On a beautiful autumn day in New York City's Central Park, two groups of folksingers are performing near the Sheep Meadow. On the walkways there are joggers, cyclists, yuppies and their puppies. And at Conservatory Pond—like football coaches on a sideline—stand nine men with radio transmitters solemnly piloting their model sailboats by remote control ...
Until 1972 the boats in Central Park raced on the vane system—that is, on autopilot—from one side of the pond to the other, with skippers pushing their boats off with bamboo poles and hoping for the best once their boats had been launched. Nowadays, with much of the guesswork lost to radio control, model racing is more like a chess match than child's play. The boats are made of fiberglass and are roughly 50 inches long, with 1,500 square inches of sail. Classic modelists—still a large part of the club—like to call them disco boats because they sport shiny Mylar sails and tend to tack all at once, like dancers doing the hustle.
N. Brooks Clark, "Central Park's Sailors Remain On Shore But Are Awash In Enthusiasm." Sports Illustrated, 11 November 1985.
