We found out that the RV Resort was hosting a radio controlled boat racing event on the pond over the weekend that we were going to be there, and naturally, Rick was delighted! We were not sure what to expect, but as the racers were setting up, we found that the boats were some 4' long and powered by large, gas engines. This looks very interesting!
The races ran all day on Saturday and Sunday with multiple races for each class of boat. These boats could really fly!
Up to 6 boats raced in each heat and the races were heads up -- meaning the fastest boat around the course wins. This leads to very competitive racing and many exciting moments.
The lake was a perfect venue as we could watch from all sides as these boats screamed around. As you can see, they were virtually airborne and can reach speeds well in excess of 60 mph.
Not surprisingly, this type of close racing can lead to some problems as several boats try to go around the same mark at the same time! When a boat in only a couple feet from another running at these speeds, collisions are a definite possibility.
Here, an earlier boat has lost its top hatch while a boat right behind it is screaming at it. The driver has tried to veer, but it too close.
A split second later, the second boat has crashed into the hatch cover (which is 2 feet long) and submerged. Here, you can see as it slowly surfaces, safe, but out of the race.
Fortunately, there was a rescue boat and crew that stayed very busy retrieving boats that did not complete the race for one reason or another. I was also surprised to see that all of the boats that had to be rescued were able to compete later on. Apparently, these are pretty tough boats!
We had a fun afternoon watching several races. This is an exciting hobby and while Rick would likely enjoy it, the large boats probably will not fit into the coach!
1 comment:
Neat,
What goes up must come down (planes).
What goes down does not have to come up.
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