Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Proofreading & Editing by Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, B. B. Wright, Mark Whitehead, Kathleen Whitehead
Captions and Layout by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry
e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com
The Scoring Season Starts
The Soling season started with seventeen skippers sailing twelve races. The wind prediction was 9 mph, and we got that. However, there were gusts of 19 mph, and they seemed more prevalent than the lesser amounts. Everyone had to stay on their toes because when the gusts hit they really hit. On the bright side, at least with the higher winds it stayed cool.
Award Presented
At the end of the regatta, Kevin Bennett received his 2025 Sailor Class championship award as well as a certificate for the 2025 summer series. Congratulations, Kevin!
Out on the Water
This week, four different skippers won races, six skippers took second, and five finished in third place. That hasn’t been the norm, but it shows how close the competition has become.
In the Sailor Class John Barstow led the way this week with a score of 1.6, just edging out his wife, Genie Ware, who had 2.0 for second place. Third went to Bruce Wilhelm at 2.8 and fourth to Dave Corbett at 3.0. Jeanne Butler participated in only two races so didn’t qualify for a score.
and Bruce Wilhelm 831
Scores were tight in the Master Class with Tim Wright leading the way with 1.8. Nipping at his stern was Jeff Witzel, in second with a score of 2.7. Chuck Rudinsky and Linwood Davis tied for third, only three tenths behind Jeff at 3.0. Denis Boisvert pulled off a fifth-place finish with his score of 5.3. We were glad to have Rick Gates join us, and he completed three races.
US12 Regatta
Back Bay is known for shifting winds and tricky conditions. On June 4th, the fleet encountered extreme conditions. Wind direction varied over 180°, and the gusts were fierce when the wind was blowing. Such a variety of conditions made the sailing difficult. Six boats sailed in the races that tended to be quick. We finished twelve races before 3 o’clock even with fleet timeouts to bail the boats. The official scores were not available for this report. A summary will follow without places.
On the water, Tim Wright was tough to catch. While there were some close races, Tim made it to the first mark first on most occasions and seemed to get every wind shift he wanted when he wanted. Who does he know? He finished first overall with an average of 1.00 and twelve wins. Every other skipper had at least one second-place finish. The racing was that close and often decided near the finish. Anthony Quinn had two seconds and four thirds. Chuck Rudinsky fixed many of the issues that plagued his initial outing and had four seconds and three thirds. John Simms got off to a slow start, but regained his form at the end of the day. He had three seconds, two of which came in the last two races. Jim Opie also had two seconds and ended the day with two thirds. Bruce Wilhelm had a second too. All of the skippers had a blast and want to thank our scorekeeper, B.B. Wright, and timekeeper of the day, Diane Guerriere. They were on their games yesterday and are greatly appreciated for their work while the rest of us get to play.
The day was challenging, the wind was difficult, but the day was most enjoyable. The weather showed signs of summer with temperatures approaching the high 80s, but the wind was not a summer wind. We had plenty of it, we just didn’t know where it was going to come from. It was another great day, and we hope for another one next week.
Scores will be posted in next week’s news.
AMYA Region 1 US12 Championship
The Back Bay Skippers are hosting the Region 1 US12 championship during our regular sailing session on June 18. If you are a member of the AMYA, you can sign up on the AMYA website for no charge. If you aren’t a member but want to sail, you can. Your scores won’t be counted in the AMYA event but will count for the spring and season series. If you prefer to watch without sailing, you might consider loaning your boat in case it’s needed. Tim is loaning his backup boat, but others might ask for one.
Back Bay Sailing
The sailing season is underway, join us on Tuesday or Thursday at 1 PM, weather permitting, to enjoy the fun. Wednesday is set aside if conditions on Tuesday or Thursday aren’t suitable. We welcome you to just watch the spectacle or ask to give it a try – we love to share.
Scores
2026-05-28 US12 Regatta | ||||
| Name | Races/Throws (Pct) | Total Pts. | Average | Score |
| Wright, Tim | 6/1 (100%) | 6 | 1.00 | 1 |
| Simms, John | 6/1 (100%) | 12 | 2.00 | 2 |
| Wilhelm, Bruce | 6/1 (100%) | 17 | 2.83 | 3 |
| Opie, Jim | 4/0 (57%) | 14 | 3.50 | 4 |
| Quinn, Anthony | 5/0 (71%) | 22 | 4.40 | 5 |
| Rudinsky, Chuck | 1/0 (14%) | 5 | 5.00 | 6 |
2026-06-02 Soling Sailor Class Regatta | ||||
| Name | Races/Throws (Pct) | Total Pts. | Average | Score |
| Gates, Rick | 3/0 (25%) | 3 | 1.00 | 1 |
| Barstow, John | 10/2 (100%) | 16 | 1.60 | 2 |
| Ware, Genie | 10/2 (100%) | 20 | 2.00 | 3 |
| Wilhelm, Bruce | 10/1 (91%) | 28 | 2.80 | 4 |
| Corbett, Dave | 5/1 (45%) | 15 | 3.00 | 5 |
| Butler, Jeanne | 2/0 (17%) | 12 | 6.00 | 6 |
2026-06-02 Soling Master Class Regatta | ||||
| Name | Races/Throws (Pct) | Total Pts. | Average | Score |
| Wright, Tim | 10/2 (100%) | 18 | 1.80 | 1 |
| Witzel, Jeff | 10/2 (100%) | 27 | 2.70 | 2 |
| Davis, Linwood | 10/1 (91%) | 30 | 3.00 | 3 |
| Rudinsky, Chuck | 10/2 (100%) | 30 | 3.00 | 3 |
| Boisvert, Denis | 10/2 (100%) | 53 | 5.30 | 5 |
| Posnack, Al | 10/2 (100%) | 57 | 5.70 | 6 |
| Monetta, Ted | 10/2 (100%) | 61 | 6.10 | 7 |
| Whitehead, Mark | 10/2 (100%) | 71 | 7.10 | 8 |
| Griggs, Doug | 8/1 (73%) | 58 | 7.25 | 9 |
| Quinn, Anthony | 5/1 (45%) | 38 | 7.60 | 10 |
| Bennett, Kevin | 10/2 (100%) | 77 | 7.70 | 11 |
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: [2026 Schedule]
- June – October 2026 1-3PM Tuesdays Solings, Thursdays US12s, Wednesday – Alternate Rain Day
- June 18, 2026 AMYA Region 1 US12 Championship at Back Bay 1PM to 3PM – Free to Register
- July, 2026 Model Yachting Day. Try RC Sailing at Back Bay. Postponed. Date to be Announced. Volunteers Needed!
- July 6-10, 2026 Soling Building Workshop
- August 15, 2026 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
- September 13, 2026 6th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
- September 22, 2026 Soling Season Ends
- September 24, 2026 US12 Season Ends
- September 29, 2026 Soling Enduro
- October 1, 2026 US12 Enduro
- November 3, 2026 Dock Out
Past Events:
- September 14, 2025 5th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
- September 10, 2025 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
- July 5, 2025 Model Yachting Day
- July 7-11, 2025 NHBM Model Yacht Building Workshop
- September 8, 2024 4th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH [More Photos]
- July 6, 2024 Model Yachting Day at Back Bay
- 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