MEMBERS OF Rawdon Model Boat Club will be messin' about on the water when they hold an open day later this month.

The group of enthusiasts will be showing off all models and sizes of boats on Larkfield Tarn on August 19 using electric or steam power, but no petrol or diesel.

Member Mike Critchlow said: "We are a club that embraces all aspects of model boat building and sailing. From racing yachts to scale schooners, from pleasure steam boats to cargo ships and warships and lifeboats. My own particular interest is sailing model racing yachts. My boat measures one meter bow to stern and stands taller than me. I haven’t given it a name, just a sail number, 54, and it is my pride and joy.

"I get to race my boat with like minded members every Thursday morning and sometimes on the weekends.

"Other friends at RMBC prefer to build scale model boats, either from scratch using a plan, or they buy kits and spend many long, enjoyable hours creating some wonderful masterpieces. I am always amazed by the level of detail they include in their finished model ships. You should come along and see them."

The open day runs between 10am and 4pm where visitors will be welcomed to the secluded park and waterside clubhouse at the top of Canada Road where it joins Larkfield Road.

There will be boats on show as well as boats to sell. Refreshments will be available in the canteen. Those who have not had a go with model boats before can even have a go at controlling them.

There has been a model boat club on Larkfield Tarn since the 1930’s, nearly a hundred years ago. The original club known as The Bradford Model Yacht club was formed in 1886 and after a number of years sailing on other lakes and ponds they settled on Larkfield Tarn in the early ‘30s.

The club has gone through good times and bad over their long history and has changed it’s name a few times to suit the changing fashions of model boating, but today we are the proud owners of one of the best clubs in the North of England.

One of the club's previous members, David Hollom, was involved in designing one of the British, 1987 America’s Cup contenders, White Crusader II, for the Royal Thames Yacht Club. However, the RTYC chose to use the other boat because it was of a more “conventional design”, in the Louis Vuiton Cup seeding races.