Wet n Dry Race 2025 – Sedgemoor Model Boat Club

The 2025 race has been and gone (1st June) – see report below.

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 this time? The full rules are here > Wet n Dry Race – The Rule

Wet n Dry Race 2025 – Sun 1st June
Report by Russ Chilcott
Photos by Rick Hamerslag & Alan Spencer

We had great weather for the 2025 event. I set the usual course about 10M wide with 2 markers out about 10M in the lake (the wet bit) and two more up on the ramp (the dry bit) roughly the same distance.

Sadly, there were only 4 entries this time which soon looked like being just 3 after Mark (Sutton) had tested his hovercraft only to find it didn’t have enough power to run up the ramp. He did still line up for the start, so he was at least guaranteed a 4th place!

In the previous two events Chris Locke has been plagued with very odd intermittent faults which effected the retractable wheel system on his modified Mono 1 boat. The wheels could be lifted up clear when in the water giving it very good speed, then with the flick of a switch would drop down to run on the ramp. He had tested it just before the race each time when it ran with no issue only for the fault to reoccur during the race itself! So, this year he replaced the entire electronic system, did no testing beforehand and his model ran perfectly!

Mark (Shipman) and I were racing the same models as we had used in the last few events. Mine called the “Green Machine” was basically a block of Celotex shaped to form a twin hull with two ducted fans attached, running on 4 wheels. Mark’s model was a modified small “Bingo” Mini ECO boat. It had 3 wheels in a tricycle layout with the rear slim alloy wheel also being used as a rudder when in the water – much the same as I had on mine. All the models used electric model aircraft ducted fans for drive on/off the water and lipo’s for batteries.

In the race, I got away to a good start taking the lead on the first lap, followed by Chris and Mark (Shipman). Mark’s (Sutton) hovercraft ran into the lake and promptly capsized – so, he did get his 4th place! On the second lap Chris caught and passed me, at the same time Mark’s Bingo model went a little wide on the ramp section hitting a spectator’s foot (another club member) and broken the rudder linkage. This was a great shame as he was out of the race after just two laps having won the event last year.

Meanwhile Chris and I were left to race it out. We both struggled to maintain control on the downward leg on the ramp heading towards the water. Neither of our models had brakes and would easily skid around if too much power was used.

Over the next 8 laps Chris gradually extended his lead. I did close on him briefly when he missed a marker in the lake and had to re-round it but apart from that I never had quite enough speed on the water to keep up.

On the 10th and final lap Chris just managed to lap my Green Machine winning the race in style. I had to settle for 2nd place, with Mark (Shipman) placed 3rd. Chris’s win is well deserved having been so unlucky at the two previous attempts.

Congratulations to him.
I’ll have to build something a little quicker on the water to compete next time.

Thanks to Rick Hamerslag for being our OOD and lap counter and Alan Spencer for the photos.