The next race will be in 2024 – date TBC.

This is an “amphibious race” to make use of the large tarmac ramp which runs down into the water at the Apex Lake and to encourage good old fashioned British ingenuity, design and creative skills…and to have fun!  
The race is open to any RC electric powered model of any design, type or size, but it must be “amphibious” as half the race course is on the water (the wet bit) and half up along a ramp (the dry bit). 
Why not build something and join in the next event? The full rules are here > Wet n Dry Race – The Rules 2023 

Wet n Dry Race 2023 – Sun 14th May 
Report by Russ Chilcott
Photos by Howard Ashenden & Alan Spencer. Video by Rick Hamerslag

This year’s Wet n Dry Race was run following the free sail & scale on a perfect Sunday morning. Only myself, Chris Locke and Mark Shipman took part but it was still good fun. We might have had 4 entries but Howard Prothero model didn’t have enough power to come out of the water when he tested it before the start. At least he built something and (attempted) to have a go.

We raced a much shorter course this year but over 10 laps instead of 4 which worked much better as it is the going in and coming back out of the water which is the fun part! All 3 completed the distance which is no small achievement. All were powered by model aircraft turbine fans.

Chris’s used a single fan pushing a modified Mono 1 hull. It had 4 aircraft wheels which retracted when it went in the water and lowered for the ramp (dry) section. In testing and for the last race in 2018 (which he won) this had worked a treat, especially the water section with such little drag it was very quick. BUT as soon as this race started he had a serious problem – the wheels kept lowering by themselves when in the water! Chris thinks water damage from testing a days earlier may have caused the problem. It was fine on the ramp but dragging 4 wheels in the water really slowed it down.

Mark’s model was a modified Bingo Mini ECO hull. It was small and light with plastic discs for wheels, two at the front and one at the rear. This was also powered by a single fan. Being so small and light with little drag in the water it had the speed but the tricycle design meant it was prone to rolling over on the very bumpy and steep ramp. As his race progressed the wheels themselves and axle started to suffer, so it became even harder to control!

I had a twin fan design bolted onto a chunk of Celotex with 2 aircraft wheels at the front and 2 alloy discs for wheels at the rear. It was basic in design but the twin motors provided just enough power to lift the front wheels out of the water which was crucial in avoiding too much drag.

In the race itself I got off to a good start and pulled away by half a lap with Chris as quick on the ramp but with wheels down a bit slow in the water. Mark was quick but struggled to control it on the ramp. He rolled his model several times but was able to carry on.

By the halfway point I had lapped Chris but one of the rear wheels/discs was becoming very loose and it was in danger of coming off so I was forced to make a pit stop on lap 7 to tighten it. Chris passed me to unlapped himself and was coming around again. I managed to get it tighten up enough and got going again in the lead by a few feet! For my last 3 laps the wheel held on fine and I was able to pull away once again and won the race with Chris just a lap behind. Mark took 3rd spot.

It had been a good race which many who were there said had been entertaining to watch. Its not often you get to see RC models doing a race like this in/out of the water! I was very pleased to win the race.

I’ve now won it 5 times with various model designs over the 7 times it has been run, it’s always a real challenge. The trophy will be taking pride of place on the shelf for another year.

Thanks to Kevin Roberts (OOD & lap counter), Howard Ashenden (photos), Alan Spencer and Jo Evans (marshals & photos). Rick Hamerslag for videoing the entire race.

For those not on Facebook we hope to have the video on the Clubs Youtube channel soon.

2018 event (2019 cancelled due to algae outbreak, 2020 due to Covid!)
a few photos from previous events