How many times have you heard the comment about your sport that its, “just a bunch of old guys with toy boats”? Well, here is a story you can use when you respond to such bull.
On Good Friday 2025 a fleet of about 70 full size race boats crossed the start line in Southern Straits 2025. This distance race in the Strait of Georgia (Salish Sea) is known to dish up some challenging conditions over some good distances and is a qualifying race for the famous Victoria to Maui offshore race. Thus, it draws the best of the best from BC and Washington State. The Sisters Islets course covers 100 nm.
Members of Steveston RC Sailing Club were onboard five boats in various divisions. Our members all placed well in their respective divisions but two accomplishments really stood out. Pat Dion, captain on the R/P 55 Scatteraction and his fellow Soling and IOM sailor Bud Fassnacht nailed the start and led the whole fleet around the long course claiming line honors in a time of around 13.5 hours. While most of the upwind leg to Sisters Islets was a slow go, things changed as the wind filled in from the north. At the windward mark our “not so old” guys hoisted one of the smaller chutes on Scatteraction and took off for the finish at West Vancouver, averaging 16 knots and hitting a maximum of 27 knots when surfing. That kind of performance, especially in the dark when weaving through slower boats still heading north, can cause some serious puckering of sphincters and requires massive concentration and skill. Around 11:00 PM with the wind now at about 30 knots one last gybe would put then on course for the finish. It didn’t go exactly as planned and they found the lee rail deep in the water, which at double digit speed flushed Pat to the stern but, still tethered to the boat. With his PFD now inflated he was assisted back into the cockpit just as the the big R/P 55 stood up and took off toward West Vancouver. Exciting times!
Other finishes of note include, Rob Mulder first place on the Inshore course, Mardy Grossman fourth in div 4, Andrew Leibman seventh in div 2 and Jan Kristiansen ninth in div 2. I suspect they all had stories.
So my point is that next time you hear that all too familiar phrase about toy boats you can point out that lurking in such groups are some of the best yacht racers on the west coast who apply all their considerable racing skills to their chosen radio controlled class making rc racing much more than playing with toy boats.
