NAMBA Propwash Web October 2022.pub

They did get my boat running that day, although slobbering rich and only going about 20 mph. I didn’t care how fast it was, I was thrilled! Sometime during that afternoon, I learned who my new friends were. I had been wrong. They weren’t professionals at all. They were legends! It was Al Waters, Roy Edenfield and Ira Cotton. Roy asked if I had the ability to turn the head button down to the correct clearance. I said I would send to my dad in Pennsylvania who is a machinist. He said, “no you won’t” and put the button in his pocket. He told me to meet him back here tomorrow afternoon and he would have the button ready. On the next day, I met the group again. Roy handed me the head button and I installed it. Turned out Roy was right. The boat ran great and probably reached a blistering top speed of 30 mph. I began to see my new friends regularly at the pond. I made even more model boat friends over the next few months, but Roy Edenfield was a tremendous help in teaching me all about model boats. Not only was he knowledgeable about the boats, he also would call for me when I raced. I learned a lot from Roy in those short few months I was in San Diego. He had a great enthusiasm for model boats. In early 1993, I was transferred to Norfolk, Virginia. I continued model boating with the local club. By then, my dad had built a 1/8 Scale Oberto and I ran a Sport 40 version. Over the next few years we did a lot of winning on the east coast with those two boats that Ira had designed. Later that year, the NAMBA Nationals were held at the Del Val pond in Bristol PA. Because of my schedule, I was only able to attend the last day of racing. I’m glad I did because I got to see Roy, Al and Ira. In 1994, the NAMBA Nats were held in San Diego. I attended with my dad. We drove the 3,000 mile trip and raced everyday of the event. When we arrived we meet up with our old friends and they presented my Dad and I matching shirts with our names on the front. On the back was “Cottonfield Racing”. It was great to be part of that team for the week, although my performance was dismal. We did however take second place in Team Marathon. What a great time that was! Dad and I drove with Roy and Al as our pit men. This ended up being the last time I saw Roy and Ira as my priorities in life changed and I gave up model boating for the second time. I was hoping to see him last year at Legg Lake, but was told he was no longer active. I was very sorry to hear of his passing when I read the last “ Propwash ”. My Memories of Roy Edenfield By Fred Lumb Jr. IMPBA President Editors Note: Fred Lumb Jr. current IMPBA President wanted to contribute his story. Roy’s surviving wife Rita is sponsoring the Nitro 1/8 Scale Unlimited Hydroplane Class at this years 50th Anniversary NAMBA Nationals in Seaside, CA. I met Roy Edenfield in 1992 at the San Diego Model Yacht Pond. I only knew him for a short time, but he and a few other San Diego Argonauts played a huge role in helping me in my early days of model boating. I credit Roy with instilling the passion I have for model boat racing. There have been many others over the past 30 years who I have learned from, but Roy was my first mentor. This story is about him. I only give my story as a background. As a kid in the 1970’s I played around with some R/C cars and my dad was big into R/C airplanes. Of course, back in those days my dad did all the work, and I didn’t learn much about nitro engines. Some time when I was about 9 years old, we began model boating with the Del Val Club in Bristol Pa. As I remember we gave up boating a few years later when we started riding dirt bikes. I always enjoyed the boats and even had a few small electric boats in my teenage years. In 1992, the Navy sent me to San Diego, Ca. I quickly found the local hobby shops, which were all well stocked with Dumas boats and K&B engines. I eyed up the new Dumas Hot Shot Sprint 21 and a K&B outboard. Although I had never run a nitro motor without my dad, I thought I was an expert. I knew how to light the glow plug and knew there was a needle valve adjustment. What else is there I need to know? The guys at the shop directed me to the San Diego Model Yacht Pond and off I went. After seeing the pond and some boats running, I was hooked again. I went straight back to the hobby shop and left with everything I needed to get racing. The Hot Shot was built from wood so it took a few weeks to get it ready to run. When it was ready, I was off to the pond! I fueled the Hot Shot and tried to get it running. Starting it was no problem. Keeping it running was another story. I think it only went a few feet from the shore that day before the engine quit. I worked for quite some time adjusting the needle valve hoping to get it running. I really didn’t know what the needle valve did, but there was nothing else to adjust. I was very frustrated and tired. I don’t recall how long I was there, but I never did get it running. There were others running boats, but they all seemed busy. No one offered help and for some reason, I didn’t ask. The next day after work, I headed back out to try again. Since I had no idea what was wrong, I didn’t fix anything and of course it still wouldn’t run. This day would end up different. Someone took the time to help. There was small group of boaters who had incredible 1/8 scale hydroplanes. They were obviously professionals because they had top of the line boats with Picco engines. All of the boats had squared shovel noses and said “Oh! Boy Oberto” on the top and side. These three professionals watched me getting frustrated and after a few minutes one of them approached me and asked. “Do you mind if I help you?” I was impressed that someone would take some of their testing to help me. After I said yes, please help, another one of the men came over. The two guys grabbed my starter and transmitter and started fiddling with my engine. After a few seconds, one asked me if I had checked my head clearance? I thought, “What the hell is head clearance?” We were standing under some trees but my head had plenty of clearance. He explained what head clearance was and I told him it was a brand new engine so it must be right. That’s when I learned about K&B quality control. It turned I had way too much clearance. PROPWASH 8 October 2022 Cottonfield Race Team: (BR) Roy Edenfield, Chuck McGaughy, Al Waters, Fred Lumb, Fred Lumb Jr., (FR) John Brodbeck, and Ira Cotton