published: 2019-03-18 06:11:00 (6592) Author: |
Jacqueline Aebi - International Women of RC |
| Today we are talking to an International Woman of RC with a wealth of experience around the track from racing, to timing, to EFRA board member and treasurer, let's say hello to Jacqueline Aebi! |
 Hi Jackie, how did you get started in RC?
I started in 1980 with model cars. In the very beginning I was invited to a RC race by friend's father just to watch. I was that delighted and tried to join the next race and to help whenever I could with my mechanic skills. Also I used to run over the track quickly to not be hit by the running cars to put the car again back on its tires. All this had then started a long journey to where I am today. I then started racing myself, becoming more and more skilled and could compete at regional and then on national level and cope usually in the 10 to 20 position. You see, I couldn't achieve the champion level. But I was very upset when I had once won a race but the lap counter had missed one lap so I failed in my first win and was unfortunately last. This was my motivation in 1987 to create timing software so that laps would no longer need to be counted manually. I developed the RCP Race Control Program, which later became RCM Race Control Management as everyone knows it today. |
 Racing cars is traditionally a male dominated activity - did you find RC a welcoming environment to join?
As a woman I was always welcome and I loved to be within this 'Man's World'. At this time beside me were 2 other women, one was the sister of Traugott Schär a former Euro Champion and she was clearly the fastest woman I had ever seen, she was always in the top 3 of the Swiss national championship. The other lady was in my range of skills. In addition to the women, I was the one who was very skilled in mechanics and I made very good setups also for the guys. Even when I saw that my skills didn't achieve a winning level on the track. But when a car wasn't working well I could see very quickly what tuning it needed to improve it. I also knew by heart how the cars were built and which were the best tuning parts you could buy. I was becoming a very well known lady because I started to count all the races and for about 10 years every weekend I was somewhere in Switzerland running race timing. Later on, I would also count EUROs races with EFRA. Obviously the male RC racers stood behind me. From 1990 on I was appointed as Large Scale Section Chairman and and then President of Technics and again later president of the Swiss Federation until 2014. And in addition to this, for 14 years now I have been Treasurer for EFRA. |
 Would you like to see more women in the sport? I am not supporting a %-rate of women. If a woman has the skills and she can cope with the fast boys, then yes go for it! And when you can compete or beat the boys then you are of course member of the clan and accepted. If girls just give RC a go they could have real fun, perhaps this is the trigger we need to promote more, we indeed should find ways to be better at opening the door to RC for women. To attract the girls you also need to find the best car to learn with. What would you say to any women reading this considering getting involved? You could be a woman with hidden talents, just come, race, work and have fun together and you will make friends and will likely want to stay. Finally, as it's International Women's Day. Tell us a woman you look up to... (Either inside or outside of RC) Greta Thunberg strikes for climate change, for me it is not the subject that she stands on, for me it is her energy and empathy to sound her message around the world. And that the world responds to it like a wake up call. |
