1980s: the SRCMYC Scale Section grows

Club Newsletters (available in our document archive) give the impression that, during the early 1980s, the Scale Section of the SRCMYC was struggling to define its purpose. Both yacht racing and scale sections were organised by the one Club Committee and there were attempts at joint events such as a "Sail and Scale" Regatta. The photos above (from a collection of photographs from the early 1980's provided by Ken Dyer) show scale boats on the pond. In the right hand photo there are racing yachts, probably RMs, in the background.

Disappointing attendance at organised events led to a change in Club structure in 1984. A Scale Captain, Vic Ward, was appointed and Scale meetings held at his and other members houses. Tug towing and steering competitions were planned. However support for these events was poor and not helped by bad weather during summer 1985. In 1986 the use of a newly created pond at Nea Common in Highcliffe (photo right) was negotiated with Christchurch Council in the hope that it would prove more convenient for some members. However the pond proved poor for model boating and was only visited a few times.

However, despite the apparent lack of enthusiasm for organised events at the pond it appears that the scale modelling was continuing apace. An increase in activity on scale days at Setley Pond was reported in 1988, with available 27MHz frequencies sometimes running out (40MHz was only just becoming available for R/C use). Also in that year a successful exhibition was held at Highcliffe (press photo left and newspaper report ). In 1990 Vic Ward stood down to be replaced as Scale Section Captain by David Boothroyd whose recent accomplishments had included demonstrating the club's first submarine.