Model Yachting

Out on the Course

Bruce Wilhelm topped the Sailor Class this week with a score of 7.4. Second place had a tie with Kevin Bennett and Mark Bodenstab each scoring 7.7, just three tenths behind Bruce. Fourth will have to go to Dick Currier at 11.1 since Dave Corbett sailed only five races, two short of qualification for this regatta.

Tim Wright forgot the radio for his new boat so went with plan B and the old #383, taking only four firsts but generously sharing his boat with other skippers. Oh, by the way, he did take the regatta with a score of 1.3! Steve Leker managed four wins and a second to place second overall with very consistent sailing leading to his score of 3.3. Don Cundy held onto third place with a couple of seconds, three thirds, and a score of 3.9. He was followed by Ken Gerber in fourth with 4.0 that included two wins and a second of his own. Ted Monetta rounded out the top five at 4.3, proud of his one win and one second.

Out on the Course

Linwood Davis continued his winning ways, finishing first in the Sailor Class with a score of 4.40, not only to win his class but also third overall. Not far behind was Clint Wolcott with a score of 5.30 to achieve second place in the Sailor Class and fifth overall. He is headed back to D.C. this week with instructions to straighten out the place. Good luck with that one! He responded that he just keeps his head down all winter. Good strategy.

Mark Bodenstab earned a score of 5.70 to take third in his Sailor Class and sixth overall. Fourth spot in the Sailor Class went to Dave Corbett with a score of 6.80, placing ninth overall. Rounding out the top five in our Sailor Class was 90-year-old Dick Currier with a very respectable score of 7.60 and tenth overall – just a little slower than his 80-mph hydroplane in his heyday, but very respectable for Back Bay.

The Master Class was led by our season champion, Tim Wright, crossing the finish line first in seven races for a score of 1.30. In between victories, he also made a couple of rescues. Anthony Quinn left his old boat at home and won the first race in #111 for a score of 3.20 and a second-place finish overall. Mark Whitehead stopped his grumbling about wind to win the last race and tally a score of 4.60, placing third in the Master Class and a fourth overall. With a score of 6.20, Ted Monetta earned fourth in class and seventh overall, followed by Joel Nelson with a score of 6.30, fifth in his class, and eighth overall.

The Grinch Brought the Winds

The winds for September 24 were funny but not giggly, happy funny. They were just plain weird – the strangest we’ve seen – and that’s saying something for Back Bay! Its velocity wasn’t bad, but it seemed to be intoxicated, coming from the strangest directions and heights. We’d set the sails just right and suddenly they would luff and the boat would sit dead in the water. The wind’s direction was not only unpredictable but also different at various levels above the water. The pennant at the top of the mast would flutter in one direction, the waves in another. The wind on shore could be at our backs yet the sails would fill in the opposite direction, leaving us scratching our heads. Very few skippers could figure it out.

It was all-in for the eight Sailors and eight Masters, punching their tickets for ten races. At least we got one throw-out race.

Frustration Sinks In

After a couple of races with our normal four-buoy course, the fleet seemed to stall at the second mark. There was no wind that close to shore so races were slow as the proverbial molasses. Perhaps a possible solution might be to just skip it and round the first mark to port. Ahhhh! Problem solved – and the pace of the races was at least a little better.

What a Way to End the Scoring Season!

Not too hot, not too cold, sunshine, and a good breeze to get in a record number of fourteen races. The September 10 Soling regatta brought out sixteen skippers, fifteen of whom joined the competition. Normally we’d separate the classes when more than fifteen participate, but the number being right on the edge, we decided to call for a single fleet — the reason we could complete so many races.

This was the last officially scored regatta of the season — a spectacular ending – but don’t you dare think that we’ll stop sailing! Our season of fun has another month and a half to go. Like the Energizer Bunny we keep going and going until it gets too cold to pull out the dock.

From now on, however, the pressure is off as we have more relaxed scoring and regattas in our weekly gathering with friends.

A wonderful group of about fifteen Belgians joined us, our skippers handing over radios between races to share the camaraderie of sailing. Later, they slowed down to smile and wave as they pedaled by on their bicycles.

The commodore brought a new toy so we’d know what the wind velocity was. It clocked speeds from eight to fifteen mph, but most of the time showed speeds of ten to twelve — ones that we could handle.

Solings Out on the Course

A new skipper every week seems to lead the Sailor Class. This week it was Linwood Davis who earned the first-place spot, scoring seven wins, two seconds, and a score of 1.22. Bruce Wilhelm’s three seconds, four thirds, and a score of 2.89 put him in second place overall. It was Genie Ware and Jim Opie tied for third place with a score of 3.11, Genie with five and Jim with six top-three finishes. John Barstow’s score of 4.00 earned fifth, having crossed the finish line in second place twice.

Solings Out on the Course

The Sailor Class had some new faces on the podium this week to demonstrate just how competitive the class is. Top honors went to Dave Corbett with one win, four seconds, and a score of 2.17. Curran’s new sails were worth hoisting because she has made progress steadily all season. This week, she took second place with her first win, yet another win plus two seconds for a score of 2.33, only .16 behind the class’s first-place finisher. She should be proud of this regatta! Genie Ware’s two wins and a second put her in third place with a score of 2.83. Class of 2024 skipper, Kevin Bennett, after achieving his first-win award last week, broke into the top five with a win of his own and a score of 3.33 for fourth place. Another Class of 2024 skipper, Dick Currier, took fifth scoring 4.00. All skippers deserve a round of applause this week.

Saying Good-Bye

Henry Clare, our youngest Back Bay Skipper, is headed to Montreal in Canada at the end of the week. He’ll return in the spring, but we stopped sailing for a few minutes to wish him well on his journey north. Bon voyage, Henry!