With light winds out of the west and occasional gusts keeping the voyage challenging, the armada of six sailboats danced over the waves as they rounded the starting buoy. With a blast of the klaxon, the race was under way. But, no one was onboard serving as captain or crew.
Rather, each competitor in the fleet of DragonForce 65s was controlled by members of The Villages’ Southside Sailing Squadron who were positioned along the bank of the retention pond near the Village of Bonita pool. Their hand-held controllers have the capacity to ‘communicate’ with each boat’s radio receiver/transmitter anywhere in the pond.
“Compared to other model boats, these are considered medium-sized at 65-centimeters or about 26-inches in length,” explains club President Tony Lawrence, a five-year resident of the Village of Mira Mesa. “I think that they are the easiest to learn how to operate, and are the most fun to navigate. And, at a price of approximately $200, they are the least expensive of the sailboats favored by similar clubs in the Villages.”
Squadron members compete Tuesdays at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Tony at tonylawrence1@comcast.net.
