2021 NAMBA Nats Race Program

Mom Coad had received my change of address and advised me that NAMBA had no clubs registered in New England. Thus the Greater Hartford Model Boat Club became a member of NAMBA. My friend, John Palica, and I heard of an IMPBA club in New Jersey and took a couple of boats to one of their races and met Doug Twait’s, Sr. and other boaters from the New York area where I explained NAMBA’s methods, and that began the spread. We even had a race in New York City’s Central Park pond once! When P&WA moved me back to San Diego, John Palica finished out my term as District 1 Director. I understand District 1 became physically too large that it has been split and is now District 11 and District 1 is further north into Maine. I was asked to comment on how NAMBA was started on the East Coast. In 1969 I was living in San Diego and was a member of the Argonauts when NAMBA was formed. I worked for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engines as a Field Technical Support Representative and was working at North Island Naval Air Station and we were moved around a lot. I was advised we were being moved to East Hartford, CT, the main plant for P&WA. After we arrived and settled in, I went to a hobby shop in Hartford and asked if there were any model boat clubs in the area. They said there wasn’t but The Greater Hartford Model Airplane Club had some members that were playing with model boats. I contacted one member, Bob Spooner, who invited me to a meeting where I explained about NAMBA and their method of racing multiple boats at a time in Heat Races. So we set up a course on their pond. The Start of NAMBA in Hartford - By Chuck McGaughy proud to be the first person to win a National Championship in Electric, Gas and Nitro in both NAMBA and IMPBA. In 2010 I was also inducted into the NAMBA Hall of Fame. Not only was I the youngest but also the first mainly Electric Inductee! That was by far my greatest racing memory! For 37 years I have been racing competitively all over the United States, meeting great people and making new friends. I was honored to represent Team USA in France in 2018. I will never forget waving my flag on the podium in front of my teammates and the many people from around the world! I hope everyone gets to enjoy this hobby as much as I have. It’s been a great 50 years for NAMBA and I can’t wait to see what the next 50 bring!! My father Doug Twaits Sr. started racing RC Boats around 1973. He helped organize and run District 1 in NAMBA. He served as district director from 1981 to 1995. Not only did he participate in multiple Nitro Nationals in the 80’s and 90’s he also won some big classes, such as A Hydro and X Hydro. In 1986 He was inducted into the NAMBA Hall of Fame. He was the CD of the 1984 NAMBA Nationals in Newark, NJ and then again in 1993 at the first ever Electric Nationals in NAMBA. There were many more years of racing, supporting and winning championships in electric. One could even call him the Grandfather of Electric racing in the association. In 1992-1993 Doug Sr. became NAMBA President. He never lost the passion and drive to support the hobby and NAMBA. No one has dedicated more countless hours promoting this sport and District 1. I started racing competitively in 1984 at 14 years old. My first boat was a JVC Claim Jumper with a Super Tiger 60 engine. I raced mostly nitro in District 1 and then started racing National events with my father. In 1993 I participated in the first Electric Nationals with not so great results. Since then I have won numerous Electric Championships and won the National High Points Award several year for Electric and once even at the Gas and Nitro Nationals 2012. I am very The Twaits - By Doug Twaits , Jr. 2021 NAMBA Nationals Page 54