About the club... and some history of the pond
The club meets each week - whatever the weather! . It is based in Eaton park and is for model boat enthusiasts but also our model Trucks. Sailing for RC yachts is conducted on Saturday mornings where all class of boats are welcome but each Saturday (with the exception of open days and regatta's) there is racing for differing class of yachts. Please see the Events page for schedule of races.
Model boats - many hand built from scratch - are sailed on Sundays along with our Truck models which are driven on the pathways around the pond. Again the backdrop of the pond and park makes for exceptional viewing of the trucks.
The pond, and surrounding paths and buildings, in Eaton Park was built by ex service men from the first world war. This was part of the regeneration and planting initiative establish post war. Returning home with, in many cases, with no work they were given the chance to build the pond and buildings, plant out the gardens and in return were given food packets and basic wages to take home. Read more of the history below...
HISTORY OF THE POND & CLUB:
The years following the First World War were a time of unemployment and hardship. Using government grants, the Corporation began to create parks as a means of providing unemployment relief.
For three and a half years over a hundred men were employed to build the bandstand, pavilions, and model boating and lily ponds. Tennis courts (there were over 40), cricket squares, bowling greens, other sports and leisure areas and gardens were created. In 1928 the Park was officially opened by the then Prince of Wales.
Sailing Vane yachts in 1941 .... No RC then!
...2022 now more control - but still reliant on the wind!
Construction of the club house in 1925
The 1928 boat pond is one of the finest in Europe. It holds 960,000 gallons of fresh water and was first used to sail traditional ‘vane’ yachts. Today you can see model boats of all kinds from toy boats to Thames sailing barges and from cross-channel ferries to submarines. Many boats are hand-built and on event days they’re displayed beside the pond, where you can meet and chat with the people who made them.
The club house now... still going strong...
