Written by Tim Wright
Photos by Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead
Layout by Ken Gerber
Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry
e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com
A Great Spring Day for Solings
May 13th was the last Soling pre-season regatta. It was a great day for sailing. Spring weather is hit or miss, and we hit it today. The weather was as close to perfect as you can get. The wind was another story. Racers familiar with Back Bay know the wind is never constant. Today was no exception. Over the course of the afternoon, the wind came from every direction. At least we had wind! Karen Enos kept score with B.B. Wright assisting. Steve Leker used his buoy mover to reposition the buoys that had moved over the weekend. It wasn’t his fault they started floating away, but when they did, Tim Wright moved buoys back to their rightful positions. Steve also tried his boat for a recovery, and was making good progress towards the dock before the dinghy came to pull it in the rest of the way.
There were many sailors, 16 to be exact. We sailed as one fleet which crowded the starting line but made for some very close racing. Many racers showed improvement and the fleet was bunched so any last-minute changes in order of finish made big differences in the overall score. The racing is getting more competitive all the time, and yet, our skippers and scorekeepers love the friendly atmosphere, and jovial back and forth amongst the competitors make the overall position meaningless. We are having a good time and supporting each other, so important in these crazy times.
On the water, Tim Wright sailed his silver boat, 383, to first place with a score of 1.43. After one over early start, he got his rhythm and had 5 first place finishes the next seven races. Al Posnack came in second (3.00), with 4 first places in 11 races. Anthony Quinn got off to a quick start with a first, a second and a third-place finish in the first three races. He finished in third with a score of 4.00. Rick Gates, with a second and two thirds in seven races finished with a score of 4.67 for fourth place. Ken Gerber made his first sailing appearance of the season and came in fifth. Ken had a first and two seconds in eleven races and a score of 5.30. Ted Monetta got his mojo working in the last few races with a fourth, second and third in consecutive races. He finished in sixth place with a score of 5.90. Ted also has been a great help with putting away the rescue boat. Steve Leker (6.00), when he wasn’t rescuing boats, marks or pushing a log to shore, finished just behind Ted in seventh place. He had two seconds in the eight races he entered.
Jeff Witzel finished in eighth place with a score of 6.60. He showed signs of the speed we have seen in the past with a second and third place finish. Chuck Rudinsky is starting to get the handle on RC sailing. He had two fourth place finishes and finished with a score of 6.89 for ninth place. Tenth place was a tie between Bill Malay and Kevin Bennett. They both had a score of 7.90. Bill started with a third-place finish in the first race. Kevin had a second and two fourths in his races. In twelfth, Bob Pacini (8.30) got better as the afternoon went along. He started with a 15th, and finished the last four races with a seventh, sixth, fifth, and fourth. Curran finished in thirteenth place. She started the day within the top half of the fleet in the first three races, and finished with a score of 10.50. Right behind, and showing improvement was Mark Bodenstab with a score of 10.60. Jeanne Butler finished in fifteenth place, and is working on getting her boat up to speed. Bringing up the rear was Dick Currier. Dick is our 91-year-old skipper who drives all the way up from Beverly, Massachusetts. He dealt with some issues with his boat, and quit a little early. However, he stayed around and never fails to offer to help out at the end of sailing.
Perhaps, the camaraderie amongst our group is what we miss the most at the end of the season. It is the reason we keep coming back. We thank everyone who helps out to make the regattas so special and something to look forward to each Spring and Summer.
Next week, the official season starts, and we hope to see more sailors and spectators.
US12 Sailing on Thursday
On the last day of practice sailing and racing, Thursday, May 15th, three people came to sail, with two in the support staff. B.B. Wright was, as always, ready to score, Diane Guerriere came by to enjoy the sailing, the company and the time outside, and Anthony Quinn, John Simms, and Tim Wright came to sail their US12s, tell stories, and laugh. It was a good afternoon for sailing.
While the conditions were changing all afternoon, the wind, for the most part, was good enough to keep us moving. However, it was coming in the other direction. Upwind starts took us to the inner buoy to the right, then a long run to the usual first mark. In one race, it took us eight minutes to get to the second mark. Just when we thought the wind had decided to rest for a while, a nice breeze would last long enough to finish a race and start another. After a good afternoon of racing, we decided enough was enough. All five of us had already gotten what we came for: good friends, good fun, and time outside.
Next week, the scoring begins in both the Soling and US12 fleets.
Sailing on Back Bay
Join us for Model Yacht sailing 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.
It’s 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.
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: [2025 Schedule]
- April 29 – October 28 , 2025 Regattas 1PM-3PM Tuesday Solings, Thursdays US12s
- May 20, 2025 Season Starts, First Scored Regatta
- May 28, 2025 Model Yachting Fair and 2024 Awards Presentation
- June 14, 2025 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
- July 5, 2025 Model Yachting Day
- July 7-11, 2025 Model Yacht Building
- September 11, 2025 Scoring Season Ends
- September 14, 2025 5th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
- October 28, 2025 Dock Out
Past Events:
- September 8, 2024 4th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH [More Photos]
- July 8-12, 2024 NHBM Model Yacht Building Workshop
- 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