Evening Star Newspaper, April 14, 1929, Page 103

- MAGAZINE-SECTION . ' - - ‘ ¢ %unfiag 3131 : FICTION AND Part 7—8 Pages " S WASHINGTON, - D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 14, 1929, s Made by White Ships That Never Go Down to the Sea ILLUSTRATED FEATURES Record Washington’s Nautical Show Place at Famous Pool Has Fleets of Midget Craft Which Sail Without Crews— Skippers Who Are Trained in Building as Well as Sailing Represent Many Types in Capital’s Population. BY GENE DAY. PRING once again has ushered in that popular sport of model sailing on the Reflecting Pocl which neighbors the Lincoln Me- morial, where both amateur and professional skippers match nautical skill, each sunny Sunday morning, in the adjustment and supervision of midget and crewless ships. . The science of sailing is reflected in the remarkable consumma- tions of these marvelous medels which ply up and down the spacious pool, one of the best bodies of water now available in the United States for sich amusing sport. : ‘Model sailing is neither child’s play nor a simple schoolboy pas- time. It'is an amusement which attracts both {uung and old, and which demands adept craftsmanship, technical skill, experience and earnest application, for the majority of the “landfaring” captains make the models which they sail. Going over the mirror pool with your homemade models of yachts; schooners, | a]) the merits of the various competing sloops or yawls is the landsman’s sensi- | poats, ble simulation of going down to the sea| ~The skippers carry curious little kits in ships. of tools, so that they may make minor Seasoned tars who have shaken hands | gngq major repairs as the need for such with all the perils of actual maritime | gotivities develops. Between races you cruising gain pleasure and diversion in | may see here an amateur sailmaker re- subsequently sailing llliputian models | pairing a damaged sail and there an- of their former ships in reflecting Pools. | other captain replacing a broken bow- Thousands throughout the COUNtrY|sprit or a damaged rudder. — :\;hosehgls;w ee);pegiflcml ‘Oi'fl‘:rsa 'Lfl;l;‘;! Sometimes the boats cvfsllibdlc d‘\ll’lnl . [ ] ocean-piying ships. depart from DOTL ATe | atc” damaged 5. seHoUR &5 o MEcessl- | Sail area depends upon the size of the hull. | mastering the fundamentals of boat de-|tate many hours of careful labor in g i sign and construction as a result of the | home shops to make them. “poolworthy” increasing popularity of model racing. |gnce again. Those who seek refreshing relaxation | = gne “cost of the racing models sailed from their regular routine—rush f0|py jocal fanciers in our famous refiect- | office, rush to lunch and rush home in | jng pool ranges from $2.50 to $100 and | the evening—have found it in riding|more per ship. The champion craft are | this new type of hobby horse. Not &|made of white pine and mah , and | nightmare, by the way, but the enjoy-|are truthful small-scale designs of regu- 2ble hobby of building little ships and |jation boats, Their proportions, bal- sailing them by remote control. COM-|ance and bailast are as perfect as those petition is added to the interesting sport | in regulation seafaring ships. by the fact that organized clubs in|™ wfaster skill, both in design and hand Washington, New York, Chicago, De-|craftsmanship, is necessary to build one troit, Cleveland and other cities foster | of these record boats. Some of the regulation regattas in which the “shore- | washington sailors devote all their leis~ side”. skippers guide the destinies of | yre of the Winter to the task of plan- their diminutive boats i glorious vic-| ning and building the racing models tory or honorable defeat. which they sail with such eagerness To build a boat that will sail is the during the Spring, Summer and Au- treasured ambition of the average|tumnal months. Washington schoolboy. If he is denied | “The American rules of model racing that privilege during his youth, he may | requjre that all yachts which compete exercise it after he has accumulated |y, oMcial races must be designed, built) fame and fortune. The ultimate ob-|gang sailed by their owners. This obli- Jjective in such cases usually takes the gates the skippers to delve deeply into form of a palatial crulser or a deep-|the science and technique of practical ‘water power boat. boat building. For example, the sail The spark of this fire of construc-|capacity of the little ship bears a defi- tional accomplishment is never dead in|pjte relationship to the size of her hull. Mister Average Citizen, and the model| ynjess these two factors are ‘properly racing clubs as a result aid in the satis-| gttineq the model will not develop fection of the long-cherished ambition | maximum speed under favorable condi- to build and own a boat, even if it be|iong Furthermore, she may be ruled but an abbreviated edition of the true| oyt of her class because of defective seafaring ‘craft of his dreams. specifications. * k Kk % fl!éls %uu‘:umghc surmise, mtm%dl;ls Arz vide 2 number of eren 'HE Model Yacht Racing Association classes, according to their rated speed of America now boasts 14 member | and sailing proficiency. clubs, with the Washington organization PR occupying & key position on the roster. | Tts sister clibs in this foyal and ancient| Q7R | Weehingtor nobbylsts international sport include. New York, | Memorial pool practice the historic Eng- Brooklyn, - Boston, Toledo, Cleveland, |lish system of pond sailing. The own-! Detroit, Chicago and St. Augustine, Fla. | ers walk along the banks of the pool| From the dawn of Spring until the|and turn their little ships on different tail of warm weather has flitted below | tacks when they speed to shore and! the horizon and Jack Frost assumes|threaten to collide against the concrete | ascendency the side-line sailors ‘with|banks. This system of sailing is best their little ships vie with.one another |adapted to the local racing facilities! in weekly and bi-weekly races. .During |and also simplifies the sport. i the Winter they gather regulatly at| 1In some other cities, however, the yacht clubs %wivnte homes, where | American system of model racing is they study the/Science of model making i followed. It entails the use of rowboats and. sail triming, ind the staging of the races in, the deep- This divefsion, which may seem like|er lagoons and artificial lakes of public home})lny; bul: hwmch r;- yminvolml 5 Head odel k af! 1lisi experienee and hard. work features, in- | skipper trails his model Taser 1o & TOW- A ing a.model on a new tack after,a-collision, cludes”an annual national regatta, in|boat, and whenever the little ‘ship re- : % : i Photographs by.C. O. Buckingham. % order that new champions may be|quires adjustment or sail trimming he t rows up to the model and makes t! D 1 diei M t ¢ from cruising the salt ocean |a regulation racing oat to victory in & A it'se- [ tive. Mpdel racing from beginnin, which is multiplied among the younger {all’are standardized as to sail capacity | amusement from g gul g ug"uflfl"mz'“ 1'{.?3’% lmfifincmegtx:mbmc%mp:eu m:’; is a s:n;;s‘ sglentlflg sp%rt, wg\lctfi generation by model clubs and: regattas,.| based on their aggregate size. in full-size ships. tight contest. 'Every timie an owner sgsiniss the best Ensleh bea. & tal- |treeds gout'sportamanalilp dad develops | ey hatch P T ot | T “"::;} (D00 istt the lAnCOI®| This’ fascination which experienced |launches his model the craft must be g‘:gm:n:;.,l m:::ml:eni y::-flinehdomg: :‘:fi‘imbevszgm hob-tmt: it uhure”:iwr hi: sailing fieets, which as common CAITiers | races you will - understand . why long | tars have for model. racing has even |so adjusted as to capitalize to the maxi- . . | 0 feoting Pool. competing craft. m "’l-:‘n by w‘ model of a power boat which is | diminutive yacht afloat never knows |engaged in international trade. ghn?s\unr small beam, short” and wide ::::Ri vu:sc;ibed on tgeevz:immn .g%m‘ mum on current, wind ‘and ‘weather ou will find that our National Capi- astest of its type ever bullt, with a | what contingency or emergency may (. .One point concerning. which the novi- |1 and those that’ ride either low ‘conditions.. /Salié st e tritiiied and e p speed capacity of amu an hour. arlse at any moment. So to say, he|tiate mwmodu racing always questions |of high in the water may compete offi- ifir:fl;gflo& mt meae\ yflr’s V:{ the » sz & b o Biat the - achts dte raced in |Das to “be on his toes” constantly, both his experienced teacher is: “Why the cially.in the same class. g i Nattanl c-mulmm o c'nlnmu_ nmz’n nmwul Mfih g - model contests, | literally and figuratively speaking. difference in the size of ships and.sail |, European enthusiasts, and particu- e Up (b osst. metrmatur v oo le cra take vantage results in each boat raci mmé * X Xk K surfaces in the same class? Isn't it un- mem English amateurs, have guided worthy yachts. These travelers earried | Al cross winds, side puffs asnd’ sudden in her class. . The champion “ " fajr,”. he continues, “to make a tiny ] racing from insignificance into 4 with. th oce] | eddies of air. S Shbd by e amplon \ FIHERE is an “under-cover” feature podel with & small sail compete against | prominenice on the annual sports sched- cirlond baggaye s with e e o il B the races mwed on a of . model-boat racing .which ' has | another yacht twice or, ice as large, iule abroad.: The first model racing zyhemy‘fiuwd mth;icnowin &y 10 gtier of e wiess” - model rfln system. never been explolted to any extent, It | With correspondingly greater sall area?” | club in the United States was organized | 0¥ (%0, iting terelty Toddel e ;uud b‘y‘euu use_of h of the wind pu{ys the | is the ability of this pastime to inocu- | These sight-of-eye. discrepancies do |87 years ago in New ‘York c::yn., strg'nle regattas ever staged along the Atlantic| puom m n then speeds aroun in the scoring of these its followers with the love of not hnndxc:hp the individual models 5o |to say, it antedates the famous New |8V, i ‘uun uw:n /i -Mp:.m his o e oo oms o ot e 15, e, e, Yol ok LAk Ol B e e suss s, e €, a0 e e o whic! ine. ! Five. rounds of 1aps' of - this courss e st it o ol s Dikipod 48 determyned’ y . 86 m:';mmor Dools. abetted HE model skipper must know. s | wind during her crulse fom one end of curate sclentific formula. determin- formation of that. club, cratt thoroughly, not only from bow | nnmm“ ’i’fiu Ao Rars The e “".ucn mm"m e "“,“":‘gf:', teur yachf - meremm.;c‘;' gul::x"’ stern but also from keel to. “crow’s | boom and a.quadrant o’-‘:he'r after decR as her “wal e mu{nm i nest,” if he is to make a success of | are connected by movements of th# s um“un.nmctmw!lm‘?w# and yachting to fl? the model who her straight, true course g i ~Jockey’ poles during their races. ‘There is a scramble every once ften as the of com] ;en tramp -%:‘fie m’:f‘?fie £ £ 4 are sailing i b -} vg iz §9 £ g i is 25 amateur racing. He must completely in sailing skill i 1 : o . :