Community Snapshot: Model Yachts Set Sail At Gene Coulon Park

Dozens of miniature sailboats took to the waters of Lake Washington Saturday at for the COW Cup, an annual gathering of racing enthusiasts from Canada, Oregon and Washington state.

The pint-size crafts are part of the International One Meter class because the boats measure one meter in length, and they weigh in at just under nine pounds, said sail boat racer Julian Lee.

The boats will return to the park again on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. for the two-day event.

“It’s very competitive,” he said, nodding at a crowd of men pacing the overwater walkway, nearly moving in unison up and down the dock with radio controls in hand.

Seattle Model Yacht Club Captain Bob Wells said Gene Coulon Park is one of the club’s favorite racing locations.

“The Parks Department is good to us,” he said. “We like racing in Renton.”

In a blog post Wells describes the park as “exceptional.” 

“We sail on big deep open water. Often we are more of a “speed” course, but wind shifts and powerboat waves keep it all interesting enough.”

The group also has a small boat on hand to grab any rouge boats that may get caught in the wind or powerboat wakes.

“We had one get away from us earlier,” Lee said of a model yacht that went astray.

Sunday’s winds were just right for the small-but-mighty yachts, he said. The boats need between two and three knots to sail, but are able to navigate a course in winds up to 40 miles per hour.

In addition to the miniature yachts, half a dozen full-sized sailboats launched around noon on Saturday for their own race.

Coordinator Paul VonStubbe of Granite Falls said the group of friends chose to launch from the boat ramps at Gene Coulon because the Alki Beach ramp was full.

VonStubbe is no stranger to the area; look closely at the photos on the City of Renton website and you’ll see a picture of his blue-hulled boat, “Scout.”