Cincinnati Model Boat Club

[Mark Scott]

CMBC is a growing club. We have members from Oh, Mi, In, Ky and even Tn. There are many FE members. I've been running just FE for two years. But will have to breakout the nitro since we will be holding the 2023 IMPBA Nitro nats. We hold many different events thru the year: Fun Runs, open Time Trials test (non-official) and two IMPBA sanctioned events: 2 day race and 2 day Time Trials. Members can be at the pond on any given day after Harrison Park has given us authority to use the pond. Once that occurs, we have the pond to ourselves till 12/31. Few days a year the local LEO's use it for diving instructions, those are off limit for our use. Maybe 2 days out of the year. Drop us a note and inquire if any will be at the pond if you are in the area.

I am the current club treasure. Mario Johnston is the president. Both of us can be reached at the below email.

[email protected]

If you are on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/CincinnatiModelBoatClub

[T.S.Davis]

Hey Mark, are you guys hosting any FE events this summer? Cincinnati is about 4 hours from the MMEU pond. Maybe we could play together in the future.

[Mark Scott]

As for this year, doubt it, for a just FE event. Past few years, there was talk about wanting to do an all hydro event. For this year, club decided to host the 2023 IMPBA Nitro Internats. With the amount of gas boaters in the club, possible we may host the Gas Internats in future years. I'll be there to push for the FE Internats!

There has been interest for Blazer Marine to develop FE specific boats outside of myself. I've been pushing that since last year. Other (non-FE) members of the club, that have seen the speed of FE, are working on FE boats. Think the club needs a year or two for more members to get into FE. Trust me, I will be pushing for a FE event at some point. Our open events are for all to come and have fun. Even the days members go down for testing are open to all. Just make sure one of us is going down. One Sunday I went down, must have been 45 boaters. Thought we were holding an event. Our club meetings that are held at the pond are also open to all.

[T.S.Davis]

We hosted the Michigan Cup for decades but when interest waned so did the race. Small group doing a lot of work for very few entries.

Sounds like you guys have the numbers to do what ever you can dream up. Makes it more fun for all.

[Mark Scott]

Club has doubled + since Mario started the media blitz. He and I go out to any swap meet that is RC related. Put the boats out on display and talk about the hobby and club. He has done a Boy Scout meet, showing off and explaining boats to the young ones. Many other items he has done to get the club's exposure out there. He lived in town for 6 years before seeing a facebook post for an open event. Because of the work he puts in, our numbers keep increasing. But we all know, having the numbers doesn't mean it equates into help at an event.

[Mark Scott]

Think I will need to start watching for MMEU races. If you hold Spt Hyrdo and tunnel classes, may make a trip to my home state.

[T.S.Davis]

No tunnels but we usually run P and P Limited Sport. Club classes for points are P-Limited Cat, P-Limited Mono, P-Limited Sport Hydro and 10th Scale

Then if we get enough scales we split them into groups. Turbine, Modern piston, and Vintage. Happens frequently.

Then additional classes we'll run if we get 4 entries of P-Limited Offshore, P-Sport Hydro, P-Cat

Last year a number of our members had scheduling problems that jacked their participation. That's how P sport ended up as an optional class. Chances are very high that it will run at every club race. We had a number of guys start running P cats late last summer too. That's a hoot.

We do 5 or 6 club races and then an end of season challenge that doesn't count towards season points. Just fer an extra chance to race. This year we may do a late spring 2 day race. We'll decide all that in a few weeks at our winter meeting.

[T.S.Davis]

A large portion of our current members are car racers. We have a number of really good tracks locally. Midwest carpet championships are 6 miles from my house. 330 entries and counting. Woohoo.

A few local car racers, my brat included, started racing both and they talk. Car guys are as crazy as we are and have electric knowledge. I think they enjoy the slower pace of a boat race. They also get outside which for car guys is like a troll that's been living under the shadow of a bridge in a dank forest. "THE LIGHT.....IT BURNS!" Boaters are wired a little different. They'll pull the motor out of their boat to get you on the water or hand you a prop to try to get you a half mph against them. Very few secrets with the boats. That's refreshing for them I think.

We used to do swap meets and such. Maybe 15 years ago now. We always.....usually?....frequently got the same thing. We would get questions from fuel guys that thought our boats were toy boat crap. I suppose they were right at the time if I'm honest. We also got "toy" boat guys that would tell us there Blackjack would go 80 mph for at least 15 minutes easy. Exhausting.

The fuel guys are either over hating us or are better at hiding it. Either way I'll take it. haha

[Mark Scott]

I grew up in Grand Rapids, Mi. Then, home of the River City Racers. That club used to host the ROAR 12th scale Winter Nationals every year. Moved out of state in 92. Do miss the outdoor / indoor racing.

Agree, there is a big difference between car/truck vs boaters. Heck, I've given parts to a competitor just so we could compete on the water. See it all the time at the pond, want to try my prop? And we get the disbelievers. The vids have been altered. Blah blah blah. Come out and see.

One event Mario and I attend each year is a LHS hosted event. Anything and everything RC is invited. The city allows them to use the local community park, which includes a small pond. Last year, Mario ran his SS Mono and I took out a Q tunnel. Believe we brought in three new members from that one event.

We have members that are straight up RTR and don't want to upgrade. Give them a few years and some may change and step up. Will see.

Club now has new blood involved. New directions will take a few years to happen. Talks are in works with the Harrison Park commission to allow us to open up the pit area. Right now, it is a tight fit for putting in 60 boaters. Trailers would be further away. If opened up as we hope, trailers would be allowed in the pit area.

Guess I could bump up the N Cat to a P Cat.. Running N to set records as the club runs both 1/3 and 1/4 mile. I currently own the IMPBA P tunnel 1/3 mile. Will try N cat, P & Q tunnel along with this P Spt Hydro this coming year.

[Mark Scott]

Guess I should have stated CMBC is a IMPBA affiliated club. We run nitro, gas and FE. Bring your fast boats, your slow boats.. If it's a RC boat, we'd love to see it on the pond!

[T.S.Davis]

I have family in Grandville. My son has traveled to Grandville for multiple car races. He is the better driver between us. Under his senior picture in the year book his quote says "If it floats, race it"

We try to support both organizations best we can. We've been affiliated with both organizations at one point or another. We don't always agree with the brass of both orgs but the people....the folks that race on a given Sunday......always good people. I can count the boaters I think are a'holes on one hand.

Hopefully we can all get together at some point. The gang was talking about a concerted effort to make the NAMBA nats this summer.