News Archives - NH Boat Museum

Model Yachting News • September 10, 2019

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12s Sail
Tim Wright reports that on Thursday, September 5, we had good news and bad news. The good news concerned the weather. It was beautiful with good wind — variable, of course — and very pleasant temperatures. The bad news was that only four US12s sailed, taking advantage of the great conditions.

Previous Highlights

Upcoming Events

9/24 Soling Season End
9/26 US12 Season End

Score Sheets

On the water, Tim Wright led the way with Paul and Don McBride finishing second and third respectively in very competitive racing, and Paul Wallace in fourth. Trying out his new sails, Paul, in his thoughtful way, let others do well because he knows how important it is to them. What a guy!

Diane Labella sailed her Soling on the course with us and had some good races. At one point, she brought her boat ashore to let it take a nap. “It looked tired,” she explained. After a short rest, her Soling returned to the action.

The big news of the day was something they said couldn’t be done. Impossible, they said. Don McBride actually picked up some weeds on his US12 keel, but it wasn’t just a little weed. It was easily longer than the boat. When it comes to doing the impossible, just ask Don! We were all in shock that he was able to do something so unlikely.

News Flash
Al Stevens took his first win in race five on September 10, a day that will go down in history — or infamy, depending on your outlook. Congratulations, Al!

Without boastful fanfare, Jay Burns snuck in his first win in race two and followed that with another victory in race three! Jay was so quiet about his achievement, the rest of us focusing on our own yachts didn’t even notice until the scores came in. His award of the coveted water bottle will be presented at the next regatta. Congratulations, Jay!

On-Again-Off-Again Winds
During the September 10 Soling regatta, winds were fickle, to say the least, with spotty winds challenging the entire fleet. Stragglers would cruise along making gains on the leaders when, suddenly, the wind disappeared. The next race might be just fine, so it became a crap shoot as to what you’d get. The light-air skippers always seem to manage, but the rest of us go nuts. To further the frustration, six weed calls were made.

Twenty-two skippers launched for the eight-race regatta this week, making for a full bay. No matter the conditions, however, skippers and spectators always have a bunch of fun.

Out on the Water
The Sailor Class was led this week by Paul McBride, a bit more consistent than older brother, Don, who sailed to second place. Rounding out the top three was Denis Boisvert. Jay Burns took the fourth spot with two first-place races, followed by Bruce Brown in fifth.

In the Master Class, Tim Wright was out in front with Rick Lalley in second. The other Rick, Rick Gates, ran a strong third with two first-place finishes. Dan Masessa sailed into fourth with just a little more consistency than Tom Greig in fifth.

Join the Fun
If you don’t want to build a boat, we’ll help you find a used one. Don’t want to sail? Just come and watch — we put on a great show every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 1:00 PM, weather permitting. Be sure to bring your camera.

Model Yachting News • September 3, 2019

Posted on September 6, 2019September 6, 2019 by Paul McBride

Tim Wright Reports
The US12 regatta on August 29 featured the best sailing wind of the season. A fairly consistent 7-10 knots of breeze gave the sailors a good opportunity to get the boats moving. The warm temperatures belied the slow changing of the seasons. On the water, seven boats showed up.
Tim Wright and Tom Greig alternated first and second places in the first six races until Tom won two in a row. Tim responded with three straight wins. In the end, Tim edged out Tom by winning seven of the twelve races, while Tom won the other five.

Previous Highlights

Upcoming Events

9/13 – 9/14 Vintage Boat Regatta, Wolfeboro
9/14 Footy Regatta, Nashua
9/24 Soling Season End
9/26 US12 Season End

Score Sheets

Paul McBride showed some consistency and good sailing, resulting in strong finishes for third place. Jerry Leach did well too, coming in right behind Paul in fourth. Don Cundy and Don McBride felt their boats weren’t going quite right and had some frustrating times. We know they will keep coming back and raising their games. Jim Opie kept at it and worked on getting his boat going a little better too.

We did have the pleasure of Dianne and Bill Quayle as spectators for a while. Dianne was very well-behaved, but Bill… We loved having them at Back Bay. It was a wonderful day of sailing, and we hope a few more US12’s show up next week. The more the merrier!

Two Regattas in a Row
Trying to keep up with the US12 weather, the Solings hit the jackpot on September 3. Temperatures were in the low 70’s, the sun was out, and the wind held steady all afternoon at about eight mph. We couldn’t ask for more!

Another good turnout this week had twenty-three boats for the twelve-race regatta. There were only a few weed calls, so it was clear sailing all afternoon. The rescue dinghy stayed put till the very tail end of the regatta, when Paul Wallace decided to check out the far shore.

Eeyore did manage three races before gremlins hit the new 2112. Back to the drawing board. We’ll hope for better results next week.

Out on the Water
A bit of a shakeup at the top of the Sailor Class this week with Don McBride taking back his first-place status. Denis Boisvert, showing skill, sailed into second, and for the first time this season, John Russell was among the top three with a strong third-place showing, taking three firsts and three seconds. Rounding out the top five this week were Diane Labella in fourth and Paul McBride in fifth. Except for his brief diversion, Paul Wallace sailed well with two wins.

The Master Class had the top three locked in a battle all their own. Tim Wright forged ahead to first, with Rick Lalley capturing second, and Tom Greig on their tails in third. Surging into the top six this week were Rick Gates in fourth with one win and two seconds, Dan Masessa in fifth with two seconds, and Bob Pacini in sixth with one second place.

Model Yachting News • August 27, 2019

Posted on September 2, 2019September 2, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12 Fleet
Tim Wright reports that Thursday, August 22, was another good day of US12 sailing on Back Bay. The wind was light and shifty, something sailors at Back Bay have grown to know well. The temperature had backed off its summer high and was quite enjoyable.

The sailing seemed to be getting more competitive throughout the fleet. Tim Wright was pressed hard this afternoon. People were determined to test him at the start, and he was over early once. He also said it was getting harder and harder to get a good port tack start (as it should be).

Previous Highlights

Upcoming Events

9/13 – 9/14 Vintage Boat Regatta, Wolfeboro
9/14 Footy Regatta, Nashua
9/24 Soling Season End
9/26 US12 Season End

Score Sheets

Tom Greig, who has done better in recent weeks and is now a fixture at the head of the fleet, pressed Tim often. They battled for first place with Tim winning by a narrow margin. The battle for third place also was heated. Jerry Leach had an average finish of 3.40, while John Simms and Don McBride each had a 3.50 average finish to tie for fourth. For fifth and sixth place, Paul McBride and Jim Opie each won their head-to-head competition six times and finished within a point of each other.

Paul Wallace, as always, enjoyed the afternoon, the camaraderie, and the sailing. When he arrived (early as always), he discovered that his steering servo wasn’t working. With a replacement, he quickly and efficiently changed it out and had another enjoyable day of sailing. Tim has been telling Paul that new sails can’t hurt. Tom Greig offered to barter a new set of handmade sails for some homemade turnbuckles. When Paul gets his new sails, watch out!

What are best are the smiles. The sailors are really enjoying time to sail with each other and to share their hobby with people who pass by. The number of people, both adults and kids, who try RC sailing, walk away with big smiles and great memories.

News Flash!
Jack Minihan takes his first win on Back Bay. It was five short weeks ago that Jack built his boat, and on August 27 he charged through the Sailor fleet and took the win on race three of that day’s Soling Regatta. No small accomplishment. Congratulations, Jack! His reward was the traditional Back Bay Skippers water bottle.

Eric Borrin visited from Dover. He brought his recently completed T65 for its maiden voyage. No matter how you looked at it out on the water, it was a beauty.

The commodore, Mark Whitehead, built a new boat to better challenge the Master Fleet. It looked purty but didn’t go so well, so he had to revert to the old tired boat.

The Solings Gather
The August 27 Soling Regatta sure brought out the boats — twenty-seven including the T65. The bay was filled with both the Master and Sailor yachts. I don’t remember when we had that many boats. The fleets were well-behaved for the most part, and the weeds were at least manageable. The winds could have been a little stronger, but the fleets completed eight races.

Out on the Water
The brothers McBride maintained their hold on the Sailor Class this week. However, younger brother Paul kicked older brother Don out of the top spot. Don Boisvert had been absent for a couple of weeks with other commitments but fought his way into the third slot. Always a strong contender, Diane Labella showed her prowess by placing fourth, Jay Burns and Jack Miniham tied for fifth, followed by Al Stevens in sixth.

No changes for the Master Class, the strong contenders staying at the top. Tim Wright first, Rick Lalley second, Tom Greig third, and Dan Masessa fourth. Don Cundy sailed into the fifth position, followed by Bob Pacini. Bob, our sometime-skipper, gave the leaders something to think about, taking a win in race two.

Model Yachting News • August 20, 2019

Posted on August 21, 2019August 22, 2019 by Paul McBride

Tim Wright Wins CanAm Challenge!
Experienced sailors from the U.S. and Canada gather in Stowe, Vermont every August for one of the major regattas of the season. The competition is intense and extremely close, with the top five for 2019 within nine points of each other. Our own Back Bay Skipper Tim Wright was overall winner in this year’s two-day fourteen-race event, a mere four points ahead of second-place finisher Don Ouimette.

CanAm Score Sheet

Leading the fleet were: Tim Wright, U.S. Team, 36 points; Don Ouimette, U.S. Team, 40 points; Jim Goddard, Team Canada, 40 points; Bruce Nourjian, U.S. Team, 41 points; and Jack Ward, U.S. Team, 45 points. Once all totals were tallied, the U.S. team claimed victory.

US12 Guest is AMYA Director Don Ouimette
Tim Wright reports that the August 15 US12 sailing regatta had a special guest. Don Ouimette is the AMYA Region 1 Director and an outstanding sailor. He recently won the Region 1 US12 regatta hosted by Rick Gates in Nashua. He proved to be just as tough today. Although he wasn’t officially scored, unofficially, he won the day quite handily. Tim Wright and Bill Hagerup tried to give him a challenge, but he was tough to catch and won all but three of the eleven races, including the last six in a row! It was a treat to have him visit — and to demonstrate we have a way to go with the 12s!

US12 Score Sheets

Tim barely eked out a victory over Bill Hagerup. Bill was doing better as the day progressed, and had we any more races, Bill could easily have passed Tim in the scoring. Don McBride came in third with a couple of second- and third-place finishes.

Paul McBride was right behind. He had a string of thirds in the middle of the afternoon and finished just ahead of Jim Opie, who also did better as the racing continued. John McClun finished sixth, but had a first (by a mile) in the first race. He is borrowing Tim’s second boat that recently had some weight-reduction surgery. It seemed to be successful. Paul Wallace again showed his love of sailing and his determination. He finished seventh, but never gave up. After all, what could be better than doing something you love with a group of nice people on a sunny afternoon.

The Solings Dance
The sun was out and so were the skippers — twenty-two to be exact — for the August 20 nine-race regatta. The forecast predicted four-mph winds, but, luckily, they were a little stronger for the most part, although the usual dead spots creeped in now and then. The split-fleet start was used, with Master Class going out first, followed by the Sailor Class.

Our champion skipper Tim Wright, back from his impressive win at Stowe, jumped the start not once but twice. Of course, our scorekeepers, Ellen Koehler and B.B. Wright, won’t stand for those shenanigans, and he was called back for a restart. While the rest of us made smart-mouth comments, he returned to the starting line — and immediately caught up with the fleet!

Soling Masters Score Sheets

Soling Sailors Score Sheets

Alex Hill joined us for the first time with his newly acquired boat, and spent the afternoon getting acquainted with this new sport. We hope he can join us often. Look for Alex’s #4068.

For the most part, the fleet was reasonably well-behaved, although we did have one five-man mast dance that took awhile to untangle. Weeds flourish in this hot weather, and a few floated to our side of the bay to grab rudders and keels, but it was manageable.

Out on the Water
The top of the Sailor Class seems to be holding steady with Don and Paul McBride leading the way. It’s a close race for the third spot, with Paul Wallace hanging on to the third spot for the season, but Diane Labella has sailed into third for the last two weeks and is creeping up. We are glad to see Al Stevens pulling into fourth and Jack Minahan taking fifth.

Tim Wright took top honors, with Rick Lalley and Tom Greig fighting it out for second and third. This week, Rick Lalley finished second with four race wins and holds second for the season at the moment. Don Cundy, always a strong contender, pulled into the fourth spot, followed by Rick Gates.

Join the fun

If you don’t want to build a boat, we’ll help you find a used one. Don’t want to sail? Just come and watch — we put on a great show every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 1:00 PM, weather permitting. Be sure to bring your camera.

Model Yachting News • August 14, 2019

Posted on August 16, 2019August 16, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12 Regatta August 8, 2019
Don McBride #10 writes that our weather wizard, Commodore Mark, made another good call again today. Despite two afternoon downpours at my home on the north end of town, only occasional sprinkles fell on Back Bay today!

Tom Greig took top honors for the day with six firsts and four seconds. John Simms was well rested after his long hiatus, coming in second with five firsts and one second. Don McBride snuck into third place with one first, two seconds, and three thirds. Don Cundy was close behind with two seconds and one third. Jim Opie was putting on the pressure and came in with one second and four thirds. Jerry Leach had two seconds and two thirds. Paul McBride had one third.

Paul McBride had an exciting rescue with most of the fleet helping to coax his boat back to shore. During the rescue Jerry demonstrated superior skills in ushering the helpless boat back to its master at high speed

Bonnie kept us racing even as the darkest clouds approached. We raced on through sprinkles and were able to complete twelve races, which means we could throw out our two worst scores.

Tom Greig could be heard throughout the day giving sage sailing advice to the less experienced sailors. Tom has been sailing most of his life just like Tim Wright. A total of eight sailors enjoyed another great day on the water.

Commodore Makes the Call
After forecasts of a high rain potential, the call went out: Why take a chance? We moved our Soling race day to Wednesday. Meteorologists goofed — there wasn’t much rain in the area on Tuesday after all, but Wolfeboro did get wet so the call was a good one. Besides, Wednesday turned out to be glorious. Winds could have been a little more consistent, but what else is new? The sun was out at least, and everyone had a great day, with nineteen boats launching for a ten-race regatta.

Out on the Water
In the Sailor Class the McBride brothers dominated again this week, with Don leading the way and Paul a close second. Diane Labella sailed well to the third spot. Bit by bit, Paul Wallace has crept up in the standings and landed in fourth place this week, followed by Bruce Brown. Jack Minahan and Skip Koehler, each pulling off a third place in one of their races.

Tim Wright was king of the hill for the Master Class, battling Tom Greig all the way — something they’ve done since they were kids on Narragansett Bay. Always near the top of the fleet, Rick Lalley earned third, and Bill Malay and Bob Brennan had strong showings, placing fourth and fifth respectively.

Model Yachting News • August 6, 2019

Posted on August 7, 2019August 7, 2019 by Paul McBride

US 12 Sailing
Tim Wright reports that August 1 provided the US 12 skippers and observers with some of the best weather for sailing and watching this year. The wind was strong, but not too strong, and the low humidity made it very pleasant on the walking path. While many boats were emptied during the day, the crash boat never had to rescue anyone. Some boats were involved in tangle-ups and equipment failures, but everyone got their boats to shore without aid from the dinghy. The sailing was tight and there were many “photo finishes” during the afternoon. In all, it was a very good day to be sailing

Tim Wright won the day with nine firsts, Don Cundy edged out Bill Hagerup for second, and Paul McBride came in fourth. John McClun sailed well in fifth. Jerry Leach and Don McBride were very close for sixth and seventh, and Jim Opie and Paul Wallace rounded out the fleet. The racing was close and exciting. The racers demonstrated that they all are getting better at starting, with many starts making official scorers Bonnie McClun and B.B. Wright work hard to call the line, ensuring no one was over early. It was a wonderful day of sailing and we hope others will join us as the season continues.

US 12 Spring Series Awards
Awards for the spring series were ceremoniously presented on August 1, with Tim Wright topping the list, Bill Hagerup earning second-place honors, and Don Cundy landing an impressive third.

Soling Regatta
Unlike last week, August 6 was, for the most part, weed-free. There were six weed calls, and we should credit Tom Greig with the day’s top weed. He boasted it weighed forty pounds, but we think that was a slight exaggeration — more like a few ounces. We tried to take a verification picture, but Tom is much too shy — or didn’t want to be caught in his fabrication!

It was great to see some familiar faces returning to the bay. Bill Malay works extremely hard at keeping the Boat Museum’s building program on the straight and narrow, leaving little time for sailing. He was back today.

New skippers, Nelson Steiner and Clint Wolcott, launched their newly built boats. Clint had electrical issues that kept him sidelined for much of the day, but Bob Brennan came to the rescue helping Clint get back on track.

The Dax is back!! About a foot taller than when he last sailed, Dax Rivera joined us for a few races. Jackson O’keefe came at the end of the day, and we hope that he and his brother will join us next week.

Out on the Water
Tuesday had one of the best showings of the season, with twenty-three boats launched. No complaints when we split the fleet to more manageable starts.

The Sailor Class was led by the McBride Brothers — Don leading and Paul close on his heels. Paul Wallace put in a strong performance placing third. In third place for the season, John Russell sailed to the fourth spot.

Jay Burns, class of 2018, finally finished his boat this year and had some good races, placing second, fourth, and a couple of fifths. Jack Minaham, Bruce Brown, and Nelson Steiner had some strong race showings as well, but, like the rest of us, need to work on consistency.

The path to the top two places in Master Class is well established, with Tim Wright in first and Rick Lalley close on his heels. After that it’s a free-for-all. This week, Dan Masessa jumped into the third spot with Rick Gates and Tom Greig providing a serious challenge. The rest of us show occasional spurts of brilliance but all too often can’t find that elusive wind.

Model Yachting News • July 30, 2019

Posted on July 31, 2019July 31, 2019 by Paul McBride

Lake Discovery Camp Sails
On July 25, just before the US 12 regatta, several participants in Lake Discovery Camp visited Back Bay to take the helm of our US 12s and Solings. After brief instructions, they launched their boats to experience this popular hobby.

US 12 Regatta July 25

Don McBride, No. 10, reports good winds today, July 25, much better than expected. The direction, however, wasn’t dependable for long as it had a tendency to shift at critical moments.

Tim took the afternoon off and lent me his chair, which I found helped my skills immeasurably. Bonnie was scorekeeper/race master today and managed to keep us under control most of the time.

Bill Hagerup was the day’s top scorer, with eight firsts and one second-place finish. Tom Greig had one first and five seconds, and both Don Cundy and Don McBride had one first, two seconds, and three thirds. Don Cundy’s crew got hungry in the middle of one race and headed No. 70 for Wolfetrap Grill!

It was a beautiful day on the water, and we sailed until we got tired after a total of ten races.

Hot Day – No Results
Seeing the weed boat in Back Bay, we knew we were in trouble. The divers were down collecting the milfoil but, as usual, they never got all the scraps. The very first race had eight to ten weed calls, so scoring was immediately suspended and we switched to relaxed racing — if you believe that, I have a bridge! Let’s hope we get a good rain to flush the bay.

Practice Pays
Let it be a lesson to new and old skippers, when you practice you get better. Diane Labella has worked hard to improve her skills. Sailing twice a week so she can be competitive, it finally paid off with her first win. Leading from start to finish, Diane got a jump on the fleet and held the lead all the way. She was presented with the traditional, highly coveted first-win water bottle.

Out on the Water
We didn’t have the pressure of a scored regatta, but we continued to challenge each other for bragging rights — yup, we do that now and then! We did launch twenty-one boats, so the bay was full most of the day. The experienced guys worked with some in the Sailor Class to give them a boost. There was boat tinkering as well, leading to improved sailing. All of which wouldn’t happen with a scored regatta. Nice to see.

Just another day on Back Bay

Model Yachting News • July 23, 2019

Posted on July 26, 2019July 28, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12 Regatta Thursday July 18

Tim Wright reports that this week the US12 fleet sailed from left to right, using the two left side buoys as a start-finish line. The five skippers sailed twelve races around the buoys on the right end of the course, and had a number of exciting finishes throughout the fleet. As usual, the short leg coming back towards the shore was the most difficult, and always caused shifts in the order of the fleet.

Everybody had at least a first- or second-place finish, with Tim Wright leading the way today. During the first two races, Jerry Leach was letting others try out his boat and had a couple of high scores — not good in a low-point scoring system. However, he came on strong to finish in second place. The close racing was between the other three sailors, finishing within half a point of each other per race. John McClun sailed a borrowed boat, Paul McBride led off the regatta with a first place, and Paul Wallace had three second places in a very solid showing.

The best part of sailing is the camaraderie and friendship between the sailors and scorers. As usual, Bonnie McClun and B.B. Wright did their outstanding job on the line, starting the races and recording finishes. There were a number of spectators who also enjoyed watching the boats sail in a good breeze. Although we were down a couple of sailors this week, we look forward to seeing more people next week.

Awards Day

The season has two series of competition for the skippers — spring and summer. The Solings ended their spring series on July 16, and awards were presented this week.

Don McBride and Denis Boisvert had been neck and neck for the last few weeks, but it was Don who edged out Denis for top award in the spring series . Taking third spot was Paul McBride, showing he’s no slouch at the helm.

Finishing at the top of the Master Class was our sailing guru Tim Wright, the master of light and ever-shifting winds on Back Bay. Rick Lalley’s skill earned the second spot, making the three-hour drive from Thomaston, Maine weekly to unseat the champion. Howard Germon, a Mainer from Acton, captured third in the spring series.

The Soling’s
July 23 began with morning downpours, but by noon all was good to go. The NH Boat Museum Lake Discovery Day Camp, however, didn’t trust Mother Nature and postponed till Thursday for their sailing day

The winds were out of the west this week, which never happens — southwest or northwest but not straight across the bay. Just a little unique, to say the least, since our course is set for the prevailing winds. Forget the predicted five-mph winds. A few of the races actually had a breeze all the way through, but the majority seemed to have one split of the fleet moving and the other split just sitting and waiting. Once in a while all would surge ahead.

Out on the water
Fifteen skippers launched this week for a seven-race regatta. Coming between the spring and summer series, it was a practice session, with scores not to be included in the season total.

All new skippers were out of town except Jack Minaham, who brought his own cheering section. This week’s New Guys trophy goes to Jack. Look for his red – and we emphasize red – boat as he surges ahead of the “new guys” fleet, placing sixth in race six this week. He’s been practicing and has led the new guys since launch day – perhaps the old guys sometime soon.

As for the rest of the fleet, Tim Wright and Don Cundy shared first-place positions throughout the afternoon. Second-place finishers included Denis Boisvert, Tim Brand, Don McBride, and Mark Whitehead. Diane Labella demonstrated how practice pays off by taking third in races two and seven, and Paul McBride also sailed to a third place. In the center of the fleet, Paul Wallace and Don Opie each earned a fifth-place finish.

Model Yachting News • July 16, 2019

Posted on July 18, 2019July 18, 2019 by Paul McBride

Tim Wright Reports US12 Sailing
The US12 fleet had a great day of sailing on Thursday, July 11. While the wind was fickle, perhaps even more than usual, the people and their shared enjoyment made up for the hardship of wind shifts going the other way. When the wind comes off the land from the parking lot, the shifts can be frequent and dramatic. There was usually enough to keep moving out a little, but sometimes coming back towards the walkway left skippers looking for anything that might help their boats move closer to the inner mark.

Bonnie and John McClun were back from their trip and Bonnie resumed her scoring role. John recently sold his US12 but borrowed a boat for three races, coming in third in one of them. Bob Pacini, a guest two days ago when racing Solings, paid his dues and is now a member of the Back Bay Model Yacht Club. He brought his US12 and sailed like he’s been here before, which he has been over the years. He had two first-place finishes, and made a strong showing for the day, coming in third.

Paul Wallace keeps sailing each day and made an effort to be here on his 49th anniversary, with many thanks to his wife, as there was a lot going on at home. The barn they live in was on a home tour, yet Paul was able to come sailing. Paul is as generous as can be and much appreciated by the group.
Don McBride has been coming on a regular basis, and the sailors welcome his understated humor and good nature.
Paul McBride has been a regular now that his boat is up and running, and his quiet yet generous spirit is part of the reason sailors are starting to come more frequently.

Jim Opie returned after a week away. He missed last week because his father had an operation and is now at home resting comfortably. Don Opie is a frequent spectator to the racing, and we wish him a quick recovery so he can again grace our group with his patience.

Don Cundy did a good job today. At one point, he took a phone call while sailing in a race and kept talking. He is a true multi-tasker, and had a solid day of sailing, coming in fourth for the day.

Bill Hagerup was a consistent finisher, showing his usual good boat speed. He was often seen helping other sailors understand the meaning of rules while deconstructing situations from previous races. Bill’s quiet knowledge and keen sense of fair competition are always welcome. He came in second for the day.

Tim Wright was the winner. However, calls came in from certain spectators to check the boat for nitrous oxide or other forms of auxiliary power. Once, while finishing, Tim was asked if it was a good time to say he was over early. This particular spectator knew Tim wasn’t over early, but with mischievous humor had to plant a seed of doubt loud enough for others to hear.

The fleet of nine boats was three more than any other regatta this season. The spirited, but low-key racing was fun for all. The weather held out and the rain started shortly after the group broke up a little early after ten races. Some Back Bay US12 skippers will be sailing in the US12 Region 1 Championship this Sunday, July 14, in Nashua, NH. at 10 a.m.

It’s worth mentioning that Diane Labella showed up to sail her Soling, putting in some time at the controls. Lady Luck was not in her corner, however. Recently she has had problems with erratic control of the boat (electrical?), and she’s trying to troubleshoot to find the issue. Things went from bad to worse when the servo sail arm broke. She went to the Model Boatbuilding program and was helped by Mark Whitehead and Bob Brennan, but issues kept arising. Knowing Diane, she and her helpers won’t stop until the boat is in working order and back on the water. It was another wonderful day of sailing, and we look forward to next week

Back Bay Skippers at Nashua Regatta
On July 14, Nashua Model Yacht Club held the AMYA Region One US12 Regatta at Sandy Pond in Nashua, New Hampshire. The weather was warm and sunny, and morning winds were low, around 0-5 mph, that came from the WNW. Right around 10 a.m., the winds picked up to 5-10 mph and shifted around with small gusts.

Seven skippers launched for this regatta on a wonderful day to match their skills against each other in eighteen races. The results were extremely close, resulting in a tie between three skippers at the end of the day. Each of the top three had thirty points, necessitating a tie breaker based on the number of first through fourth place finishes for each. Results:

1. Don Ouimette, AMYA Region 1 Director
2. Tim Wright
3. Jack Ward, US12 Class Secretary

New Skippers Launch
The 2019 building class completed six new Solings.

In the photo are: Instructor Tim Wright, Builder Gary Martin, Instructor Bob Brennan, Builders Jack Minaham, Clinton Wolcott, Cameron Roderick, Nelson Steiner, Chris Proctor (hiding in the back), and team leader Mark Whitehead. Not pictured: Instructor Anthony Quinn

Nelson Steiner and Jack Minaham launched newly built boats on July 16 and charged right into the fray. Clint Wolcott will have to wait till next week, but joined the regatta with a Rick Parent loaner. All three had grins from ear to ear — not unusual for newbies.

July 16 Soling Regatta
The winds were certainly not what was predicted and a long way from six mph, but Back Bay winds are normally finicky, coming from all directions in fits and starts. Launching seventeen boats in split-class starts, the fleets completed nine races. In a split-class start the Master Class goes first, and as soon as the bell sounds, the one-minute countdown begins for the Sailor Class. The advantage is a much less congested start.

Out on the Water
Someone has been practicing!! Could it be Paul Wallace? He earned top honors for the day in the Sailor Class, with two firsts and four seconds. Congratulation, Paul! Paul McBride pulled off a strong second with two firsts and one second. Mac MacDonald sailed to third place with two second-place finishes. Denis Boisvert, one of our season leaders, sailed well but ran into trouble in the last three races, putting him in fourth place.

The Master Class was led by Tim Wright, taking five firsts and four seconds. Tom Greig had a strong showing for the day placing second with three wins and three seconds. Anthony Quinn had a great day landing in third for the day by virtue of being right near the top in almost every race.

Model Yachting News • July 9, 2019

Posted on July 11, 2019July 11, 2019 by Paul McBride

Tim Wright Reports the US12 News
The US12 fleet sailed on Wednesday, July 3, so they would miss the holiday parade traffic and find parking in the Back Bay lot. Those who showed up were treated to wonderful weather, the usual quirky wind shifts, and a great day of sailing. Although it was hot, the wind also was present most of the time, and we managed to complete fourteen races.

There were come-from-behind victories, close finishes, and mysterious gusts that helped some sail right past others stalled out.

At the end of the day, Tim Wright won the day with eleven victories. The race for second place was between Tom Greig and Bill Hagerup. Each had a first place, and scoring was so close it came down to the last race. The difference was five hundredths of a point, with Bill coming in just ahead of Tom. Don McBride wasn’t far behind, and seems to be getting his boat going well. Paul McBride, who stepped up to help run last week’s racing, and Paul Wallace challenged each other. They are two of the most dedicated sailors, showing up for both Soling 1M’s as well as US12s.

The US12 fleet is smaller than the Solings, and the racing is less stressful. Hopefully we can get a few more dedicated sailors to come out and enrich the fleet.

NH Boat Museum Enhances Soling Kits for Better Sailing
The 2019 model yacht-building class is underway. Six participants signed up for the workshop and are well on their way to producing some new yachts to challenge the Back Bay Skippers.

Traditionally, it has been a winter class, but this year, in an effort to attract some younger skippers, we have joined the museum’s family boatbuilding session. The class is a fifty-fifty mix of youngsters and seniors — just what we were looking for.

This year’s class participants are Chris Proctor, Gary Martin, Cameron Roderick, Nelson Steiner, Clinton Wolcott, and Jack Minaham. Instructors offering guidance are Tim Wright, Anthony Quinn, Bob Brennan, and Mark Whitehead.

Bob Brennan Reports and Reports and Reports…
The Soling race day was under sunny and breezy skies, with the wind dropping off and picking up at random times. Seventeen boats started the day, but before the racing began, Tim Wright gave a quick lesson on sailing rules that included port, starboard right-of-way, and privileged boat rules. It came in handy because we split the fleet into Masters and Sailors from time to time. The delayed start caused some avoidance at the X as the boats crossed at the upwind and downwind intersection.

If you have been at a Tuesday sail, you might have noticed that Rick Lalley has a new mobile stand that assists him moving up and down the path. I know that last season Rick missed a few buoys from his fixed position at the start-finish. Not that he needs any more of an advantage over the others, but Rick has had a very good start to the season.

I heard my first cry of “milfoil” that sent a chill down most of us. I think it was a false claim by Al Stevens to try and get sympathy for his frustrating day at the controls. No quarter given, and to be fair, Al never asked. The pole was in frequent use, and mast-mating was a common occurrence with some of the boats. The birth of baby Solings should occur within six weeks – or, at the very least, we’ll see new boats being built at the museum.

Don McBride had the big fail of the day by losing control of his boat and watching it sail to the docks at the Saw Mill Marina. Somebody made the comment that it was the fastest he’d seen Don’s boat move! Don Cundy jumped into action with the QAT (Quick Action Team). It’s really just a team of one, but Don was on it, retrieving McBride’s boat sans standing mast. A true veteran, Don McBride spent the remainder of his day relaxing on the bench and sharing exploits from his past to anyone who would listen. I’ve taken part on the bench myself, and Don is an interesting guy for sharing a conversation.

Out on the Water
In the July 9 Sailor Class regatta it was Tom Greig who led the pack. For years, Tom didn’t want to be scored, so we’re pleased to see him in his proper place on the leader board. John Russell sailed well this week, taking second place. Don McBride demonstrated his skills as well, coming in a strong third. One of the great New England skippers, Bob Pacini, joined us making an impressive showing as a guest skipper.

The Master Class maintained the status quo with Tim Wright leading the way, followed by Rick Lalley in second, and Howard Germon in third.