Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B. B. Wright, Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead
Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Layout by Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry
e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com
Model Yachting Class
The 2024 model yacht building class is less than two weeks away.
Bright and early on Tuesday morning of June 25, seven Skippers gathered at the New Hampshire Boat Museum to raise the work tent. All the bits and pieces are in place and we are ready for a full class of eight students.
A very big thank-you to Al Stevens, Steve Leker, Ted Monetta, Mark Bodenstab, Linwood Davis, Dave Corbett, and Mark Whitehead for their assistance with tent setup.
Reprieve from the Heat
It was still warm but nothing like last week, and Skippers gathered in force for the June 25 Soling regatta. Twenty-three launched under bright skies and a good breeze of 9 to 10 mph. Despite a few delays with rescues here and there, the fleet managed to complete ten races. Bob Strodel launched his glasses along with his boat, initiating a long swim while raking the depths and sending soil into swirls that hindered visibility until his wife, Debbie, arrived with goggles and snorkel. Bob now seems to be in the lead for the Sunken Ship Award! Don Cundy dropped his mast, the commodore tangled with Ted Monetta, and Tom Barstow rowed out to rescue his unresponsive yacht and picked up two other troubled Solings while at it, dropping an oar in the process.
On a high note, we surprised Dave Corbett with a certificate for his first win three weeks ago.
Solings on the Water
John Barstow sailed to the top this week, taking the Sailor Class with six wins and three seconds, earning a score of 1.33. Genie Ware chased John all day, had a win in Race #7 plus three second-place finishes for second place overall and a score of 2.62. In third with a score of 2.67 was Linwood Davis finishing first in two races and second in one. Fourth place went to Jim Opie with a score of 3.0, and fifth was a tie with Mark Bodenstab and Clint Wolcott scoring 4.33.
It doesn’t matter what he sails — it could be a brick – but Tim Wright always seems to land – or water — at the head of the fleet. His new boat had a winch arm issue so it was his faithful old boat that he sailed to seven wins and a score of 1.78. Don Cundy has been struggling with his boat recently but always is in the thick of things. This week, he scored three thirds for second place and a final tally of 4.50. Denis Boisvert rose dramatically from his last week’s performance with a second and a third and a third-place score of 5.00. Despite two first-place finishes, Ted Monetta’s final score was 5.33 for fourth place. Not far behind in fifth was Al Posnack, whose two second-place finishes helped tally a score of 5.67.
Eight US12 Sailors
The US12 fleet was treated to one of the best sailing days of the summer. Not only was the breeze fairly steady with some shifts and the afternoon sunny and warm but also the racing was lively, with many sailors having multiple finishes in the top three. We were able to complete fourteen races due to the wonderful winds and the quick pace set by our scorekeeper, B. B. Wright. There was a prolonged delay when four boats rafted together and sailed down Back Bay. Perhaps what made the day so special was that in addition to all of the attributes mentioned above, we never had to use the rescue boat. Our flotilla came apart by itself and we continued sailing.
Next week, we’ll be sailing US12s on Wednesday, July 3, to avoid Wolfeboro on the holiday. Whether or not the weather can match June 27, we hope to see you there.
US12s on the Water
The sailing was close, except for Tim Wright. He won all but one race, one of his throw-outs a first-place finish! His final tally was 1.00. The battle for second was much closer. John Simms had a first and four second-place finishes, coming in second with a score of 3.20. Don Cundy with two seconds and four thirds was right behind at 3.33 in third. Rick Laird traveled up from Boston and sailed to three seconds and three thirds, finishing right behind Don in fourth place at 3.50. Rick Gates, with three seconds and two thirds, finished in fifth place with a 4.00. Jim Opie, with three thirds in a row, came in sixth, averaging 4.50. In seventh, Rick Parent joined us, and for the first time in years, he sailed all afternoon. Rick averaged 5.70, but the score was meaningless to him, although he did sail to second place in one race. He merely was enjoying an afternoon off, sailing with friends. We were happy to sail with him.
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:
- 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 22, 2024 NHBM Booth at Summer Kick-Off 2024, Pop Whalen Ice and Arts Center
- 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