Wow! A lot of work and little time, so what else is new. Well, the weather has been great here in the Valley of the Sun and model boating has been busy. For the Victoria skippers in the area there is a special treat being made for them. The Dobson Ranch Home Association is allowing the use of one of their lakes for a day on Saturday, April 30! This is a special opportunity for Victoria skippers in the valley. Dobson Lake 1 is the largest lake in the Dobson area with easy access by automobile to the site and parking very close to lake side. There are docks available if needed with a south, west or northwest exposure to the water. Along with that there are restrooms available at a short distance.

As mention above, this lake is large. I have seen Dobson Ranch have rowboat races on it and it took effort of the participants to get across the lake. The lake has good exposure for wind the times I have been there. Since model yachters have never sailed at this lake, it will be new to all skippers in the valley. Because of this it will be well worth the time of all Victoria skippers to come out and race.

The Dobson Ranch Association has advertised this event and is looking forward to having us to have a regatta at their lake. There will be nice prizes for the first, second and third place winners. This event is open to all Victoria skippers. For more information see the Notice of Race in this issue. Who knows, get enough interest and model yachting may get some new people into the hobby. See you there! _/)

Model boaters are always looking for a new battery to run their boats with. Panasonic has just come out with a new disposable AA and AAA batteries called the Oxyride. Oxyride has more than twice the performance of high-end alkaline batteries for the same price (around $4 for a pack of four). According to Panasonic, they say the Oxyride lasts up to twice as long as alkalines. Tests done by the computer magazine, PCWORD (April 2005), the Oxyrides exceeded Panasonic's claims and nearly matched NiMH rechargeables!

You can only get these batteries from Panasonic, and PCWORD did not state when the Oxyride will be available in the U.S (is now available in Japan). We will just have to wait for it to get into the stores here in the U.S. So keep your eyes open! _/)

Managed by Desert Model Boaters

Eligibility: Any person who owns or sails a Victoria model yacht may participate.

Entry: Sighing up will be before the start time of the event.

Regatta Site: Dobson Lake 1, Los Altos Recreation Center, Mesa, AZ, see map below.

Time: Skipper’s meeting at 9:45 a.m. Race starts at 10 a.m. End time will be 2:30 p.m. Short courses may be run; long courses will be run as much as possible.

Schedule: The regatta will be on April 30, 2005. Registration will be at the race site on Saturday, April 30 between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Frequencies on a first come - first served basis.

Sailing Instructions: Event will be governed by 2005-2008 ISAF Rules. Authorized ground frequencies only for model boats.

Prizes: Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in the regatta.

Entry Fee: $2.00 per boat. Lunch is NOT included so bring your own. Racing will stop for lunch at the end of the heat at or around 12:00 noon for ˝ hour.

Directions: The Dobson Lake 1 located at the Los Altos Recreation Center in the Dobson Ranch Association. To get to the lake, you can either take Isbella Ave. or Javelina Ave. off of Dobson Rd. north of Baseline Rd. in Mesa, AZ. Follow either Isbella Ave. or Javelina Ave. until you come to W. Campo Alegre Cir. There you will turn right off of Javelina Ave. or left off of Isbella Ave. Proceed past the Los Altos Recreation Center sign until you come to the parking lot next to the pond.

For more information contact Dave Acree at 480-897-8373 or at model_yachting_rc@juno.com.