David Newton started racing when he
was 11 years old.
"It was a really fun father/son outing
opportunity," Newton said. "I was
always around the racing; my mom
Martha raced also for awhile."
Newton, the winner of Sunday's race, is
ranked No. 6 on the R/CU's list of top 10
racers.
Brandt family
Another family of racers in the R/CU
is the Brandts. Bill Brandt began radio-
controlled racing with his son Dave
Brandt 16 years ago when his son was
17.
"I had polio when I was younger," said
Bill Brandt, "so I wanted to find
something we could do together. It kept
him out of the things I didn't want him to
get involved in."
Dave Brandt, who has 75 R/CU wins
under his belt, took the 2002 National
Championship. His wife, Brenda Brandt,
is No. 8 on the R/CU's list of top 10.
Dave Brandt is in the No. 2 spot, after
Kirk Maupin.
No. 5 John Olson started racing
model boats with his brother Frank
Olson when they were kids.
"We switched to racing full-size
boats, and I took the Limited Racing
National Championship in 2000," said
Frank Olson. "Then we switched back to
model racing because they are less
expensive to run and nobody gets hurt.
The competition is just as exciting
because all the boats are pretty equally
matched, so it gets down to hull-set up
and propellors."
Racing in Ellensburg
The race in Ellensburg last weekend
was the ninth of the season's 12 races,
with six of the races held at the smaller
Continued on page 12
PROPWASH
October 2011
11
South Forty. And indeed that was where I was located. Last I checked, I wasn’t twenty
years old, but my boats weighed twenty pounds. That’s too much to carry for forty,
fifty, or sixty yards. It was back to Harbor Freight and Tool. They really missed me
there.
What’s on sale this week that would work? Cool! They had just what I was looking
for. A steel deck mesh wagon. Normal price was $119.00 on sidewalk sale for $79.00.
Even I could put this thing together. Take
some of that heavy duty Velcro from
McMaster-Carr and wrap around the wagon
and my Classic Thunderboat and I were
ready to go. I could pull my boats from my
pits to the start tables and back. The wagon
would also fit just perfect in the back of the
trailer enabling me to take six boats to a
race.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than
good and I think that I got real lucky all the
way around, this time around. Next time I
see you at the races feel free to stop by for a
cup of coffee and a bagel. Or in the evening
for happy hour.
R/C Hydroplane Races Are A Family Affair
By Katie Brinkerhoff -
Daily Record
Photos by Brian Myrick -
Daily Record
The following is a special interest article written by Katie Brinkerhoff with photos
provided by Brian Myrick of the Daily Record newspaper of Ellensburg, Washington.
The race was conducted on the waters of Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park in
Ellensburg, Washington on Sunday, August 14, 2011. The NAMBA Propwash thanks
them for permission to reprint the article for everyone’s enjoyment.
High and tight - that's how the drivers of the model hydroplanes maneuver the
curves of the race course. They also ride the relationships amongst themselves - as
family members, friends and competitors - with the same fierce dedication and focus.
"I like hydroplane racing because I can be competitive. I am a competitive
teenager," said Geoffry Grembowski of Sammamish, whose father Gary Grembowski
has been racing for 30 years. "As a driver, there is no heat that is guaranteed.
Everyone is elevated to the same level of competitiveness."
He added that no matter how intense the competition gets, "You get to come back
and still be friends after the racing."
Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park in Ellensburg was the setting for a several Radio-
Controlled Unlimited (R/CU) hydroplane races this summer, including one this past
weekend. The models are 1/8th scale of full-size hydroplanes.
R/CU is the largest scale club in the
world, according to racer Bill Brandt,
with about 85 members. The races are
governed by the rules and regulations of
the North American Model Boat
Association (NAMBA).
R/CU was founded by Roger
Newton in 1972. Newton died in 2008,
but not before passing the torch on to
his son David Newton, who took the
Gold Cup that same year. The Gold
Cup is "the most sought-after and
prestigious victory in NW Model Boat
Racing," according to R/CU's website.
The little green wagon can easily carry
a Classic Thunderboat, or two boats
turned side ways.
Spectators watch from the shore as model
hydroplane racers compete
Model boat racers retrieve their craft
between races