2021 NAMBA Nats Race Program

As the years passed, my dad introduced more family members to the hobby: his grandson, Marcellus Henry, his granddaughter, Tivona Henry and my two sons, Ralph, Jr. and Michael. Those who knew my dad would relay that he was a quiet soul who never raised his voice. Most people would tell you that I looked a great deal like my dad. But, I was born with the spirit of my mother. My dad spent a great deal of energy trying to quell my maternal nature. He wasn’t very successful at keeping me close to him and in our area. I thank God for the experiences that I had with my father. It is nice to reflect on the times that we both enjoyed while participating in model boating. They say that cream rises to the top. That was my dad. He excelled in all endeavors. I aspire to be just like him. In NAMBA, he ultimately served as Commodore and President and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. Dignified, respectful, intuitive, quiet and kind are some of the descriptive terms that define the very spirit of my father. Reflecting back, I realized that there were many things that prepared him and were the natural progression that led him to love the hobby of model boating. My dad served in the naval services and worked as a supervisor for the City of San Diego. He was meticulous about detail and loved working with his hands. He was an avid water skier and loved automobiles, especially his 1947 Cadillac and his Henry J, among many others. All of those things, along with his competitive nature, led him to his fascination with racing model boats. Faulty though my recollection might be, my earliest memories are of him racing and traveling with his good friend who lived nearby, Red Blackford. Those were the good OLD days when there were reed radios that had the worst reception. Many times it required running to the end of the lake, putting it back in the water to get the boat going again., That was before my time! The first trophy that I saw in our home was from 1969. I remember my dad cleaning and working on his model boats. Shortly thereafter, as I became interested, 1973, my dad decided to give me a try at the hobby. My dad realized very early on that I just might have a knack for the hobby. I was a pretty good driver. We began our team of two. Dad did all of the hard work and I became the driver. I participated in my first NAMBA Nationals in San Diego in 1974. We won first place in the A Mono class and I finished in second place in the A Hydro class. There were many wins and losses over the course of our tenure in the hobby. We were honored to meet the most fascinating enthusiasts, we established great and everlasting friendships, we travelled to intriguing locations. James ‘Jim’ Henry - A Tribute to My Dad... by Ralph Henry, Sr. Picture of Jim with Ralph and his brother, though you could mistaken it as a picture of Ralph Sr years later with his two sons. Jim and Ralph in Springfield, VA at the 1990 Nationals 2021 NAMBA Nationals Page 69