WATSONVILLE—The sails are trimmed tight, the masts lean toward the water’s edge and the rudders carve a steady path around the final buoy toward the finish line. As a gentle breeze nudges the lead sailboat—just one meter long—to a victory, the hollers fill the air from the nearby shore.
Thus wraps up one of many races at Pinto Lake City Park during the weekly meeting of the Monterey Bay Model Yacht Club.
Powered entirely by the wind and run by a handheld gadget, the radio-controlled model yachts have been a deep fascination for a clutch of club members for years who gather each Friday from noon till sunset to test their skills and share a few laughs and celebrations—or disappointments—from the shores of Pinto Lake.
“It’s a very tightly controlled class of fins, hulls, masts, sails, weight and hardware,” said Stan Pleskunas of Elkhorn. “We go by much of the same rules at the American Cup Sailboat races. The rules are not arbitrary; they are designed the way a boat behaves.”
The boats are fashioned in two classes: the Wheeler at two meters long and the Odom at one meter. The races are set by the boat owners, who place a series of numbered buoys in a small section of Pinto Lake set aside each week for racers only.
Dave Misunas of Live Oak said the hobby dates back to 1898 in the U.S. with the formation of the San Francisco Model Yacht Club.
“They’re still active today are actually have a clubhouse built for model boats,” he said. “They race on Spreckels Lake in Golden Gate Park.”
Established in 1898, the club is believed to be the oldest such organization in the U.S. According to their website, there are more than 175 active members across the country and in Europe. Misunas said he enjoys both the camaraderie and the competition of the sport.
“I look forward to this every Friday,” he said. “Pinto Lake is beautiful, it’s peaceful here and we have a lot of room to enjoy ourselves.”
Pleskunas said Jesus Madrigal, manager at the park, has been “tremendous” in giving club members their allocated spot to sail their boats.
“Jesus is unreal,” he said. “He gives us room and respect.”
The boats and hardware can cost between $700 and $1,000, Pleskunas said.
“We sail all year round,” he said. “This lake is great for us. When the wind picks up, the speeds we can achieve—it’s a true test of our helmsmanship out here. It’s very much an aesthetic interest. The adjustments are unlimited in what you can do to tune your two sails. Then you must read the wind correctly to win.”
The members typically run about 10 races each Friday.
“Sailing requires everything I think is important,” Pleskunas said. “It has the refinement of a chess game. Mentally, you have to stay between what you want to do and what you just did. It’s a Zen thing for me.”
Misunas summed up his philosophy about model boat sailing: “It’s all cake. And if I win, I get the frosting.”
I have a rc sailboat and would like to join a club