Good day from Cascade Cup headquarters in Vancouver, Wash.

Things are in high gear as we continue to put the final race of the 2008 ERCU Red Dot Championship Series together, and we wanted to bring you all up to speed on what's happening, so you can finalize your plans to participate in this big event!

The Second Annual PAWS Cascade Cup/APBA National Championship, presented by and the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum is set for Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007 at Horseshoe Lake Park in Woodland, Wash.

We have a new title sponsor this year, PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) joins the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum this year to provide us all the opportunity to enjoy a great race. As you'll remember, Bob VandenAkker and Judy Fenton were sponsors of the race last year, as was the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum. Other returning sponsors include Red Dot Corporation and Meyers Auto Tech, both of whom came back at the same sponsorship level they supported us at last year. Many thanks go out to all of our sponsors.

News is already in the works, as The Columbian is going to include the race in its Weekend section on Friday, Oct. 12, and a staff photographer is expected to again attend the race. The Lewis River Review, Woodland's paper, has printed a story advancing our race, and a reporter and photographer are again expected to attend this year. The Daily News of Longview/Kelso has also included our event in its calendar of events in Cowlitz County.

We're the big event in Southwest Washington on the weekend of October 13-14, and it will be exciting to be a part of it, so don't miss it!

The race format is set to be the same as last year. Four sections of heat racing will take place for both vintage and modern, followed by connies for both classes as well. A Best of Show concourse will be held - and voted on by everyone in attendance - including spectators.

Winner-take-all finals will end the racing action on Horseshoe Lake, where the Cascade Cup champion will be crowned as winner of the finals. The owner of this year's modern Cascade Cup-winning boat will get to choose the host site for next year's race. APBA National Champions will be determined by total points earned throughout the day.

We at race headquarters are still working on finalizing arrangements for other fun events - which could include a Bottom Five Final, pizza feed lunch, and more. We also continue looking for more sponsors, as the more sponsor participation we have, the more special we can make the race.

More race information will soon be posted on www.e-rcu.org, including Woodland hotel and restaurant information. And this year, for the first time, we're accepting pre-registration to help expedite and simplify the race morning's activities, and give participants more time to take advantage of the morning's open water.

Rose City Model Yacht Club members will set the course and build the official barge the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 13. Late afternoon/early evening testing may be available on Saturday.

For more information, or if you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact Contest Director Nelson Holmberg.

10-4-07 - Brewers Cup Race This Weekend!

The fifth annual Brewers Cup race is scheduled for this coming Sunday at Shady Lake, thanks to our gracious host Rocky Peterson. The address is 17802 SE 196th Drive, Renton, Washington 98058. You can check MapQuest or Google Maps for directions. As usual, set-up will commence around 7:30, with the drivers meeting at 10:45 and racing to get under way around 11:00.

9-27-07 - Autumn sets in on ERCU season at Sayres Memorial

A cloudy, calm and cool autumn day greeted 22 vintage boats and 15 modern hulls arriving at the Cherokee Bay Community Club - on Pipe Lake near Maple Valley - for the Stan Sayres Memorial Regatta. Our host for this event was Dan Gilmore and our organizer and CD was Monte Steere.

We also welcomed a new member to club, Gerry Bordon, who qualified as a driver and bought the Parco's O-Ring Miss from Patrick Gleason and raced it in the vintage class.

Nigel Steere and Mike Gossler had the course set by 9 a.m., and testing continued until the drivers meeting at 11:15 and the first heat of the modern class got under way shortly after 11:30. Gilmore provided hot coffee, a great lunch and snacks throughout the day.

A special feature we will all be anxious to see the results of, Mike Campbell mounted a mini video camera in his 1969 Notre Dame and transmitted "driver cam" to shore all day long.

The modern first consolation was a seven boat affair. Taking the win was Robbie Roberts and his 1973 Miss Budweiser, followed by Mike Gossler and the Circus Circus in second, Ron Daum driving the Llumar in third, Ron Hartley and his 1977 Squire was fourth and Jessie Shehan with his Spirit of Dayton Walther fifth. Mark Hansen driving his 1972 Notre Dame and Jerry Johnston driving Natural Lite did not finish.

In the vintage first consolation, point leader Muvalong with Gary Hansen driving could not make the starter's call and the race itself quickly turned into a parade after Daum, driving Wildroot Charlie, missed a buoy pressing rookie Ralph Jorgenson and Sunny Jim for the lead. With the Wildroot out of contention and the rest of the field spreading out behind, Jorgenson and Sunny Jim cruised to victory. Hartley driving $ Bill took second place honors with Doug Brow driving the 1966 Miss Budweiser third and Johnston driving his Timex Clock with Craig Bradshaw driving Coral Reef and Wildroot Charlie not finishing.

The vintage second consolation had six boats make the starters call. Nelson Holmberg driving Kirk Pagel's 1957 Shanty I took first place honors with Nigel Steere driving the "Grand Old Lady" Slo-Mo-Shun IV took second with Bordon driving Parco's O-Ring Miss finished third. Rookie Ryan Bradshaw driving the Wayfarers Club Lady was fourth and Shehan driving St. Regis was fifth. Gleason, driving his 1965 Miss Bardahl, did not finish and Howard Price driving Miss Everett did not start.

The modern final was a barn-burner. The start was spectacular and Craig Bradshaw driving his Winston Eagle blew over before the first turn. Rookie Brian Gilmore and the Gilmore Special led out of the first turn with Gary Hansen and the Cott Beverage, Mike Campbell and his 1973 Country Boy and Nigel Steere and T-Plus all challenging. Next to go upside down was the Cott Beverage, in the left turn. T-Plus had a spin out but kept running. By lap three, Country Boy had captured the lead and never looked back. Roberts, driving his 1973 Miss Budweiser, and starting from the trailer position avoided the first turn confusion and finished an easy third with Pat Gleason driving his Thousand Trails taking fourth and T-Plus fifth.

The vintage final resembled the Red Dot team on parade and was no-less exciting. Like the modern final the start was spectacular and saw the Monte Steere-driven Slo-Mo-Shun V blow over going into the first turn at the start. Jeff Campbell driving his 1969 Outrigger Pay 'n Pak led from wire to wire with his brother Mike right behind with the camera boat (1969 Notre Dame). Third went to Mark Hansen driving the Vans PX. Fourth and fifth went to Bob VandenAkker driving his 1963 Notre Dame and Jorgenson driving Sunny Jim, respectively. Bringing up the rear in sixth was John Williams driving his 1971 Miss Madison.

Adding to the success of the race-day, the founding members of Cougar Racing Team - Rick Lentz, Mick Shutt, Hartley and Holmberg - announced that it has added three new members - Gleason (who's son is a Coug), Brian Gilmore (who played football at Wazzu), and Dan Gilmore (a Coug by association).

Next up, the Apple Cup on Sunday September 30 on Lake Chelan.

9-20-07 Download the September Newsletter here.

9-19-07 - Woodland to Host APBA 1/10th Scale Hydroplane National Championship

For the second straight year, model hydroplanes to race for a crown at Horseshoe Lake

Last year, Electric Radio Controlled Unlimiteds (ERCU) ran its first-ever American Power Boat Association (APBA) national championship race - and Woodland was its home.

The race was a big success, drawing a record turnout of nearly 50 boats, and as many as 100 spectators to the shores of Horseshoe Lake, where they witnessed Kerry Kjos of Fairview, Ore., and Mike Campbell of Auburn, Wash., win national crowns in the vintage and modern classes, respectively. Fans even got to vote for the best looking boats in a Best of Show contest, during a break in the day's racing, and children under 10 were given free goodie bags from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum.

With so much success for the event last year, ERCU really wanted to bring the race back to Woodland in 2007.

"We're so appreciative of the Woodland Parks Board, City Council, City staff, and of course the people of Woodland," said the race director, Nelson Holmberg of Vancouver. "In the minds of model boat racers in our organization, Horseshoe Lake is the ideal place to run a national championship. The community embraced us - 20 different Woodland businesses put up our promotional posters, and we even had great media coverage from the Lewis River Review, The Columbian and The Reflector last year, and our sponsors were very happy with the exposure.

"The event is great, free fun for the entire family."

The Cascade Cup/APBA National Championship, presented by the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 14 at Horseshoe Lake Park, along the north end of Woodland's signature park. A more detailed schedule of the event will be distributed as race day draws nearer, but racing is expected to begin at 11 a.m.

The boats that will be racing are 1/10 scale duplicates of real unlimited hydroplanes that have raced between the 1940s and today, meaning they are scale models, 1/10th of the size of the real boats (real unlimited hydroplanes are, in general, 30 feet long and 15 feet wide), and they look exactly as the real boats did when they raced.

Boats will be required to adhere to ERCU rules in order to participate in the race, which will consist of four flights of preliminary heats for both modern and vintage classes, consolation finals for each class, and winner-take-all championship finals for both classes. The boat with the most points in each division at the end of the event will be crowned national champion.

The Cascade Cup race has a unique format of its own. This year's winner of the modern class will get to select whether the race will be in Seattle or in Portland/SW Washington in 2008. The intent is to build the rivalry between the two cities, similar to the unlimited hydroplane rivalry that Seattle and Detroit have reveled in since the early 1950s.

Sponsors of the event, to date, include PAWS (courtesy of Bob VandenAkker & Judy Fenton), Noslen Communication and Meyers Auto Tech. More sponsors will be added to the roster as the event draws closer. Local businesses are encouraged to participate (sponsorship packages range from $50-$150). For more information, contact Nelson Holmberg at nelson@noslencommunication.com, or call 360-521-1590.

9-17-07 - Cherokee Bay ready for Stan Sayres Memorial

This weekend, the Stan Sayres Memorial will be run at Cherokee Bay Community Club in Maple Valley, hosted by Dan Gilmore and Monte Steere. This is the third-to-last race of the season, so if you're still itching for a little racing action, it's one that you shouldn't miss. This race recognizes the memory of one of hydroplane racing's pioneers - and the man who was largely responsible for bringing the unlimiteds to Seattle and the West Coast. The race will be held Sunday, Sept. 23 at one of ERCU's newest - and finest - race locations. Set up begins at 8 a.m., followed by open water until 10:30. The driver's meeting follows and racing will start as close to 11 a.m. as possible.

9-17-07 - Gold Cup produces several heat winners, happy faces

Saturday morning broke bright and clear as Gold Cup weekend began for testing and qualifying for the fifth annual ERCU Gold Cup, presented by Red Dot Corporation and PGI Models.

Setup was greeted by about 5,000 high schoolers, rooting for the cross country meet being run that morning. Brian Gilmore and Jessie Shehan set the course while the runners scampered through the shallows of the lake. Their event was over around 11 a.m., and 14 boats qualified before the course was closed for the afternoon.

Qualifying resumed Sunday morning, and by the time the race was ready to commence 30 boats had taken their shot at the Bill Muncey Fastest Qualifer Trophy. In a portent of events to follow, the fastest qualifiers were the 1969 Pay 'n Pak at 39.44 seconds for three laps, and the 1974 Country Boy at 41.50 seconds. Both boats were driven by Mike Campbell, as brother Jeff was out of town on business and had to miss the race.

Second-fastest times went to the modern class Charlie's Girl driven by Bill Smiley at 42.00 and vintage Miss Timex with Jason "Daddy" Hartley at 47.50. The third-fastest boats were the 1973 Red Man with Nelson Holmberg at 44.35 and the vintage Grand Old Lady Slo-Mo IV with Monte Steere highstepping along at 48.00.

The Gold Cup runs four preliminary heats instead of three, and by the time all four sections had been completed five of the 13 modern boats and 9 of the 21 vintage boats had taken a first place. In an unusual occurance, the leaderboards in both divisions ended with a tie for sixth place, so seven boats (instead of the usual six) ran in each final. The winner of each first consolation heat was allowed to go through the mill of the final as the first alternate, and if any boat wasn't running at the 30-second gun, the alternate could start. Otherwise, the alternate would have to pull off the course after the 30-second mark.

The modern first connie saw Smiley and the Charlie's Girl run away from Miss Cotts Beverage and Gary Hansen, Gilmore and the Gilmore Special and Rick Lentz's U95. In the vintage first connie, Mark Hansen and the Vans PX were victorious over the field of Sunny Jim driven by Ralph Jorgensen, 1958 Bardahl and Lentz, the 1963 Notre Dame driven by Bob VandenAkker and the Candyman with Dawna Gross, rep aired after a run-in with the dock.

All seven boats were running at the start of the modern final, so alternate Charlie's Girl watched the heat from the infield. Campbell brought the 1974 Country Boy home in first, with Holmberg and the Red Man finishing second for the second time in the last three races. Mark Hansen brought the 1972 Notre Dame in third, minus its cowling, Doug Brow was fourth with the 1978 Squire Shop, and ERCU rookie Mick Shutt (an eight-year veteran of RCU) finished his first-ever final heat in fifth place. Mike Gossler's Circus Circus and the Natural Light, driven by Hartley, did a repeat of the infamous San Diego 1990 two-boat simultaneous flip on the backstretch of the first lap.

Mark Hansen was tabbed to run Campbell's '69 Notre Dame, so the second place finisher was placed as the alternate for the vintage final. All boats were able to start, so Ralph brought the Sunny Jim back to the pits at the start of the heat. In a tightly contested run, highlighted with Campbell and the outrigger spinning out while running deck-to-deck with Muvalong driven by Gary Hansen, the outrigger came back to nip the Muvalong in the final lap. Mark Hansen got his second third place finish of the day, driving the 1969 Notre Dame. Fourth place went to Hartley and the Miss Timex, and Scott Fetterly finished in fifth with the 1961 Miss Madison. Eagle Electric driven by VandenAkker and Kirk Pagel' s Shanty I, driven by Holmberg, bumped and did not finish.

At the end of the day Campbell finished 11 first places out of 12 heats with three boats. Congratulations are offered to the Campbell Racing Team for the exemplary showing.

Thanks too for all the help with set-uip and race-day operations, with special thanks to Fetterly and Holmberg for help with the computer, and Judy Fenton for assisting with the statistics. Kudos also go out to "The Mouth" (Pagel) for helping out on the mike, and to everyone who helped so willingly with judging and cleanup.

9-7-07 - Going for the Gold Cup this Sunday at Lake Wilderness

This weekend is the ERCU Gold Cup for 1/10th scale electric unlimiteds, to be held at Lake Wilderness in Maple Valley. Remember that all boats need to qualify to be entered in the race. Saturday will be the set-up day, with qualifying available as soon as the course is set. Qualifying can also be done Sunday morning before the race starts at 11:00. The Gold Cup has four qualifying heats instead of the usual three, so there will be plenty of racing throughout the day. Hope to see you all there both days.

8-28-07 - Seafair Trophies Go Home with Campbells

A great turnout of 22 vintage and 16 modern boats came to the shores of Lake Washington at Renton's Gene Coulon Park on August 26 to compete in

ERCU's RC Hobbies Seafair Trophy Race presented by Noslen Communication.

For the fourth time this season, Mike and Jeff Campbell swept the vintage and modern crowns, winning the modern and vintage finals, respectively.

The first casualty of the day was Bill Smiley's Charlies Girl which suffered a failed drive line during testing. Advancing to the modern final was, Mike Campbell and the 1973 Country Boy, Jeff Campbell and his Pay 'n' Pak, Gary Hansen with the Cott's Beverage, Craig Mullen and his 1971 Pay 'n' Pak, Rick Lentz and his U-95, Brian Gilmore and the Gilmore Special and Jessie Shehan with his new Spirit of Dayton Walther. A three-way tie in points made the final a seven boat affair with Mike Gossler and the 1978 Circus Circus filling the alternate spot having won the first consolation heat. Shehan's luck failed him with a failed servo in Dayton Walther had her off the course at the 30-second mark which let the alternate Circus Circus start in the trailer position. After a spectacular start, the water conditions quickly took their toll with two boats silver side up and one out of control. The final order of finish was the Country Boy holding off the Circus Circus with Cott's Beverage was third and the U-95 fourth.

In the vintage class, Doug Brow and his 1966 Miss Budweiser won the second consolation with Craig Bradshaw and his Coral Reef taking second, Ron Hornung and Hurricane IV third with Sheehan's St. Regis fourth. Gary Hansen, driving his Muvalong won the first consolation heat but suffered a speed control melt down in the process which allowed the second place 1971 Miss Madison with John Williams to advance to the final as the trailer boat. Bob VandenAkker driving his 1966 Notre Dame and Rick Lentz with his 1958 "Green Dragon" Miss Bardahl took third and fourth in the first consolation heat, respectively.

This set the stage for a hotly-contested final featuring Henry Marvin driving Jeff Campbell's Lil Buzzard, Mark Hansen and the Van's PX, Mike Campbell and his 1969 Notre Dame, Jeff Campbell and the 1969 outrigger Pay 'n' Pak, Ron Daum with Wildroot Charlie and Bill Smiley and the 1955 Miss Thriftway.

Another spectacular start saw the Outrigger Pay 'n' Pak, Notre Dame, Lil Buzzard and Vans PX literally flew into the Belle Isle turn with the remainder of the field in tow. The outrigger Pak took over the lead down the back stretch and never looked back but Notre Dame and Vans PX kept up a withering pressure. Wildroot Charlie caught a roller in the Belle Isle turn and rolled over trying to catch the Buzzard. Water conditions quickly reduced the vintage final to a survival contest. The race ended with Outrigger Pay 'n' Pak way out front, Notre Dame in second holding off the third place Vans PX and Marvin in fourth driving Lil Buzzard with Miss Thriftway fifth and Wildroot Charlie and Miss Madison not finishing.

In keeping with the theme for the day, Seafair 50 years ago, Smiley and his 1955 Miss Thriftway being the best finishing model of the boats competing for the Gold Cup at Seafair 50 years ago was awarded an authentic mint condition 1957 Seafair Skipper Pin. The real Miss Thriftway won the race that day 50 years ago.

A very special thank your to Dave Kelly and the good folks at RC Hobbies who sponsored the event and furnished some great prize items and to our presenting sponsor Nelson Holmberg who furnished the trophy art work. Thanks also to Renton City Parks for allowing us to use their facility and a big thank you to Jerry Rerecich at Renton Parks and Recreation who made sure we had power available. Also a big thank you goes to all who attended and helped out during the day making this a truly great day of racing for all. Last but not least, a special thank you to Rick Lentz who hauled the club trailer, Brian Gilmore who set the course and, Bob VandenAkker who donated vintage era Seafair programs for prizes also and all those who helped set up and tear down.

8-21-07 - Check out the August Newsletter here.

8-20-07 - Up Next: RC Hobbies 2007 Seafair Trophy Race

With the Diamond Cup in our collective rear view mirrors, we can now set our sights on the RC Hobbies 2007 Seafair Trophy Race presented by Noslen Communication. As I think of Seafair, I harken back to a Seafair 50 years ago in 1957. It was a diamond anniversary of sorts when the grass was green, the skies were blue, the Gold Cup was back in Seattle and Miss Thriftway was defending. The boats roared and thundered, the Seafair Pirates were not politically correct and the Buicks, well they were two tone. Please join Contest Director Ron Daum at Coulon Park in Renton on Sunday August 26, and relive those golden days of yesteryear if only in 1/10th scale form.

8-19-07 - Nigel Steere Wins Diamond Cup!

Sunday, August 12 started overcast with chance of rain looming on the horizon, but by the end of the day not a drop had fallen on the 20 racers and 26 boats that congregated at the waterfront residence of Terry and Pam Beckler on Pipe Lake.

For the second straight year the Beckler family opened up its home with warm hospitality, and along with Dan Gilmore's able assistance provided a full menu throughout the day for the club members to help stave off starvation and concentrate on the racing at hand.

The race was run with the usual three preliminary heats followed by the consolation heats and the final for each class. Sixteen vintage and 10 modern boats lined up for the starts. To underscore the improved competition that is developing within the club, there were five different heat winners in the six modern heats, and seven different winners in the 12 vintage heats. The one difference for this race was that the top five vintage boats started the final on the front line, and the winners of both consolation heats started as trailers.

The modern first connie was a three-boat affair, with the Craig Bradshaw's gorgeous Winston Eagle having to withdraw due to driveline problems. Bill Smiley debuted his brand new Charlie's Girl at this race, and looked fast but displayed some handling problems, as he collided with Mike Campbell's ultra-fast Country Boy, taking that boat out of the heat and being awarded with a disqualification. That left the win for the U95 and Rick Lentz to start as the trailer in the final.

The vintage second connie turned into a survival contest, as only Doug Brow with the '66 Budweiser was able to finish the full five laps to take one of the trailer positions in the final.

The first connie was a little more civilized, with the Grand Old Lady Slo-mo IV expertly piloted by Monte Steere taking the win to claim the second trailer spot in the final. Monte outlasted Nitrogen Too driven by Bob VandenAkker, Lentz and the '58 Bardahl and David Gardner with the Nitrogen, finishing in that order.

The modern final featured the high-point boat for the day - the '71 Pay 'n Pak piloted by Craig Mullen - the only boat with two preliminary heat wins in the modern class for the day. He was joined in the final by the T-Plus driven by Nigel Steere, Ron Daum's brand new Llumar, Nelson Holmberg's trusty '73 Red Man, sporting a brand new brushless motor setup, Brow's Squire Shop and Brian Gilmore's Gilmore Special, followed by the trailer, U-95. As usual the modern final was a fast, hotly-contested heat, with the Squire Shop and the T-Plus battling it out for the whole heat. The T-Plus was the winner by a whisker, but the Squire was DQed for running over the U-95 at the finish line. Second place went to Holmberg for his best finish ever, followed by the speedy Gilmore Special, the Llumar, Pay 'n Pak and the U-95.

Although the water was calm, the vintage final became a survival-of-the-fittest event. By the time all the lap penalties were totaled up and "upside-down-itis" was completed, just two boats were running at the end. Campbell completed a perfect afternoon by taking the win and garnering 1,600 points for the day. Second place went to the trailer Slo-mo IV and Monte Steere. Those not making it to the finish line included the Sunny Jim and Ralph Jorgenson, Brow's Budweiser, Nigel Steere and the Slo-mo-V, Miss Madison with Scott Fetterly and Daum's surprisingly quick Wildroot Charlie.

Many thanks and much appreciation is offered to the Becklers for their hospitality and support throughout the day, even providing a great resting spot for Nigel's 2-year old daughter and driver-in-training, Hudson. A special event was provided by Jessie Shehan, showing off his tugboat - complete with smoke from the stacks, and operating running lights - between heats.

A hearty thanks is offered to those who helped through the day: Brian Gilmore for setting and clearing the course; Daum, Holmberg and VandenAkker for their referee help on the microphone, and to each person who helped with the setup, judging, and cleanup, not to mention the superb job done by Diamond Cup CD Rick Lentz.

Congratulations go to Mike Campbell and Nigel Steere for their successful racing day.

8-6-07 - SUNDAY! SUNDAY! A Race for the Diamonds at Pipe Lake

It'll be here before you know it...the ERCU Diamond Cup, presented by Noslen Communication, is set for Sunday, August 12 at the Beckler family residence in Covington, Wash., on the shores of Pipe Lake. Come see this beautiful race location, and enjoy a free lunch provided by Dan Gilmore while you take part in some great, fun, exciting ERCU racing.

At least one of the teams has made a surprise change since the Columbia Cup, so be sure to come see who's doing what...and bring your boats! A huge turnout would be great. Click here to see the promotional poster for the Diamond Cup.

Contest Director Rick Lentz has been working hard to put together a fantastic event. He reports the race will be the regular ERCU format of three rounds of preliminary heats. The one twist, however, is that the winner of the second connie (assuming there's a large enough tournout for two connies) will advance to the final as a second trailer. The finals - under this circumstance - would be five boats on the front line, and two trailers. Sounds exciting! Be sure to be a part of it.

7-23-07 - Campbells Claim Columbia Cups

When a rudder servo failed before the start of the Island Hobbies Columbia Cup modern final, the rest of the fleet was spared running against the Red Man - as if Mike Campbell was really worried about that.

Mike went on to win the modern final for the third time in as many tries at the Lake of Tualatin Commons this season.

Jeff Campbell survived some controversy in the vintage final and claimed his second win in three tries at Tualatin.

Anyone who stayed away from making the trip to Tualatin because Northwest weathermen were predicting rain all day missed out. The weather, though a little muggy, was fantastic. Wind and water conditions were just about perfect for the racing and an estimated 75 spectators lined the waterfront of the Tualatin Commons to watch our racing.

First time visitors to the race course - Ron Daum, Ralph Jorgenson and Gary Levander - all had a great time, and said they enjoyed the race site. After nothing but positive response from those who ran in any of the three races at Tualatin this year, it's almost a guarantee we'll be racing at Tualatin again in 2008.

But as for 2007, the year is done in Tualatin, and on July 22, the points race format seemed to be a success.

In the vintage class, Jeff Campbell was the race winner with 1,600 points, followed by Roger Newton driving Kerry Kjos's Miss Thriftway with 1,400 points. Bob VandenAkker had an excellent day with the Notre Dame, finishing third with 1,094 points. Rick Lentz also had 1,094 points with the '58 Bardahl to finish fourth. In fifth was Daum, who made his first final of the season with 1.052 points. Sixth went to rookie Jessie Shehan, who tallied 864 points and made his second final of the year - his first was at Tualatin in June.

Jeff also won the vintage connie with the Lil' Buzzard, but as a points race, there was no move-up to the final. Jorgenson finished second in the connie.

In modern, Mike Campbell's 1974 Country Boy got back on track after a rough week in Bellevue just one week earlier, and took first place with 1,200 points. Second went to Henry Marvin, who also had a rough day in Bellevue a week earlier, suffering significant damage to the Frosted Flakes. Marvin scored 1,169 points in the race. Rookie Brian Gilmore, who finished second and third in his first two Tualatin appearances this year, again took third scoring 1,075 points for third place at the Columbia Cup. Fourth went to Jeff Campbell with 925 for the 1970 Pay 'n Pak, while Craig Bradshaw's Winston Eagle took fifth with 921 points. Sixth place went to rookie Mick Shutt and his Miss Vernors, totaling 746 points on the day.

Rick Lentz won the modern connie, driving the U-95.

Thanks to our great race sponsors, many folks took home both hobby supplies and fun hydro goodies. Island Hobbies provided enough parts, accessories and more that each heat winner won a prize.

At the end of the day, each racer who won a trophy was able to also take home a piece of the newest hydro merchandise from DA Graphics. Included among the big boat teams whose merchandise was shared were: Beacon Plumbing (U-37), Lakeridge Paving (U-48), Formula Boats (U-1), Oh Boy! Oberto (U-6), Graham Trucking (U-2), and Freedom Racing Team (U-21). The goodies ranged from inflatable rafts and small die-cast hydros to 1/25-scale R/C hydros, and truck-trailer-hydro combos.

Lastly, Island Hobbies provided a brand new speed control and brushless motor for a drawing that included the last place finisher (had to finish the heat running) in each of the preliminary heats of the day. Steve Twardus was the lucky winner of the new set up.

Ron Billings, the general manager of Island Hobbies, spent the whole day in the pits, and even spent some time working on the new 1/10 scale hydro he's building to join ERCU.

Thanks again, as always, to all of the ERCU members who helped out with setting up the course, the scaffolding, the computer and everything else we all need in order to run these races.

And to the fine folks of Tualatin, thank you for letting us use your great park and lake. We'll be back next year!

7-20-07 - Download the July Newsletter here.

7-19-07 - ERCU Columbia Cup Gains Title Sponsorship

The upcoming inaugural ERCU Columbia Cup received word on Wednesday that it now has two key sponsors. D.A. Graphics of Seattle, and Island Hobbies of Portland are the presenting sponsors for this event and will provide numerous hydroplane and hobby-related prizes for those who finish in the finals, and for those who have the most points for the day in each division.

The race, set for Sunday, July 22 at the Lake of Tualatin Commons, is expected to draw in the neighborhood of 30 boats, including a handful of first-timers to the site.

The Island Hobbies Columbia Cup presented by D.A. Graphics is the ninth race on the Red Dot Championship Series presented by Bullithead Design.

For those planning to attend the race, here are directions to the park, and some hotel information.

The race will follow the same format we're used to. The course will open for testing and practice at 8:30 a.m. The drivers meeting will occur between 10:30 and 11 a.m., with racing to start at 11. Any questions about the race should be directed to Nelson.

Directions to the Lake of Tualatin Commons for 2007 Island Hobbies Columbia Cup presented by D.A. Graphics at Lake of the Tualatin Commons

Take I-5 south through Portland to Tualatin/Sherwood exit (#298)

Turn right on Nyberg Road (at end of ramp)

Follow road as it curves to the left and turns into SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road

Turn right on SW Boones Ferry Road

Turn right on SW Nyberg Road (on the west side of the lake)

Hotels in the area for the 2007 Island Hobbies Columbia Cup presented by D.A. Graphics

Century Hotel, right at Lake of the Tualatin Commons (right at the race site) - (503) 692-3600;

Comfort Inn & Suites - 503-612-9952; 7640 SW Warm Springs Rd., Tualatin, OR. 97062; www.choicehotels.com (search for Tualatin, OR)

Red Roof Inn - 503-684-0760; 17959 SW McEwan Road Tigard, OR. 97224, (roughly three miles from race site).

These are just a few suggestions, there are other hotels in the area and Tualatin is located roughly 15 miles south of Portland.

7-17-07 - Inaugural Columbia Cup up Next

Sunday, July 22 marks the third and final race at the Lake of Tualatin Commons - the inaugural ERCU Columbia Cup, presented by Island Hobbies - for this season.

The race site has earned high praise, and will more than likely return to the ERCU schedule next year, and into the future. The Columbia Cup will follow the usual ERCU format of three preliminary heats (five laps each), with connies and a final, and it does count toward the Red Dot Championship. The only difference about this race from previous ERCU races this year is that the race will not be the winner-take-all format. This will be a points race, meaning the order of finish when all is said and done is based on the total points accumulated throughout the day. The club's equipment trailer is in Vancouver, and the race course will be set up on Saturday night (July 21). If you have been to the new Tualatin race site, you know it's a great place to run. If not, you need to come on down. If you have any questions, notify Nelson.

It's a fun place to race, and it is only a two-and-a-half hour drive from the Puget Sound area. After conversations around the pits at the Bernie Little Memorial, it sounds like its fair to expect a good turnout. The weather forecast is for sunny and 81 degrees. Don't forget, the next race after this one isn't for three more weeks (Diamond Cup, August 12), so if you need your boat racing fix, this is a great chance to get it!

7-16-07 - Mark Hansen Gets First Modern Win

Moments before the modern final of this year's Bernie Little Memorial at Bellevue Downtown Park, Mark Hansen had a conversation with someone about how he had never won a modern final.

Moments later, that changed.

Mark Hansen held off an early competitor or two, then cruised to the win with his 1972 Notre Dame.

Jeff Campbell won the vintage final, driving the nearly unstoppable 1969 Pay 'n Pak Outrigger.

A total of 19 vintage boats and 10 modern boats showed up for the fourth annual Bernie Little Memorial Regatta presented by Pacific Graphics.

The race marked the halfway point of the 2007 ERCU Red Dot Championship Series presented by Bullithead Design.

Sunny skies and rough water were the order of the day, while racing was fast and furious as is the norm for the Bellevue Pond.

The preliminary heats saw lots of crashing, bashing and equipment issues, which translated into a lot of DNFs throughout the day.

The vintage second connie consisted of the Timex clock driven by Jerry Johnston, the Shanty I driven by Nelson Holmberg, Ron Daum's Wildroot Charlie, Gary Hansen's Muvalong, and the Miss Wickman driven by John Burkey. By the time the checkered flag dropped, only the Wickman was still running.

The first connie saw some good racing action with the Miss U.S. Driven by Henry Marvin out running the Wahoo driven by Bill Smiley, the Sunny Jim driven by Ralph Jorgenson, the Tahoe Miss driven by Gary Levander. Not finishing were the St Regis, Seattle Too, and the Vans PX.

The vintage final consisted of seven boats. The Coral Reef driven by Craig Bradshaw did not finish, nor did Monte Steere driving the Slo-Mo-Shun IV, Henry Marvin driving the Miss U.S. from the trailer spot finished fifth for the day. Fourth went to the ever-steady Bob VandenAkker driving the Eagle Electric, third went to Jason Hartley driving the Hallmark Homes, second went to Mike Campbell driving the Notre Dame.

The modern connie consisted of the 1971 Country Boy of Steve Twardus, the Natural Light of Jerry Johnston, the Gilmore Special driven by Brian Gilmore, the Winston Eagle of Craig Bradshaw, and the Country Boy driven by Mike Campbell. After a large first lap crash involving the Winston Eagle and the 1974 Country Boy, it was the Gilmore Special taking the victory and moving to the final as the trailer.

In the final it was all Hansen, as the father-son team ran first and second for most of the five laps.

In the end it was Mark Hansen driving the 1972 Notre Dame taking the victory followed closely by his dad, Gary Hansen, driving the Cott Beverage. Third place went to the taped-together Frosted Flakes driven by Henry Marvin. Fourth went to the ever-consistent Nelson Holmberg driving the Red Man. Not finishing were the Gilmore Special and the race sponsor Mike Gossler driving the Circus Circus.

After regular racing had concluded there were three special heats of racing.

Bob VandenAkker with the Eagle Electric won the annual vintage dash for cash.

The dash for miscellaneous prizes was won by Monte Steere with the Slo-Mo.

Finally, the vintage-modern dash for fun was won by Jason Hartley driving the Hallmark Homes.

Special thanks go out to all who helped put on a fun race day, including Mike & Patty Gossler for providing the trophies, Bob VandenAkker, Jessie Shehan and Fred Holmberg for rescuing all the dead boats, and Ron Daum for helping with the computer.

Pics of this weekends winnders for the Vintage and Modern Class:

Top Three Vintage Class

Top Three Modern Class

7-09-07 - The next stop on the Red Dot Championship Series presented by Bullithead Design is set for this coming Saturday, July 14, at Bellevue Downtown Park, just south of Bellevue Square. Sponsored by Pacific Graphics (www.scalerc.com), the race will run the usual format of three sections for the vintage and modern classes, followed by the consolation and finals. Contest Director Jeff Campbell promises a few surprises as well. Set-up is at 8 a.m. and testing can begin around 9 a.m., with the drivers meeting at 10:45 and racing to begin at 11 a.m.

6-28-07 - "Fan Plan" fun for all

Campbell Racing still sweeps, but one guy does it all

When the "Fan Plan" was introduced as the format of the inaugural Rose Festival RC Regatta presented by Cougar Racing Team, the response was one questioned by hesitancy.

But, as expected, the race at the Lake of Tualatin Commons turned out to be a lot of fun - especially for three guys who haven't recently been regulars in the finals.

The format allowed for the top 10 modern boats (in season points) and the top 8 vintage boats (dictated by turnout) to run against one another in hand-drawn heats all day long. That meant the boats outside of the top 10/8 in season points also raced against one another all day as well.

Bob VandenAkker (Bothell, Wash.) brought out the Nitrogen Too for the first time this year, and had a great day, scoring 1,100 points in the second division, and rookie Jessie Shehan (Washougal, Wash.), had a great day as well. As the top two boats in the lower-points division, they both earned spots in the vintage final. It was Shehan's first career final.

When Bob scratched the Nitrogen Too, it opened a spot in the seven-boat field, and it didn't take long for Jerry Johnston - who also came from the lower-points group - to find himself in that spot.

In the modern class, Craig Mullen had a fantastic day with the 1971 Pay 'n Pak. Not only was he the high points boat in the lower-points group - he outscored all modern racers with 1,325 points and finished third in the modern final. Rick Lentz was also a benefactor of the Fan Plan, with a 938-point day from the "Wingless Wonder" U-95. Lentz was fourth in the modern final.

The plot of the story was the good racing, and the fun had by everyone who attended. It's relevant to report that not a single boat, through all of the hotly-contested racing, and two seven-boat finals, hit the concrete walls around the Lake of Tualatin Commons.

The sub-plot, of course, was the race winner. Yes, we said "winner" - singular.

Mike Campbell swept both the modern and vintage classes at the Rose Festival RC Regatta.

It wasn't easy for Mike, though. In the modern final, he had to chase down Doug Brow, who absolutely nailed the start and had a huge lead into the first turn. Two laps later, Mike was closing fast, and by the time the end came, it was the 1974 Country Boy that had the huge lead.

Brow finished second with the 1978 Squire Shop, followed by Craig Mullen's 1971 Pay 'n Pak - but that's a whole different story. Fourth place in the modern final went to Rick Lentz with the U-95. Brian Gilmore - who seems to really like the Tualatin race site - finished fifth and Henry Marvin was sixth with the Frosted Flakes. Steve Twardus also earned a spot in the final with his 1971 Country Boy, but was unable to finish.

Mike Gossler won the modern connie with his 1978 Circus Circus, and a $25 cash prize, provided by Cougar Racing Team, which sponsored the race. Goss was followed in the final by Ron Hartley in the 1977 Squire, Nelson Holmberg in the 1973 Red Man, Roger Newton in the 1976 Olympia Beer and Mick Shutt in the 1976 Vernor's.

Mike Campbell also won the vintage final with the 1969 Notre Dame, after Jeff Campbell's 1969 Pay 'n Pak Outrigger blew over, landed right side up, stalled, and eventually finished the heat sixth. Before the spectacular front-straight flip, Jeff looked like a lead-pipe-lock for another vintage win.

Johnston, who finished second in the vintage final, had won the vintage connie, and chose to race in the final rather than collect the $25 cash prize. Third in the vintage final went to Brow with the 1966 Miss Budweiser, followed by VandenAkker and the Eagle Electric in fourth, Sheehan in the St. Regis and Jeff Campbell. Henry Marvin, driving the Lil' Buzzard, didn't finish.

The vintage connie second-place finisher, Hartley with the $ Bill, collected the $25 and was followed by Twardus with the Miss Pay 'n Save. Lentz's 1958 Miss Bardahl and Henry Marvin's 1970 Miss U.S. didn't finish.

A total of 31 boats (15 modern, 16 vintage) turned out for the race, officially sanctioned by the Rose Festival - all but five of which came from outside the Portland metropolitan area.

Special thanks go out to Brow and Lentz for pulling the trailer, helping with setup and breakdown, loading and unloading the trailer, and more. Big thanks also to Jeff Campbell for setting the course on Saturday night and for helping out as chief referee throughout the racing day. Newton also helped with the race announcer and referee duties, John Earnest took care of ordering and picking up the trophies, and to Cougar Racing Team for ponying up the dough to pay the Rose Festival for its sanction fees, and helping to cover the cash prizes for the connies. Thanks, too, to John and Dianne Earnest for their sponsorship which went toward cash prizes and helped to pay for trophies.

To everyone who helped out, but whose names weren't mentioned, please know that everyone's efforts are much appreciated.

6-19-07 - Click Here to download the June 2007 ERCU newsletter.

6-14-07 - Campbells trade places at President's Cup

It's getting to be a regular thing: Jeff Campbell wins one final, and Mike Campbell wins another.

It happened again at the President's Cup, presented by Williams Racing Team and RC-hydros.com.

This time, though, there was a different twist.

Mike - who normally dominates the modern class, won the vintage final. And yep, you guessed it; Jeff - who's the unofficial king of the vintage class - won the modern final.

The President's Cup was the culmination of Maple Valley Days, which included ERCU in all of its promotional materials, banners, signage and even the parade. John Williams, as usual, did a fantastic job of putting on the race, which had 43 boats (including 19 modern boats for the second straight race) turn out.

Saturday's parade included John's truck with several boats and the President's Cup perpetual trophy, as well as ERCU signage displayed on it, and it was one of the more popular parade entries as kids from the community kept calling out about the hydros.

With the 1969 Pay 'n Pak Outrigger working on a perfect day heading into the final, it was a foregone conclusion that Jeff would win yet another race. But the 'rigger failed to finish the final and Mike took the race win. Henry Marvin, driving Jeff's Lil' Buzzard, was second, followed by Mark Hansen with the Vans PX - who passed his dad Gary in the Muvalong for a podium finish. Fifth place went to Jim Clark with the 1967 Miss Bardahl, and sixth was Jerry Johnston with the Miss Timex (clock).

Mark Hansen had moved into the final by winning the first vintage connie, and steadily moved up the final pack from the trailer position. Bill Smiley's 1955 Miss Thriftway was second, while Bob VandenAkker was third in the Eagle Electric and Ralph Jorgensen finished fourth. Craig Bradshaw, Doug Brow and Williams were unable to finish the first vintage connie.

Scott Fetterly and Patrick Gleason were the only finishers - in that order - of the vintage second connie.

In the modern final, it was Mike Campbell who got the DNF - joined by Mark Hansen - and Jeff who took advantage of the opportunity and won the final. Second place went to Mike Gossler, who drove the 1978 Circus Circus from the trailer into second, and Gary Hansen, who took third in the Miss Cotts Beverages. Fourth was Nelson Holmberg with the 1973 Red Man's best performance of the season, while fifth went to Patrick Gleason's Thousand Trails, which turned in its own best performance.

Second place in the first modern connie went to Brian Gilmore, driving Dan Gilmore's 1983 Gilmore Special, followed by Bob VandenAkker's Lincoln Thrift and Jerry Johnston's Natural Light. The 1978 Miss Madison, driven by Scott Fetterly in his first modern ride finished fifth, and the 1976 Miss Vernor's of Mick Shutt was sixth. Henry Marvin's Frosted Flakes didn't finish after a fantastic flip in the front stretch.

By winning the modern second connie, Craig Mullen finished his first heat of the day. He was followed, in second place, by Craig Bradshaw with the Vantage Ultra and Doug Brow with the 1978 Squire Shop. Rick Lentz' wing-less U-95 was fourth.

6-12-07 - Updates to the standing page

6-11-07 - Roger Newton's and Jim clark's photos of the President's Cup at Maple Valley Days are now posted. Check out the Photos page.

6-05-07 - Roger Newton reminds everyone that the deadline for nationals is coming up on June 9.

6-04-07 - Ron Hartley has his Vandenberg photos posted. Check the Photos page.

6-04-07 - Jim Clark has his Vandenberg photos posted. Check the Photos page.

5-31-07 - ERCU is proud to introduce another race sponsor, as Andy Kunz of RC-Hydros.com today announced he would be title sponsor of the 2007 ERCU President's Cup in Maple Valley.

The race will be known this year as the RC-Hydros.com President's Cup. Andy will send along two V90-1032/Opto ESCs that will be given away at the race.You must be present to win!

We're very thankful to Andy Kunz and RC-Hydros.com for their continued support of ERCU, and the President's Cup, as well as their ongoing interest in our club.

If you haven't already made plans to attend the President's Cup during Maple Valley Days at Lake Wilderness, you should definitely be there. John Williams continually puts on a first class event and it's fun to be involved as a part of the Maple Valley Days celebration.

I hope everyone will join us in thanking Andy for his support.

5-30-07 - Roger Newton and Ron Hartley have psoted photos of the Emerald Cup.

5-24-07 - Emerald Cup update:

For those planning to attend the inaugural ERCU Oregon Emerald Cup in Tualatin, Ore., on Saturday May 26, here are directions to the park, and some hotel information.

The race will follow the same format we're used to. Set up will begin at 8:30 a.m., with testing to follow immediately thereafter. The drivers meeting will occur between 10:30 and 11 a.m., with racing to start at 11. Many thanks go out to John Earnest who will conduct the day's racing as the day-of-event CD.Any questions about the race should be directed to Nelson Holmberg (n.holmberg@comcast.net).
Thanks all!

Directions to the Lake of Tualatin Commons
For 2007 ERCU Oregon Emerald Cup
at Lake of the Tualatin Commons

* Take I-5 south through Portland to Nyberg Road exit
* Turn right on Nyberg Road
* Follow road as it curves to the left and turns into SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road
* Turn right on SW Boones Ferry Road
* Turn right on SW Nyberg Road (on the west side of the lake)

Hotels in the area for the 2007 ERCU Oregon Emerald Cup
at Lake of the Tualatin Commons

* Century Hotel (right at the race site) - (503) 692-3600;

* Comfort Inn & Suites - 503-612-9952; 7640 SW Warm Springs Rd., Tualatin, OR. 97062; http://www.choicehotels.com (search for Tualatin, OR)

* Red Roof Inn - 503-684-0760; 17959 SW McEwan Road Tigard, OR. 97224, (roughly three miles from race site);

These are just a few suggestions, there are other hotels in the area and Tualatin is located roughly 15 miles south of Portland.

5-24-07 - Steve Compton of the Miss Thriftway Reprduction Project Announces:

I had made an assumption based on a question I was asked on Monday that the June 5th date was confirmed. I was wrong. It turns out the 5th is taken, so the official and confirmed test date is Thursday, June 7th. We will be running between 11:00am - 2:00 pm at Stan Sayres pits on Lake Washington. Four boats are scheduled to test, Miss Thriftway, 1965 Miss Bardahl, Miss Burien and the Oh Boy! Oberto

I apologize for the mis-information.

Steve Compton

5-21-07 The May Newsletter is up. Click here.

5-16-07 - Roger sent in some pictures of the new graphics on the E-RCU trailer. Click here.

5-13-07 - Kirk Pagel's Shanty-I has been added to the Roster page.

5-13-07 - Jim Clark has his Bill Brow photos posted. Check the Photos page.

4-26-07 - Jim Lilly has some photos of the Silver Cup posted.

4-26-07 - Some web format changes. On the Results page when you click on the name of the race it will take you to the written recap of that race. Included on that page will be the .pdf files of the heat results

4-26-07 - Mick Shutt has taken ownership of the 1976 Miss Vernors

4-23-07 - Due to conflicts with the opening