October 6, 2004
RC boats make waves
Model boats reach speeds of 70 mph on one mile course
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Maneuvering a 'cruise missile on the water' has been Mark Sholund's hobby for 16 years.
The Long Lake Township resident is searching for other local aficionados of remote-controlled, model power boat racing to meet with regularly for high-speed fun. He believes the lure of a miniature but high-powered engine – 21 cubic inch that puts out three horsepower and spins in excess of 30,000 rpms – will help boost the roster of the Grand Traverse Model Boat Club he founded.
"It's a great hobby," said Sholund, a heating and cooling professional who also sells miniature props. "You do it for the people you meet, I know people all over the country who do this."
Sholund built his outrigger model from a kit, enhancing it with an engine from Italy. The boat uses nitro methane fuel, the same used by Top Fuel dragsters.
Sholund travels to races throughout the state during warmer months to participate in races. These events feature either a straight course or a circular course where the owners control their boats as speeds up to 60-70 mph. A one mile course can be completed in just over a minute.
The small boats are highly maneuverable, Sholund noted, making them fun to race.
"They can turn 180 degrees in 12 feet, it will pull three g's on a turn," he said. "They have titanium turn fins on them and it is like driving an F1."
At races, after putting their boats in the water, drivers stand on a raised platform three of four feet high. This gives them the viewpoint to direct their boat over the course via remote control.
The high speeds combined with tight turns of an oval course give an advantage to younger racers. Years of video games give another edge to the younger racers as they maneuver around other boats and take the turns.
"Some of these kids have great hand-eye coordination, give us old guys a hard time," Sholund said, who moved to the area last spring. "My buddy, they just had the last race of the year down in Ohio yesterday and his 12 year old took third place for the championship."
"They do real well, we call them the young guns," he added.
Jason Oviatt and his father, Jim, have been racing and selling the boats for years. They met with Sholund over the summer at Boardman Lake to race, though Sholund has switched venues to the less used Cedar Lake in Long Lake Township.
Oviatt, whose family owns R/C Speed Shop, said model boats are becoming more popular. However, they are still dwarfed in the region by model monster trucks.
"It is moving away from a hobby to really a toy, where a hobby might be tedious and time consuming," he said. "It is still that but more fun for the average person because they don't have to build something from the ground up - most of them you can have running in a few hours not a few weeks."
For more information on the Grand Traverse Model Boat Club, call Mark Sholand at 275-2263.