Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B. B. Wright, Paul McBride, Kathleen Whitehead
Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Layout by Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry
e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com
Awards
Two more awards from 2023 were presented by the commodore prior to the June 11 Soling regatta. Hearty congratulations to both!
Genie Ware 3rd Place 2023 Soling Sailor Class Summer Series
Don Cundy 3rd Place 2023 Soling Master Class Season
You Just Never Know
The weather was checked just a few hours before the June 11 Soling regatta started, the wind prediction a dismal 0. Disappointed – except for Tim Wright, the master of light wind – Skippers were relieved to find a gentle breeze blowing across Back Bay when they arrived. Whew! The wind was nothing to write home about, but we could at least crawl around the course for seven races.
This week had a little more balance to the classes with thirteen Masters and nine Sailors. Our Sailor fleet is getting back to normal as more join us every week. Dave Hogenson was so excited, he made the trip from Colorado just to join our fun. Lee Kimball raided Rick Parent’s vast collection of boats so he could sail as well, and Genie Ware along with John Barstow joined us for the first time this season.
Solings Out on the Water
After trucking all the stuff up to their summer cottage, Genie Ware decided it was time to get sailing. Not skipping a beat, Genie took two firsts and three seconds to lead the Sailor Class this week, scoring 1.83. Second place was a tie, with Bruce Wilhelm and Linwood Davis, both scoring 2.5 thanks to one first and two firsts respectively. John Barstow gained some ground with two firsts and one second and a score of 3.33 for the fourth slot. His trip from Colorado worth it, Dave Hogenson was in the mix with consistent scores for 4.83 and fifth place.
Leading the way in the Master Class was Tim Wright with five wins and a score of 1.17. Instead of milfoil, Don Cundy snagged the second spot with one win, three seconds, and a score of 2.17. Third was captured by Mark Whitehead, who tallied one win, two thirds, and a score of 3.83. Al Posnack has been struggling as of late, but with one second-place finish and a score of 4.50, he took fourth. To round out the top five, Steve Leker posted two thirds, a fourth, and a score of 5.17.
The US12 Fleet
Seven US12 sailors launched their yachts on June 13, but three left before sailing enough races to qualify for the day, so four boats battled it out to hold top position. The inconsistent winds led to exciting racing with each of the four boats winning a race. At one point, the course was shifted to accommodate a “consistent” wind change and get a better upwind leg. Immediately after the start, the wind shifted 180°. Oh well! We went back to the original course.
The closeness of the racing captured the interest of quite a few viewers. A number of people tried out the boats, including Hudson, an interested young fan.
US12s Out on the Water
John Simms came out on top with a score of 2.38, winning one race while earning four second-place finishes. Don Cundy was five tenths of a point (2.88) behind, landing in second place overall. He had a first and two seconds. Less than a point behind Don was Jim Opie (3.75), who also had a first and a second. Thirteen hundredths behind Jim Opie was Rick Gates (3.88), who had a first and two third-place finishes.
A special thank-you goes to Karen Enos, who came in to score the second half of the day as our regular scorekeeper had to leave early. It was a very good day for sailing and we look forward to next week.
The Sasquatch Footy Regatta
Right up front, we had a fantastic regatta staff. Don Cundy did a masterful job setting the course and running the regatta. Kathleen Whitehead handled the registration and statistics for the event, and Karen Enos performed scorekeeping duties. Skip Koehler assisted with the setup and made the doughnut run. We can’t thank the staff enough for their dedication.
It was a glorious day, but the strong wind just wouldn’t quit, resembling a gale force with heavy surf at times. Trying to control a twelve-inch boat in those conditions was no easy task!
The annual competition between the Back Bay Skippers and the Minuteman Model Yacht Club is always a wonderful competition — good friends challenging each other.
The event was started with an eight-bell tribute to Jim Linville from the Minuteman Club, who recently passed away. A great guy who was involved nationally with model yachting, Jim had attended all Sasquatch Regattas over the years.
The nine who participated in the regatta completed twelve races, but the attrition rate was high, matching the wind’s velocity. At the end of the competition, it was Herb Dreher who took home the coveted Sasquatch Trophy. Stephen Doherty earned second place and Jack Berglund was third, all three from the Minuteman Club. It should be mentioned, however, that our very own Paul McBride came in fourth.
Sasquatch Regatta Scores Place Name Club Score 1 Herb Dreher MMYC 15 2 Stephen Doherty MMYC 20 3 Jack Berglund MMYC 30 4 Paul McBride BBS 43 5 John Lamport MMYC 50 6 Rick Gates BBS 58 7 Mark Whitehead BBS 64 8 Tim Wright BBS 92 9 Steve Leker BBS 99
Sailing on Back Bay
The 2024 season has begun, with radio-controlled model yachts 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.
Come join the fun! We love to share so give it a try
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
Upcoming Events:
- June 22, 2024 NHBM Booth at Summer Kick-Off, 11AM-3PM Pop Whalen Ice and Arts Center
- July 6, 2024 Saturday, Model Yachting Day at Back Bay
- July 8-12, 2024 NHBM Model Yacht Building Workshop
- July 13, 2024 NHBM Vintage Boat Auction
- September 8, 2024 Sunday, 4th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
Past Events:
- June 15, 2024 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
- February 2024 Building the Soling 1M Slotted Mast, by Mark Whitehead – Video
- February 2024 How to Win without Going Fast, by Al Posnack – Zoom Video
- October 13-15, 2023 USVMYG Championship Regatta, Honey Brook PA
- September 24, 2023 3rd Annual RC Laser Regatta, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
- September 15-16, 2023 Vintage Race Boat Regatta, Wolfeboro Bay – Video
- August 26, 2023 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
- August 5-6, 2023 CanAm Challenge Regatta, Stowe VT
- July 4, 2023 Wolfeboro Independence Day Parade
- July 1, 2023 Model Yachting Day
- May 15, 2023 WCVB Boston Chronicle
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, Joe SanAntonio Fleet Donation, SailFlow, US12 Plans