspot.com.

Thanks for all of your hard work, Kirk!

4/9/09

Here are a few hotels to choose from if you’re planning to stay the night in Portland for the Rose Festival RC Regatta on Saturday, April 25.

Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Lloyd Center
1710 NE Multnomah Street
Portland, Oregon 97232
(503) 288-1400
www.marriott.com

Courtyard Portland Downtown/Lloyd Center
435 NE Wasco St
Portland, Oregon 97232
(800) 321-2211
www.marriott.com

Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center
1000 NE Multnomah Street
Portland, Oregon 97232
(503) 281-6111
www.doubletree.com

LaQuinta Inn â€“ Portland Convention Center
431 NE Multnomah
Portland, OR 97232
(800) 531-5900
www.lq.com

Motel 6 â€“ Portland Downtown (#4463)
518 NE Holladay Street
Portland, OR, 97232
(503) 234-4391
www.motel6.com

Shilo Inn â€“ Rose Garden at the Portland Convention Center
1506 NE 2nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 736-6300
www.shiloinns.com

4/2/09

Saturday is fast approaching! A reminder of power â€“ there is power available, and it is SUPPOSED to be turned on (weâ€™ve never heard THAT before), but if you want to be safe, toss the trusty generator in the back of your rig, just in case. The trailer will hit the park about 7:30 a.m., so plan to be there to help set up and get those test runs in before the first race of 2009 gets underway.

4/1/09

Here’s a picture of the new boat:

4/1/09

Despite each having new model boats ready to run this season, ERCU veterans Mike Campbell, Jeff Campbell, Rick Lentz and Nelson Holmberg have decided to drop out of the RC ranks to form a new big boat team.

Lentz and Holmberg have partnered to purchase the former U-21 unlimited hydroplane from Jeffrey Johnson and Kevin Aylesworth of San Diego. The Campbell brothers have accepted full-time positions on the team as co-team managers.

Others who have chosen to join the fledgling team as full-time crew members, which will run as the “U-95 Hormel presents Miss Spam” include: Jim Bakke (most recently with the Formula Boats U-5), who will be the crew chief; Jeff Minar (Ellstrom Miss Elam Plus); as well as Howard Price, Kevin Stoltz and John Williams (Superior Racing).

â€œNellie and I have been talking about it for quite some time,â€ Lentz said. â€œBut we never really thought weâ€™d put it together so soon. With a new financing strategy and a deal that was too good to pass up from the previous owners, we decided to pull the trigger.â€

The ownership group is committed to running a full-season, top-class budget that rivals those of the Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison, Schumacher Racing and Ellstrom teams. To that end, the team has landed national sponsorship from Hormel that will, â€œnearly fully-fund the team. Red Dot Corporation has also committed associate sponsorship to cover the remaining budget.

News of the teamâ€™s formation â€“ which has been silently in the works now for several months â€“ was so exciting when it leaked to Chip Hanauer, he agreed to be the teamâ€™s full-time driver. Hanauer, who currently rests in second place in all-time hydroplane race victories, was thrilled to see a new professional team launch.

â€œI just had to be a part of it,â€ he said.

Holmberg said the team will be based out of a 12,000-square foot shop in Algona. The boat is currently in transit from San Diego, and is expected to arrive at the new shop on Saturday, April 4. Four turbines will be delivered from Whispering Turbines in Hamilton, Mont., the same day. Team members are already in the process of setting up the shop.

â€œWeâ€™ll have a big bash at the shop when the boat and shop are ready and all set up,â€ Holmberg said. â€œAll ERCU members are more than welcome to join us.â€

But first, the boat needs to be painted. The paint scheme will be crimson and gray, Lentz said.

3/31/09

David Newton and Rick Lentz have jointly announced that David will be come Co-CD of the ERCU Roger Newton Memorial, scheduled forÂ September 27 at Cherokee Bay. The dynamic duo also announced that Newton Marine will be the top sponsor of the race. Here’s to a great race, put on by a great team!

3/28/09

Official stats are in on the RC Boat Show last Saturday at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum, and the final numbers are better than originally expected. Two-hundred people attended the event. Ten of those signed up for $100 museum memberships. Food sales netted $200 and store sales brought in an additional $300. Unlimiteds Unanimous covered the rent fee. All told, the event raised nearly $3,000 in total for the museum. Thanks to all who participated and all who attended.

Jerry Courtway has provided several photos from the event. If you’d like to see Jerry’s photos, please click here.

3/27/09

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum is proud to announce that Steve Raible, a veteran Seattle news anchor and former Seahawks wide receiver, will be the master of ceremonies for the 2009 Hall of Champions Dinner on April 11, honoring Chip Hanauer and Bill Muncey. Tickets are still available. For more info go to: www.thunderboats.org.

3/26/09

The Rose Festival RC Regatta (April 25 at Westmoreland Park in Portland) has a new sponsor. Thanks to Ron Billings, PC Triage will be the presenting sponsor of the event, allowing for coverage of the Rose Festival’s sanction fee. We will be a part of the Rose Festival for the third consecutive year, and ours has become an event that is widely accepted and anticipated by Rose Festival staffers each year. PC Triage is an “progressive company” that provides “affordable computer repair”. To reach PC Triage, email Ron Billings, or call him at (503) 841-1207. PC Triage can also be found online at www.pc-triage.com. Additionally, Bob VandenAkker has also agreed to sponsor the event. Bob, on behalf of PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) to raise awareness of that organization, has agreed to sponsor cash prizes for two shootouts, and to the racer who comes from the farthest away to participate.

Thanks to both of these great sponsors for helping to make the ERCU Rose Festival RC Regatta presented by PC Triage a huge success.

3/25/09

The 2009 ERCU season is just about here! John Earnest is set to host his fourth Champion Spark Plug Regatta at Fort Borst Lake in Centralia. It has become a tradition to start the season in Centralia, with Earnest as the contest director. Also a tradition for this event is unpredictable weather, but after two straight years of bitterly-cold and rainy weather, the 2008 season opener was absolutely gorgeous, weather-wise. The race course will be open early for having boat inspections completed, get yourself and your boat(s) registered and start your first race-day testing of the year. Racing will begin about 10:30 or 11 a.m.

REMINDER: All vintage boats must run the Graupner 45 carbon fiber filled prop at this race.

3/24/09

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum is starting up a new Hall of Champions with a gala dinner, coming soon. This event is a first of its kind at the musem, and more in-depth information can be found by clicking here. You can also get more information about the event from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum’s website.

3/23/09

Report on Zippy batteries from Ron Daum:

I recently purchased two Zippy 5000 mAh 4S LiPO batteries from hobbyking.com (Hong Kong).Â I performed a load test on each using a West Mountain Radio CBA-II Computerized Battery Analyzer when I received them and again after running them in the Wildroot Charlie at ERCU Spring Trainingand then re-charging them. I made two runs ofÂ 10 laps plus and ran the batteries downÂ about 60 percentcapacity (2832 mAh). I am providing a graph of the results so you draw your own conclusions. The little peaks you see intermittantly in each curve is where I paused the process to be able to determine the internal resistance (Ri) of each pack under test. For comparison I have also overlaid curves from a MaxxAmps 4000 4S 20C pack and an EVO 4500 4S 30C pack, each of which has a season of use.

(Click on graph for full information)

What I see is thatÂ when I compare theÂ more expensive packs (EVO and MaxxAmps), the load curves beteen packs of the same capacity, age and manufacturer literally track over each other. Oddly enough the MaxxAmps 4000 20C’s have a lower Ri than the EVO 4500 30C’s, 0.050 ohms compared to 0.067 ohms.

When looking at the zippy curves I see a small loss of capacity as the result of the hard run I gave them.Â Internal Resistance remained consistant at 0.043 ohms. Also the consistancy between packs is not there as the curves between packs do not track as well either new or with use.

My conclusion is thatÂ these areÂ good batteries and a great value, and for the price one can afford to replace them mid season if they don’t stand up to the abuse quite as well.

â€” Ron Daum

3/22/09

Longtime Seattle sports announcer Bill O’Mara passed away recently. He was instrumental in bringing TV and radio coverage of unlimited hydroplane racing to Seattle, which helped to make Seattle the hydroplane capitol of the world. He was 92 years old. There’s a brief story on The Seattle Times website. You can see the story by clicking here. There’s also a story on KING TV’s website, which you can find by clicking here.

3/21/09

The March newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

3/19/09

And the winner is…

Jeff Campbell, who correctly identified our most recent mystery boat, the 1986 Arcadian. David Newton also had the right answer, but got his reply in about an hour after Jeff did.

Thanks again to Jim Latimer for the great photos of our most recent mystery boat.

3/18/09

Just a reminder about the R/C show on this Saturday, March 21, noon-4 p.m. at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum and sponsored by Unlimiteds Unanimous. “UU” is having a fundraiser auction of hydroplane memorabilia at 2:30 pm. “Swami” Brian Anderson is the auctioneer. He will also be bringing his RCU model, Domino’s Pizza. Each model racer is requested to bring his own table and a $5 participation donation. Stick it in your calendar and come by if you can â€“ bring your boats â€“ the more the merrier!

ALSO coming soon to the museum:

3/16/09

Spring Training turned out to be fun, although it was a little slow to get under way. After a snowy and drizzly start in pleasant 33 degree weather, 20 brave souls showed up through the morning. New member Terry Harmer was down from Bellingham and got some stick time (literally â€“ he doesnâ€™t use a wheel) with his new toy â€“ the cabover Pay ‘n Pak. Although it was a better day for getting inspections completed, there were several intrepid (and soggy) drivers that got their boats wet. Other boats that got water time were Miss Everett, Such Crust, Wildroot Charlie, Parcoâ€™s O-Ring Miss, Wayfarerâ€™s Club Lady, U95, Country Boy, St. Regis, Squire, Thousand Trails, â€™65 Miss Bardahl, Spirit of Dayton-Walther, Hawaii Kai, and Miss U.S. V. Craig Bradshaw brought the Winston Eagle Lobster boat ready to run, found out it would float, but on its maiden voyage it spit out the shaft after half a lap, retiring it for the day. There were two other turbine hulls present â€“ the Llumar hull ready for hardware installation, and Henry Marvin’s T-4 Bud that made a test run before paint.

Of special note was the four 1/7th-scale hulls, forming the next offshoot of ERCU â€“ a new club named Electric Scale Hydroplanes (new website is www.ElectricScaleUnlimiteds.com). These boats will run with ERCU this year as exhibitions. They are fast and handle a little more like the real boats â€“ canâ€™t just jam the throttle and turn left. They do roll, and Craig Mullen replicated the 1962 stuff job by Miss Seattle Too â€“ it was quite fascinating to see the big boat nose in and disappear for five-plus seconds. Fortunately there was enough foam in the nose to bring it back up. The day came to an end around 2 p.m., and all the frozen toes and fingers headed home to thaw out.

3/15/09

Jim Latimer has provided our next Mystery Boat, this one being just the second modern boat we’ve ever posted in this category. See if you know which one it is, and send a note to the Webmaster. Your responses will be forwarded to Mr. Latimer who will let us know who gets the correct answer first.

3/13/09

A friendly warning to anyone selling anything online â€” based on recent, personal experience. Not that it’s a widespread problem or anything, in fact it’s the first and only such occurance to my knowledge through this website, but when I tried selling my SV-27 earlier this week through the ERCU website, I got an email from a guy supposedly named “Steve Morgan” with the email address “steve.morgan91@yahoo.com”, who wanted to buy my boat and was happy to pay the asking price. He said he would send a “certified cashiers check” and would arrange for a moving truck he had connections with to pick up the boat from me and deliver it to him.

It all started out innocently enough, with an email of interest on Tuesday, followed up by an email committing to the purchase. On Thursday, he sent another email saying that he’d sent out a “cheque” (as he misspelled it), and that his “foolish sectreatary” had made the mistake of overpayment. He said the check would arrive at my house on Friday morning via UPS, and that he wanted me to deposit the check, take $100 extra for my troubles, and “transfer the excess funds back to my sectreatary”.

Needless to say I saw right through this, and emailed him back saying “no thanks.” But also decided that if a check DID arrive, I would take it to the bank to verify whether it was good or not. Turns out, no check arrived on Friday. No note stuck to the door by UPS. No response by email from “Steve”. Nothing.

I’ll be re-posting my ad with the SV-27 for sale on the ERCU website. Just wanted you all to have a bit of a heads up and operate with caution when trying to sell things online.

If “Steve” had just told me he was a Nigerian Prince looking for some assistance, it would have saved all kinds of trouble!

â€” Nelson Holmberg

3/9/09

Mike Johnson of the Snohomish Parks Department has inquired about hosting ERCU at Blackman Lake as one of the cityâ€™s Kla Ha Ya Days Festival events. The date would be Sunday, July 19. Since this is the day after the already-scheduled Oregon Emerald Cup in Tualatin, Ore., the Snohomish event will be an exhibition this year. Ron Daum agreed to review the proposed site for logistics, and Gary Simmons is making arrangements with the city. If it works well for all parties it could become a regular feature starting with the 2010 season. More information will be shared as the date approaches.

3/8/09

Mark your calendars for the R/C Boat Show on Saturday, March 21 from noon-4 p.m.

Past shows have been a wonderful array of both the vintage class boats, and the modern class boats. If youâ€™re a fan of the â€œbigâ€ boats you wonâ€™t want to miss this event. Admission is free to museum members and children under 12, and $5 for adults.

Members from as many as six R/C boat clubs across the Pacific Northwest will be participating in this event. Show tables (bring your own table) are available on a first-come-first-served basis, and set up will commence at 11 a.m., the day of the show. Cost per table is just $5.

Both the 1/8-scale nitro boats, and the 1/10-scale electric boats, and possibly boats from other classes as well. Youâ€™ll see some work in progress, and many finished, ready to race model race boats.

This is a great opportunity to brig the entire family, to a fun event, held right on the floor of the Hydro Museum.

Model boats will be mixed in with the beautifully restored museum hulls and thousands of the museum’s racing artifacts, creating a hydroplane fan’s haven. Model builders and racers will be available throughout the hall to answer questions and interact with the public.

Six clubs â€“ ERCU, Radio Controlled Unlimiteds, Unlimiteds Northwest, Classic Thunder , Puget Sound Fast Electrics Model Boat Club, and Rose City Model Yacht Club â€“ are expected to have representation at the event.

Come one come all, you wonâ€™t want to miss this fun event! Not a museum member? The Museum Store will be open during this event selling memberships and all the new books, shirts, and other Hydro Museum gear.

For driving instructions, please go to the Hydro Museum website at: www.thunderboats.org.

3/6/09

Plans are nearly finalized for the Friday Harbor Race scheduled for Saturday, May 30. Doug Brow has been working diligently to make the necessary arrangements. He is preparing for a spaghetti dinner with no-host bar at the American Legion Hall Saturday evening, so everyone is encouraged to make a weekend of it.

To help with lodging arrangements, Doug has a commitment from the Discovery Inn (www.discovery-inn.com), located just steps from the course, for affordable rates for ERCU members â€“ first-come/first-served. Rooms are available for Friday and Saturday nights â€“ see the Discovery Inn flyer for rates and contact information (If you plan on traveling Saturday you will need to catch the 5:30 a.m. ferry at Anacortes in order to arrive in time for the start of the race).

Each person will need to make their own arrangements, but mention that you are with ERCU to get the favorable rates. There are 20 rooms available, and the owner will hold the rooms until the end of April. Since this motel is helping with race sponsorship, members are encouraged to support them.

If these rooms fill, additional accommodations are available at www.earthboxmotel.com for $99 per night.

Information is being formalized for the discount ferry fares, and will be shared when confirmed. We will be asking for mandatory pre-registration in another message, but an informal headcount at this time would be helpful. Please respond back to this message whether you are or are not planning to attend.

3/4/09

As of the ERCU meeting this past Sunday, 17 of about 89 registered boats had successfully completed the required pre-season inspection process.

This is your reminder that all boats must pass inspection before entering a race. The one remaining preseason opportunity is Spring Training scheduled for Sunday, March 15 at Cherokee Bay. We have use of the property but not the clubhouse, so be sure to bring a generator if you want power that day. The trailer will arrive at 8 a.m. that day and testing and fun will continue as long as there are boats seeking water time, or 4 p.m., whichever comes first.

Boat inspections are still possible on any race day, but be sure to plan your time so that your boat is checked before 9 a.m. Typically the trailer will arrive at 7 a.m., so inspections can commence as soon as the site is set up. Be sure to have a picture of your boat with you at inspection time.

Any questions on inspections can be referred to Mike Campbell or Bob VandenAkker.

3/1/09

Ron Daum is excited, and rightfully so. He’s got two new boats on the way, and had them at today’s ERCU Member Meeting for show and tell. Ron’s operation is known as Great Lakes boat shop, where design, light machine work, and outfitting goes hand-in-hand with new construction (wood boats) happens. For these two projects, however, Great Lakes teamed with Howard Price Boats and Bradshaw Boat Works, to pull off the full-meal-deal. Howard Price Boats did the machine work, and mold building. Composite construction and painting has been done by Bradshaw Boat Works.

Here’s the 1957 Thriftway Too â€” ready to go to the paint shop next week …

…and here’s the 2004 Llumar Window Films â€” just out of the mold.

Thanks to Ron for sending in these great pics! Coming next from the Great Lakes Team is the 2008 version of the U-5 Formula Boats for Nelson Holmberg.

2/28/09

Our Gang Racing Team has become a leader this offseason in the minds of model hydroplaners, whether they want a model of the U-17 or not. The team recently placed a page of detailed photos and paint colors of its boat on the website, specifically for modelers. A box on the home page of the team’s website says, ” New Modeler Section: Building a replica of the Our Gang Racing Unlimited Hydroplane? Then this is the place to be. get your colors and reference pictures.” With a link from the home page, visitors can go directly to the detail page.

To get to the U-17 detail page for modelers, click here.

Thank you Nate, on behalf of model boat racers everywhere. This first step shows that you think the scale models are important to recognizing the history of the sport, and inspiring the future of the sport. We hope other teams will follow your lead.

2/27/09

Hello Friends,

I’m sad to announce that my brother, Jim â€” author of the My Gypsy blog â€” died yesterday morning. He was 52. Jim has been battling many serious illnesses for the last five years. Through it all, he kept hope alive . . . and his sense of humor too.

It was a tough day, yesterday. But, as the day progressed, I started to reminisce. A lot of those memories were from the times Jim, myself and our many friends from the hydroplane community spent together on the shores of the Detroit River, the Ohio River, the Potomac River, Miami Marine Stadium and wherever else the circuit carried us. It just so happened that there was an Unlimiteds Detroit meeting last night, so it was nice to exchange stories and laugh about all the stupid and fun things we did together. And most of it happened around the boats.

Those of you that knew Jim personally also knew that Jim LOVED PIZZA. So, order a pizza, raise a slice up high and toast Jim Dunn. He was a good guy . . . and he will be missed.

Click here for a link to Jim’s obituary and guest book.

Jeff Dunn, St. Clair Shores, Mich.

2/25/09

Reminder that the next ERCU meeting is scheduled for Sunday, March 1 at Red Dot in Tukwila. Everyone is encouraged to bring their boats for pre-season inspection. Following the meeting the trailer will be cleaned out and prepared for the coming season. March dates to consider are â€œSpring Trainingâ€ on March 15 at Cherokee Bay, and the R/C Model Show at HARM on March 21. There will be no April meeting, as the first race is set for Saturday April 4 in Centralia.

2/24/09

It’s again time for our friendly monthly reminder that there are still several boats that we need bios for. If yours is one of them, please click here for a boat bio form, complete the form and send it back. We’ll even go find the photos for you that go with your bio. There’s minimal work for you to do. The goal here is to collect and post as many as we possibly can for the “Boats” pages on our website. Once we receive that form, it’ll be a quick turnaround to get your boat bio posted. Thanks! Send questions or completed bios to the webmaster.

The list of boats that are missing bios on the website is below.

Vintage	Modern
1947 Peps V	1971 Country Boy
1952 Such Crust IV	1972 Notre Dame
1954 Gale V (Lewis)	1973 Miss Budweiser
1955 Miss Thriftway	1973 Pay ‘n Pak
1956 Shanty I	1974 Country Boy
1958 Breathless Too (Reiser)	1974 Red Man
1958 Nitrogen	1974 Weisfields
1958 Pay ‘n Save	1976 Olympia Beer
1958 Miss Wahoo	1978 Miss Madison
1961 Miss Madison	1980 Miss Budweiser
1962 Miss Seattle Too	1982 Atlas Van Lines
1963 St. Regis	1988 Vantage Ultra
1964 Miss Exide	1993 Frosted Flakes
1964 Tahoe Miss
1966 Miss Lapeer
1966 Wayfarers Club Lady
1967 Atlas Van Lines
1968 Harrah’s Club
1968 Miss Bardahl
1969 Notre Dame
1970 Miss U.S.
1972 Miss Timex
1975 Sunny Jim Jam

2/23/09

A video year in review of the 2008 ABRA race season originally presented at the ABRA Awards Banquet in Madison, Ind. is now available online. You can see it by clicking here.

2/22/09

Rave reviews for the Doug Ford lecture at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum last night. Check out they hydropage.com Web Forum for comments. You can get to directly to the comments by clicking here.

2/21/09

Just want to remind everybody that Doug Ford will be giving a lecture at the Hydroplane Museum tonight, February 21, titled Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics in Unlimited Racing. Admission is free to Museum Members and $5 for non members.

2/20/09

A few photos from Edgar Kaiser . . . err, I mean, Ben Keller’s boat shop. Ben recently purchased the Miss U.S. 5 from Mike Gossler, who ran it during the 2008 season. The Hawaii Kai III was also recently repaired and repainted in the Monroe shop of Craig Mullen. Ben says, “I don’t even want to touch her! It’s what I hoped for when I first bought her. Every detail is flawless. There are a few technical improvements that should make her faster than ever, too.”

2/19/09

The February newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

2/19/09

Big Boat News: February 2009

U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto â€” The voice of the â€œIndy-500 for the past 10 race seasons, Mike King, made the presentations February 14 at the 2009 ABRA Banquet in Madison, Ind. King has followed the Miss Madison camp and its racing, just like all good Hoosiers. The U-1 back-up hull (#8806) went on display at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds in late January for an all-encompassing display on motor sports racing in Indiana. The Oberto team cleaned up at the ABRA awards ceremony, with Mike Hanson taking the crew chief of the year award, to go along with boat & driver of the year. The award of excellence went to Art Oberto

U-5 Racing â€” Driver Jeff Bernard spoke recently about the boat & team. â€œWe have eight motors to start the season.â€ â€œMy biggest thrill would be to win the Gold Cup in Detroit, where I grew upâ€. Formula Boats won the ABRA crew of the year this past season.

U-10 USA Racing Partners â€” The fans choice award went to the Gregory family, on behalf of Kim Gregory.

U-13 Spirit of Detroit Racing â€” Driver J. Michael Kelly took third overall in the New Zealand UIM Grand Prix world championships, in early February. (see photo). Owner Dave Bartush was a co-winner of outstanding contribution to the sport award.

U-16 Ellstrom Racing â€” Early indications from U-5â€™s Ted Porter are that Erik Ellstrom plans on running the entire circuit in 2009.

U-17 Our Gang Racing â€” The Operating Engineers of Washington and Alaska, Local 302 Feature the U-17 Our Gang Racing hydro in their 2009 calendar. The U-17 is pictured for the month of August in the Operating Engineers of Washington and Alaska, Local 302 annual calendar. Operating engineers are handlers of construction grade heavy equipment. Owner/team manager Nate Brown reports that Kip Brown, named 2008 rookie of the year by ABRA, will return as driver for the 2009 season and their plan is to race in the Western races once again.

U-22 Webster Racing â€” Following Scott â€œPyroâ€ Rainyâ€™s input, Mike Websterâ€™s work continues to get ready for the July 5 race in Madison.

U-25 Superior Racing â€” Dr. Ken Muscatel has hired JW Meyers as crew chief for the 2009 season. Thereâ€™s even talk J-Dub may do a little of the driving.

U-37 Schumacher Racing â€” Billy & Jane Schumacher were a co-winners of the outstanding contribution to the sport award, at the ABRA Banquet.

U-48,U-50 Go Fast Turn Left Racing â€” The owner of the year award went to Greg Oâ€™Farrell, and it was noted that the U-50 Navy hull made the championship final heat at each of the five events in 2008.

U-100 Leland Unlimiteds â€” Owner Fred Leland was awarded the chairmanâ€™s award at the ABRA banquet.

American Boat Racing Association 2009 Race Schedule

July 3-5 â€” Indiana Governor’s Cup, Madison, Ind.
July 10-12 â€” Chrysler Jeep Superstores APBA Gold Cup, Detroit, Mich.
July 24-26 â€” Lamb Weston Columbia Cup, Tri-Cities, Wash.
July 31-Aug. 2 â€” Chevrolet Cup at Seafair, Seattle, Wash.
Aug. 8-9 â€” Kelowna Exhibition, Kelowna, BC
Aug. 21-23 â€” Thunder on the Ohio, Evansville, Ind.
Sept. 18-20 â€” San Diego Bayfair on Mission Bay, San Diego, Calif.
Nov. 12-14 â€” Oryx Cup World Championship, Doha, Qatar

The race date is among the items being finalized. It will be held in November (third or fourth weekend) and serve as the last stop on the 2009 series which begins on the Fourth of July weekend in Madison, Ind.

The American Boat Racing Association (ABRA) and the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) have agreed to have the final race of the 2009 ABRA unlimited hydroplane season in Doha, Qatar. Ten of the fastest racing boats in the world will to Qatar here next November for the inaugural Oryx Cup event — the ABRA/UIM World Championship â€” as a result of an agreement in principal reached January 9 between the ABRA and the QMSF. The race date is among the items being finalized. It will be held in November (third or fourth weekend) and serve as the last stop on the 2009 series which begins on the Fourth of July weekend in Madison, Ind.

2/16/09

Whoever said history repeats itself was right in the case of scale hydroplane racing in Portland. Back in the 1980s, a group of guys named John Earnest, Roger May, Ron Daum, John Howell, Dave Reiser, and Norm Nordby, among others, were instrumental in a 1/8-scale nitro club that went by Rose City Model Yacht Club. And a couple of guys named Mick Shutt and Nelson Holmberg used to watch them race, always talking about how cool it would be to race with them one day. In the late 1980s, RCMYC went by the wayside, remembered only by a checkbook with a small balance. 20 years later, largely the same cast of characters have put RCMYC back together again. Itâ€™s now a 1/10-scale unlimited hydroplane NAMBA club that is rebuilding itself as you read this news. If anyone is interested in the club, membership, or in finding out its schedule for 2009, please contact any of its board members (Commodore: Nelson Holmberg, Vice Commodore: Dave Reiser, Pursur: John Earnest; Secretary: Roger May; Registrar/Treasurer: Mick Shutt.

2/13/09

ERCUâ€™s representative to NAMBA District 8, Ron Daum reports that at the February 7 NAMBA District 8 meeting during the NW Model Expo in Monroe, the proposed NAMBA 1/10-scale electric unlimited hydroplane rules passed, making our class a recognized class in Region 8. Also passing was the resolution to forward those rules for National approval. We, along with Classic Thunder and the Puget Sound Fast Electric Model Boat Club (PSFEMBC) and Rose City Model Yacht Club (RCMYC) have now passed the first hurdle, we now have a set of rules with which to have a District 8 championship.

Those rules can be found by clicking here.

2/12/09

Here’s photo “C” of the mystery boat, and the reveal of which boat it was. The mystery boat is the 1958 Miss Pay ‘n Save when it came to Lamont Bean’s home in Seattle, from Staudacher’s Boat Shop in Michigan.

Congratulations to Mike Gossler for getting the correct answer first.

2/12/09

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museumâ€™s 2009 Lecture Series will get underway on Saturday, February 21, at 7 p.m., at the Museum with a presentation by Doug Ford titled Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics of Unlimited Hydroplanes.
Ford is a world-renowned aerodynamicist who has spent years working on some of the most advanced, top secret planes in the US military. He is also a life-long hydroplane fan who grew up hanging around boats shops in Seattle. He has served as the Unlimited Racing Commissionâ€™s director of safety, technology and competition, as well as a consultant to the Miss Budweiser Racing Team.
Ford has probably spent more time wind tunnel testing hydroplane designs than all of the other designers in the sport combined! Fordâ€™s lecture is very professional and informative and will include slides and photos to illustrate his points. There will be a question and answer period following the presentation.
Fordâ€™s lecture will be free to museum members and will cost only $5 for non-members.

2/11/09

RC hydroplane show set for museum

Regional R/C clubs will be participating in this yearâ€™s Salute to Roger Newton, a joint event promoting R/C racing, the Pacific Northwestâ€™s R/C racing clubs and the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum. Everyone is encouraged to bring their boat(s) for display. You will need to bring a table â€“ set-up will commence at 11 a.m. More information will be shared as event planning progresses.

A SALUTE TO ROGER NEWTON

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Noon-4 p.m. at the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum

R/C MODEL HYDROS SHOW

$5 entry fee

2 p.m. â€“ Unlimited Unanimous meeting

2:30 p.m. â€“ Hydro memorabilia auction

2/11/09

Here’s photo “B” of the mystery boat.

As always, if you’d like to make a guess at it, please email the webmaster.

2/10/09

Here’s another mystery boat for you all to ponder as we work our way into the middle of February. Thanks go out to Kirk Pagel for this one! It’s a three-part effort, too. Photos “B” and “C” will be posted one at a time over the next two days.

As always, if you’d like to make a guess at it, please email the webmaster.

2/4/09

AGENDA

SATURDAY, February 7, 2009 ERCU Member Meeting

1.Â Â Â Call to order and start attendees list.

2.Â Â Â Reports of Officers:

2.1Â Â Â Â Â Secretary: Reading and adoption of January minutes

2.2Â Â Â Â Â Registrar/Treasurer: Report on finances and updated registration status

2.3Â Â Â Â Â Race Coordinator: Schedule review

2.4Â Â Â Â Â Technical Inspector: Comments

2.5Â Â Â Â Â Scale Inspector: Comments

2.6Â Â Â Â Â Statistician: Comments

2.7Â Â Â Â Â Webmaster: Comments; Updated Master Hull Roster proposed

3.Â Â Â Reports of Standing Committees: None

4.Â Â Â Reports of Special Committees: None

5.Â Â Â Old Business

5.1Â Â Â Â Â Final 2009 Racing Rules distributed. Questions or comments?

5.2 Â Â Â Â Â Trophy package update

6.Â Â Â New Business

6.1Â Â Â Â Â Boat registration lottery

6.2 Â Â Â Â Â R/C Show at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum

9.Â Â Â News & Rumors

10.Â Adjournment

2/2/09

Due to a conflict with the NAMBA annual meeting on Sunday, the ERCU Members Meeting has been changed to Saturday, February 7. The time (11 a.m.) and place (Red Dot in Tukwila) remain the same.

1/30/09

The tentative schedule for the 2009 ERCU schedule has been released. There is work that is continuing, so this schedule is subject to change.

3/15 â€“ ERCU Spring Training, Cherokee Bay *
4/4 â€“ Champion Spark Plug Regatta, Centralia *
4/25 â€“ Rose Festival RC Regatta, Portland (Westmoreland) *
5/9 â€“ Bill Brow Memorial, Marysville *
5/30 â€“ Island Cup, Friday Harbor *
6/14 â€“ Presidentâ€™s Cup, Lake Wilderness
6/27 â€“ Unnamed race, Monroe *
7/18 â€“ Oregon Emerald Cup, Tualatin *
8/15 â€“ ERCU Columbia Cup, Tualatin *
8/30 â€“ Stan Sayres Memorial, Cherokee Bay *
9/12 â€“ Sahara Cup, Marysville *
9/20 â€“ ERCU Gold Cup, Lake Wilderness
9/27 â€“ Roger Newton Memorial, Cherokee Bay *
10/3 â€“ Backup Date for missed/cancelled races, Lake Tye *

* â€“ confirmed

1/29/09

Here’s a last-minute reminder to be sure your membership and boat registrations are received by the registrar before January 31. Any 2008 boat registration that is not officially renewed before January 31 will place that boat in the annual lottery, up for grabs at the next members meeting on February 8.

Make checks out to â€œERCUâ€ and mail your check and registration form to:

ERCU

5327 South 140th Street

Tukwila, WA 98168

1/28/09

ERCU’s new statistician, Ben Keller, has already gotten to work on several items, including a complete ranking of vintage and modern heat efficiency for 2008. You can see those rankings on the Standings page. Among boats that participated in at least half of the races in 2008, the 1969 Pay ‘n Pak Outrigger turned in the highest heat finish percentage (45-of-47, .957) among vintage boats and the 1973 Red Man Too led the modern boats with a heat finish percentage of (.897, 52-of-58).

As a club, vintage boats finished 1,049-of-1,461 (.718) in 2008, while modern boats finished 583-of-764 (.763).

In 2007, by comparison, vintage boats finished 67.2 percent of heats while modern boats finished 77.5 percent of their heats.

1/22/09

Just a friendly reminder to be sure your membership and boat registrations are received by the Registrar before January 31. Any 2008 boat registration that is not officially renewed before January 31 will place that boat in the annual lottery, up for grabs at the next members meeting on February 8. Check the website (or your own inbox) for the forms and the mailing address to use.

1/21/09

The January newsletter is posted here. You can also find it in the Archived ERCU Newsletters section.

1/20/09

Year in Review: ERCU starts its second half-decade

One could use all different sorts of metaphors to describe 2008 in ERCU. As a six-year-old, we started first grade; we began growing up; or we moved into our second half-decade.

Perhaps the latter is the most appropriate.

In 2008, ERCU ran its sixth racing season and a real serious argument could be made that it was by far our best racing season.

But it was also our saddest â€“ as we all lost our founder and friend Roger Newton.

While the second half of the season was dedicated to the Czar and his legacy â€“ David â€“ we certainly had a terrific first half that led into the completion of a great season.

Hereâ€™s a look back.

JANUARY

The club was introduced to Soy Lube, an all-natural alternative to WD-40 â€¦ A group order for MaxAmps lipo packs was put together â€¦ Dan Gilmore was featured in the newsletter â€¦ Ben Keller became a member of the club and introduced himself at the January member meeting.

FEBRUARY

The Czar traveled to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., to join a group of more than 20 guys running the new classic thunderboats in an early spring meet, where he took fourth place in the final â€¦ Zane Courtway was hired as Golden Thunder Racing Teamâ€™s second driver, and was assigned to pilot the Maverick â€¦ Seattle Paving announced it was returning for another year as sponsor of the Bill Brow Memorial.

MARCH

Bob VandenAkker and Mike Campbell faithfully and diligently completed inspections during the March member meeting â€¦ Sponsor Scott Meyers and former ERCU driver Jesse Robertson started a real-life Lighter Than Lights racing team â€¦ PGI Models launched a new website â€¦ ERCU Spring Training was held at Cherokee Bay, and a good crowd turned out, even though the weather was bizarre.

APRIL

Doug Brow began his work on putting together a race in Friday Harbor â€¦ Stout Tools generously donated a Stout STX-250 X-Band Saw and an ST-CS250 Cutting Station to the club. Mark Gran won it in a drawing at the season-opening Champion Spark Plug Regatta â€¦ Mike Gossler and Jeff Campbell post season-opening victories at the Champion Spark Plug Regatta â€¦ Jeff Campbell and Mike Campbell won the Silver Cup, ERCUâ€™s inaugural race at Lake Tye.

MAY

Schumacher Racing Team sponsored the Rose Festival RC Regatta at Westmoreland Park in Portland, which was swept by Gary Hansen â€¦ Mike Campbell swept the Bill Brow Memorial and the Hydropalooza competition â€¦ Jim Latimer and Craig Mullen shed their â€œrookieâ€ tags â€¦ Portland TV station KGW spent three hours at Westmoreland Park promoting the an ERCU race, with four live segments showing our boats â€¦ Jesse Shehanâ€™s shop caught fire and most of his model boats were destroyed.

JUNE

The first pictures of the Superior Racing Team U-25 with itâ€™s new â€œMiami Dolphinsâ€ paint job appeared on E-RCU.org â€¦ Jeff Campbell and Bill Smiley won the Maple Valley Days Presidents Cup presented by Williams Racing Team at Lake Wilderness â€¦ Nelson Holmberg & Jeff Campbell won the inaugural Sahara Cup, presented by PGI Models at Lake Tye.

JULY

Jeff & Mike Campbell repeated as winners of the Oregon Emerald Cup at the Lake of Tualatin Commons in Tualatin, Ore. â€¦ Mark Gran shook his rookie status at the Sahara Cup â€¦ ercutheblog.blogspot.com is unveiled â€¦ Due to an obstruction (a.k.a. sculpture) in Bellevue Pond, the Bernie Little Memorial is postponed â€¦ Bill Shearer shed his rookie status at the Oregon Emerald Cup â€¦ The Czar (Roger Newton) fell ill during the Tri-Cities race, while working on the crew of the U-50 Albert Lee presents Spirit of the Navy, and entered the hospital with Bill Smileyâ€™s help two days later.

AUGUST

Roger Newton passed away on the morning of August 9, due to complications after a heart attack and bypass surgery â€¦ A celebration of life was held for Roger at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum on August 16 â€¦ Mike Campbell and Brian Gilmore won the ERCU Columbia Cup at the Lake of Tualatin Commons, a race run under heavy hearts, the day after Rogerâ€™s celebration of life â€¦ The club raised $425 in donations that were presented to the Roger Newton fund at the museum in the name of Bob VandenAkker, who finished second in the â€œRoger Dashâ€ at the Columbia Cup.

SEPTEMBER

The Flying Shamrock Racing Team has become the first official sponsor of this year’s Cascade Cup/NAMBA World Championships in Vancouver, Wash. â€¦ Bill Smiley and Mike Campbell won the Seafair Trophy Race at Lake Tye â€¦ Jeff Campbell and Mike Gossler won the ERCU Gold Cup at Lake Wilderness in Maple Valley â€¦ Mike Mcintosh and Zane Courtway now have 1,200 career points and are no longer required to make trailer starts.

OCTOBER

Mike Campbell swept the Roger Newton Memorial at Cherokee Bay in Maple Valley â€¦ Ryan Bradshaw, Kelsey McIntosh and Brent Hall all passed the 1,200 career point mark during the Roger Newton Memorial â€¦ Henry Marvin’s 1993 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes took the honors in the modern class; while Jeff Campbell’s 1969 Pride of Pay ‘n Pak Outrigger won first prize in the vintage class in the Best of Show competition at the NAMBA World Championships â€¦ Jeff Campbell and Mike Gossler won the World Championships and the Cascade Cups â€¦ Jason Hartley and Mike Gossler won the Bernie Little Memorial at Cherokee Bay.

NOVEMBER

Newton Marine announced that it has now re-opened and is back into full operation â€¦ The ERCU Awards Banquet is held at the Great American Casino in Tukwila, and a huge crowd turns out â€¦ The Hydroplane & Raceboat Museumâ€™s annual meeting featured a theme honoring Roger Newton.

DECEMBER

Ben Keller unveiled the first photos of the â€œHawaii Kai Haulerâ€ PT Cruiser â€¦ The first membership meeting of the winter included discussion of rules changes regarding buoys, driver etiquette, registration and inspections, and methods of breaking ties â€¦ Kirk Pagel showed off his new changes to Thunderboating: The Game.

1/19/09

Big Boat News
January 2009
Compiled by Kirk Pagel

TEAM-BY-TEAM BIG BOAT NEWS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE JANUARY NEWSLETTER, coming soon to an mailbox (or email Inbox) near you.

From ABRA: Dateline January 13
Doha, Qatar â€” The American Boat Racing Association (ABRA) and the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) have agreed to have the final race of the 2009 ABRA unlimited hydroplane season in Doha, Qatar. Ten of the fastest racing boats in the world will travel here next November for the inaugural Oryx Cup event â€” the ABRA/UIM World Championship â€” as a result of an Agreement in Principal reached January 9 between the ABRA and the QMSF.
The race date is among the items being finalized. It will be held in November (third or fourth weekend) and serve as the last stop on the 2009 series which begins on the Fourth of July weekend in Madison, Ind.

QMSF President Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al Thani and ABRA Chairman Sam Cole reached the agreement that will take ABRA teams abroad for the first time in the sport’s history to compete for the World Championship.

The three year agreement calls for up to 10 boats to compete in Doha, Qatar, and they will race with as few as eight boats.

Whispering Turbines

Tracy Bratvold, owner of Whispering Turbines, Inc. (WTI) has spent more than 30 years in the sport of unlimited hydroplane racing.

Bratvold began his professional racing career in the ’70s with Miss Van’s PX (former Parcoâ€™s O-Ring Miss). After that he crewed on the U-95 turbine race team, Circus Circus, and engine specialist for several of the Miss Budweiser’s including the Griffon powered hull, U-8 Mr. Pringle’s, and the Tide. For the past several years he has prepared the turbine motors for the U-16 Miss Elam, and other racing teams, from his turbine repair facility just outside of Hamilton, Mont.

In almost 40 years of racing, his teams have won many awards, races, American Power Boat Association (APBA) Gold Cup, and several National Championships.

As 2009 begins, Bratvold and his three-person staff are preparing for a new boat racing challenge. They are preparing motors for a record assault on the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) sanctioned mile and kilo world record for a propeller driven boat. Stay tuned!

Dave Villwock in the Miss Budweiser at 220.550 mph holds the current “Kilo”record on Feb. 3, 2004, and the “flying mile” is held by Russ Wicks at 205.494 mph recorded in mid-2000 in the Miss Freei.

Whispering Turbines Inc. â€” A Domestic Repair Station specializing in gas turbine engines. Their staff builds engines used in unlimited hydroplanes, off-shore race boats and even pleasure boats. Theyâ€™re celebrating their 20th year in business, Whispering Turbines, Inc. produces some of the best performing gas turbines in the marine turbine industry. For additional information, go to www.whisperingturbines.com.

Boat Bios; An offer
Is your ERCU hydro on the list of â€œNo Bioâ€™sâ€? Contact me (Kirk Pagel) by phone or e-mail (425-823-2411 or kpagel@juno.com and I will, on a first-come-first-served basis, help you with your boat bio. I have written several of the existing boat bios on the â€œBoatsâ€ page of ERCU, and will extend the offer to you, the procrastinating owner. And as the owner, you have the final say, on what gets printed. Ask my clients, Jerry Johnston, Ralph Jorgenson and Bob VandenAkker, to name a few.

I have a large library of vintage & modern â€œbig-boatâ€ photos, and a fair knowledge of the boats history (along with the help of ERCU statistician Ben Keller). So just ask, but you, the owner, need to make the first move. No charge, to you the members. Kirk Pagel

1/18/09

Skip Young quickly solved the mystery boat below, after it had been posted for only a few hours. Even more impressive, Skip correctly identified the “man in black” working on the boat in the picture below.

The mystery boat is the U-10 Scooter Too. The man in black is Bart Carter, who built the boat.

Kerry Kjos also emailed in the correct answer.

1/17/09

Here’s another mystery boat for you all to ponder as we work our way through the middle of January. Thanks go out to Ben Keller for this one! This one could be tough to figure out, unless you’re Ben, or have seen this photo before.

As always, if you’d like to make a guess at it, please email the webmaster.

1/14/09

For those who might be interested in some extra racing throughout 2009, here’s a calendar that covers NAMBA District 8. Contacts, for more information, are at the end of the schedule.

2009 DISTRICT 8 RACE SCHEDULE

Date, Event, Location, Sponsor

January 18, Fun Run, Lake Waughop, PSMBC

February 15, Fun Run, Lake Waughop, PSMBC

March 8, Fun Run, Lake Waughop, PSMBC
March 15, Spring Tune Up Race, Twin Lakes, NW Roostertails
April 4-5, DISTRICT 8 POINTS RACE, Twin Lakes, NW Roostertails

May 2-3, DISTRICT 8 POINTS RACE, Duval, NW Roostertails
May 23-24, DISTRICT POINTS RACE, Eugene, Emerald RCB
June 20-21, DISTRICT POINTS RACE, Lake Waughop, PSMBC

July 11-18, NAMBA NATIONALS, Twin Lakes, District 8

August 8-9, DISTRICT POINTS RACE, Lake Waughop, PSMBC

September 5-6, DISTRICT 8 POINTS RACE, Lake Waughop, PSMBC
September 26/27 DISTRICT 8 POINTS RACE, Twin Lakes, NW Roostertails

October 18, Pumpkin Scramble, Lake Waughop, PSMBC

November 7, 2 Lap Record Trials, Lake Waughop, Eric Bourlet
November 8, Turkey Shoot, Lake Waughop, PSMBC

December 6, Frost Bite Follies, Lake Waughop, PSMBC

CONTACTS

PUGET SOUND MBC
Jerry Dunlap, (253) 584-7131, rcboats@earthlink.net

NORTHWEST ROOSTERTAILS
Ken Mallit, (425) 868-8255, kenmal@microsoft.com

Website
www.namba8.com

1/13/09

Another great website/blog has come to the attention of ERCU, and it’s Roger Schaaf’s HydroNation! You can find the site at hydronation.blogspot.com. It comes highly recommended by ERCU Secretary Rick Lentz, and others. Worth a try!

1/12/09

The updated 2009 ERCU Rulebook has been posted to the website, on the Club Info page. You can also get it by clicking here. All of the new, or updated, rules are in bold throughout the book.

1/11/09

A couple of points from today’s ERCU Membership Meeting.

- Vintage boats must run the Graupner 45 props at the first race of the season (Champion Spark Plug Regatta) as a trial. The board will meet immediately after the race to discuss results of the trial and determine the future of the required Graupner 45 prop.

- Batteries were looked at, and the ceiling for Lipos has been lifted to 6,000 mAh or lower.

More information about the meeting will be posted here soon.

1/10/09

Our most recent mystery boat, submitted by Ron Daum, has been solved. It only took a matter of hours, but David Newton was the first one to submit the right answer. Numerous others also submitted the correct boat name, so thanks very much for your participation.

The mystery boat was the first Miss Pepsi.

1/9/09

It appears that the flood waters will have receded to a level that will allow safe passage by Sunday, so the meeting schedule will not have to change. The agenda for the meeting at 11 a.m. on Sunday, January 11 at Red Dot in Tukwila is:

AGENDA, January 11, 2009 ERCU Member Meeting

1.Â Â Â Call to order and start attendees list.

2.Â Â Â Reading/adoption of minutes of December meeting

3.Â Â Â Reports of Officers:

3.1Â Â Â Â Â Secretary – Rick Lentz

3.2Â Â Â Â Â Registrar/Treasurer – Henry Marvin

3.3Â Â Â Â Â Race Coordinator – Mike Gossler

3.4Â Â Â Â Â Technical Inspector – Mike Campbell

3.5Â Â Â Â Â Scale Inspector – Bob VandenAkker

3.6Â Â Â Â Â Statistician – Ben Keller

4.Â Â Â Reports of Standing Committees: None

5.Â Â Â Reports of Special Committees: None

6.Â Â Â Old Business

6.1Â Â Â Â Â Final 2009 Rules Review

6.2 Â Â Â Â Â Batteries Discussion

6.3 Â Â Â Â Â Motors Discussion

7.Â Â Â New Business

7.1Â Â Â Â Â Monroe Hobby Show (2/6-2/8)

7.2 Â Â Â Â Â Buoys

7.3 Â Â Â Â NAMBA

9.Â Â Â News & Rumors

10.Â Adjournment

1/7/09

The next ERCU Membership Meeting, to be held at the Red Dot corporate office is scheduled for Sunday, January 11. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., and is expected to adjourn about 1 p.m. Hope to see you all there! Red Dot’s headquarters are located at: 495 Andover Park East in Kent. You can customize directions from your own starting point by clicking here.

1/5/09

The list of boats that are missing bios on the website is below.

Vintage	Modern
1947 Peps V	1971 Country Boy
1952 Such Crust IV	1972 Notre Dame
1954 Gale V (Lewis)	1973 Miss Budweiser
1955 Miss Thriftway	1973 Pay ‘n Pak
1956 Shanty I	1974 Country Boy
1957 Thriftway Too	1974 Red Man
1958 Breathless Too (Reiser)	1974 Weisfields
1958 Nitrogen	1976 Olympia Beer
1958 Pay ‘n Save	1978 Miss Madison
1958 Miss Wahoo	1980 Miss Budweiser
1961 Miss Madison	1982 Atlas Van Lines
1962 Miss Seattle Too	1988 Vantage Ultra
1963 St. Regis	1993 Frosted Flakes
1964 Miss Exide
1964 Tahoe Miss
1966 Miss Lapeer
1966 Wayfarers Club Lady
1967 Atlas Van Lines
1968 Harrah’s Club
1968 Miss Bardahl
1969 Notre Dame
1970 Miss U.S.
1972 Miss Timex
1975 Sunny Jim Jam

1/4/09

To assist with the record keeping, if at all possible please send your 2009 membership fee ($25) and boat registrations ($5 per boat) to club treasurer Henry Marvin prior to the meeting on January 11. Fill out the registration form (click here for form) with all current information, especially email address, even if there has been no change from 2008.

Make checks out to â€œERCUâ€ and mail your check and registration form to:

ERCU

5327 South 140th Street

Tukwila, WA 98168

1/3/09

If you’re planning to build a new boat this winter, and haven’t already submitted your Intent to Build form to Scale Inspector Bob VandenAkker, this might be a good time to make sure that happens, particularly with registration open this month. If you need a form, you can get one by clicking here, by visiting the Club Info page, or by asking Bob at the next member meeting. You will also need to include photos of the real boat when you submit your Intent to Build form.

1/2/09

Here’s another mystery boat for you all to ponder as we work our way into the first full week of the new year. Thanks go out to Ron Daum for this one!

As always, if you’d like to make a guess at it, please email the webmaster.

1/1/09

Happy New Year!

We’re starting a new news page for the new year. You can still find all of the past years’ news in our archives, however. There are links below to all of the ERCU news from over the years.

The world's largest 1/10-scale hydroplane racing club

2009 News

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