Written by Mark Whitehead, B.B. Wright, Tim Wright
Editing & Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B.B. Wright, Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead
Layout and Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry
e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com
In Memory of
Robert Shackford Little
June 02, 2023
Building Class of 2022
Sail #301
US12 Sailing June 1
For the first scored regatta of the season, eight US12 sailors were thrown straight into summer heat. With the temperature in the 90s and a variable wind, the sailing felt more like August. Thanks definitely goes to our scorekeeper, B. B. Wright, who sat in the hot sun all afternoon. Scorekeeping is a vitally important job but often is overlooked.
With the wind coming off the land and shifting tremendously, race director Don Cundy had a hard time trying to set a course. It appeared difficult to get a good upwind leg. However, with the variable wind, we all soon discovered that any course could have an upwind leg at any time.
When the results were in, every sailor had at least one finish in the top half of the fleet. At the pinnacle was Tim Wright with seven firsts in nine races. John Simms and Don Cundy continued their ongoing friendly rivalry with John edging Don by twelve hundredths of a point. Anthony Quinn finished in fourth place with a solid performance. The final four boats finished within one point of each other, offering good competition to each other and pushing those ahead to do their best. Bruce Wilhelm finished in fifth, including a win in Race 3. Bob Brennan finished in sixth place just ahead of Paul McBride in seventh. Close behind was Jim Opie in eighth. Overall, the racing was competitive, and small wind shifts made huge impacts on the standings.
We had a good day despite the heat and variable winds. At least we had usable wind. After canceling regattas earlier in the season because of excessive wind, it was great to have a day to sail. Let’s hope for more seasonable weather next week.
Thanks goes to those who helped clean up, put the dinghy away, and stored race gear where it belongs. We know some people can’t help, but a more concerted effort by all who can is greatly appreciated and makes the regattas more fun for everyone.
Commodore Makes the Right Call
Weather reports for the June 6 Soling regatta varied widely. The problem was the projected wind velocity that ran from ten to twenty-five miles per hour, depending on a particular forecast, with no improvement for our Wednesday alternative day. We took a chance and ran the regatta. To our surprise, we all had a great day. The winds were strong but manageable for the eighteen skippers who signed in, and eleven races were completed. Now and then the boats had some wild rides, but most of the races were just fast.
Skippers Lined Up Along the Shore
Out on the Water
The Master Class race winners were Tim Wright with four wins, Tom Barstow with three, Al Posnack with two, and Don Cundy tying with Denis Boisvert for one win each. In the Sailor Class, the race winners were Bob Strodel with four, Anthony Quinn with three, Ted Monetta with two, and Bill Malay also with two.
Tim and B.B.’s Report on June 6 Solings
Compared to our sailing last Thursday with its light, shifty winds, June 6th was different. The sixteen sailors who went out got a lot of wind, plenty of wind shifts and sometimes more velocity than they could handle. One participant described the day as “a blast.”
In all, we had 11 races with many delays due to the tenacity and velocity of the wind and the relative frailty of the boats. Tim Wright missed three races when his boat tipped over on land and both port shrouds parted. Don Cundy had two dismastings and decided to call it a day. Bruce Wilhelm got tangled with the ski jump, and lost his forestay. To his credit, Bruce was able to get his boat back to the dock with the mast still standing under its own power. Bob Strodel lost part of the bow, opening up a small but very efficient and effective leak. One of the sailors even lost a phone leaning over at the dock. It was later successfully recovered and hopefully still working. There was certainly enough to keep the skippers on their toes all the time.
Our scorekeepers, Karen Enos and B.B. Wright, were lenient as they allowed time for many bilges to be pumped and sail lines to be adjusted. Half of the sailors still managed to sail in every race. The results were close throughout the fleet and demonstrate how solid the racing is now.
In the sailor class, everybody had a first or second place. Anthony Quinn won three in a row, Bill Malay and Bob Strodel each had three wins as well, and Ted Monetta had two. In the standings, Anthony Quinn won the day with an average of 2.0, and Bob Strodel was second at 2.50. Bill Malay and Ted Monetta were almost a tie, but Bill edged Ted out by .01 for third place.
In fifth, with three second place finishes with an average of 3.6 was Jim Opie. In sixth place, Bruce Wilhelm, at 4.17, finished with one second place and a story to tell about how he sailed his boat back to the dock with no forestay. Great tenacity from our Sailors’ class!
In the master class, there were five different first place winners. Tim Wright led with 4, followed by Tom Barstow with 3, Al Posnack with 2, and one each for Denis Boisvert and Don Cundy.
In the standings, Tim Wright won the day with a 1.43 average, followed by Mark Whitehead. Mark’s four second place finishes and his consistency earned him second place with a 3.10 average. With eleven challenging races, Mark finished lower than fourth only twice. In third place, and making a solid showing was Tom Barstow, just behind Mark at 3.20. Despite his mast problems, Don Cundy finished fourth, with a 3.40 average. Denis Boisvert finished fifth with a 4.00, and Steve Leker had two second places and finished sixth with a 4.20. Right behind was Al Posnack at 4.30. The two other sailors, Don McBride and Joel Nelson, curtailed their sailing due to the heavy winds.
In all, it was a blast, and the wind won’t always be blowing that hard. The sailing was challenging, despite the damage that occurred to some of the boats.
Our thanks to all who attended, and to our scorekeepers, who patiently run the show. Let’s see what next week brings.
US12 Regatta, June 8
The weather prediction for the June 8th US12 regatta was not promising. Rain throughout the afternoon, off and on with no real prediction for the wind. While we had none of the smoke from Canada, the outlook wasn’t bright. Surprisingly, it turned out to be quite pleasant, and the sailing was challenging. The wind coming off the land provided us with many wind shifts, as well as pockets where there were none. To get the best upwind leg, we had downwind starts which led to crowded roundings at the first leeward mark. In spite of those challenges, the long upwind leg provided plenty of opportunities to practice upwind sailing with wind shifts. It also provided chances to gain or lose many places.
All nine who sailed today had multiple top four finishes, which shows how tough the competition is. Tim Wright took all but one of the firsts. His score was 1.0. He obviously has a well-hidden alternate form of propulsion on his boat. We just can’t find it. John Simms came in second, with the other win and five second place finishes. His final tally was 2.90. Don Cundy had three seconds and three thirds and ended with a score of 3.80 for a third place on the day. In fourth, Don McBride sailed every race for the first time in a few years, thanks to the miracles of modern medicine and perseverance. He had three third place finishes and scored 4.80. Just behind at 4.90 was a tie for fifth place, Bob Brennan, with two seconds, and Bruce Wilhelm, with a second and two thirds. Paul McBride, at 5.80, finished in seventh place and had four fourth place finishes. In a tie for eighth with a 6.20 average, Anthony Quinn had two third places and two fourths at 5.89 and Jim Opie had two third places.
The difficult conditions tested the skippers and made them really focus to do well, but even their best attention wasn’t a guarantee. The tricky shifts made huge differences in the finishes of every race. Our scorekeeper, B.B. Wright, had her hands full. Everyone is to be commended for their sailing, and thanks to those who take the time to help clean up after the racing is over.
It is worth mentioning two of our observers today, both of them big-boat sailors. They seemed entranced with the races and stayed for most of them, asking questions and even trying their hand at the controls.
The weather was a huge surprise today. Our Back Bay skippers took advantage of an unexpectedly pleasant afternoon. We look forward to next week’s conditions –always a big surprise!
Videos and Photos
- Back Bay Skippers Video (WMUR NH Chronicles)
- Back Bay Skippers YouTube Channel
- Latest Videos: Solings, US12s, Lily Pond
- Latest Photos: Solings, US12s, Lily Pond
- Photo Gallery
Previous Highlights
- Sasquatch Regatta (Nor’easter Footy Series) 2021, 2019
- Sheila Ryan Memorial Footy Regatta 2021, 2020
- Awards for 2019 Season
- Tim Wright Wins CAN/AM Challenge 2019
- Lake Discovery Camp 2019
- US12 AMYA Region 1 Championship, Nashua
- Spring Skippers Party 2019
Score Sheets
Sailing on Back Bay
The radio-controlled model yachts are on Back Bay in Wolfeboro from 1 PM to 3 PM weekly, the Solings on Tuesday and the US12s on Thursday, weather permitting. Wednesday serves as an alternate day should sailing conditions be poor.
Join the fun! We love to share so don’t be shy about asking to try your hand at the controls. Come watch the show or take a picture. It’s a sight to behold.
Because of so much interest in the sport, the Soling building class was doubled in size this year. Last year’s class filled almost immediately so we have tried to meet that demand. The class is open for registration now so sign up on the NH Boat Museum website. The class runs from July 10 through July 14.
Model Yacht Building Workshop
e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com
Links: American Model Yachting Association, MinuteMan Model Yacht Club, Nashua Model Yacht Club, Marblehead Model Yacht Club, Greater Worcester Model Yacht Club, Sarasota Model Yacht Club, Space Coast Model Sailing Club, Sun Coast Model Sailing Club, Stowe Yacht Club, USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild, Vac-U-Soling, 3D Printed Radio Yachts, US Vintage Model Yacht Group, Raritan Yacht Club RC Laser Fleet, Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-2024, Western Reserve Model Yacht Club