- Course
Size
- by Don Mock
- I thought I'd take a moment to tell
you a few details on the typical R/CU race course we run on.
When the "Czar" and I were running our 1/6th scales
in Ellensburg, the course I'd set up seemed surprisingly tiny
to us. The small size isn't as noticeable with our 1/8th scales,
probably because they turn so well, compared to our big barges.
But this got me thinking about course sizes, and if we were at
all close to running "scale" courses. When I got home,
I grabbed my calculator. Here's some numbers. The average measurement
of the courses we set up for our races are (depending on the
site) about 325' to 375' long (exit buoy to entrance buoy) and
about 60' to 80' wide (sometimes as much as 100' ie. Woodland,
Marysville etc.). If we were to attempt to set up a scale San
Diego or Tri-Cities 2 1/2 mile course, it would be huge, around
600' long and 150' wide. The only full-size course we come close
to duplicating is the Miami 1 2/3 mile. Roger and I pondered
a 1/6th scale 3 mile course, and realized we'd need a 20 foot
tall scaffolding to see our boats on the 1000' x 200' course!
Now, all this doesn't mean I'm proposing larger courses, I happen
to like the small tracks with the close quartered racing. Odd,
though, that we race models over twice scale speeds on 1/2 scale
courses. No wonder our heats often last less than a minute. Just
thought you might find the prospective interesting.
- .