Model Yachting News • Week Ending October 10, 2026

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Proofreading & Editing by Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, B.B. Wright, Mark Whitehead
Captions and Layout by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry

e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com

Fall in New Hampshire

Just one of those days you dream about in July when it’s ninety degrees. Surrounded by fall foliage, cool temperatures, and sunshine, October 7 was a perfect day to be sailing, the wind having diminished from Tuesday’s strong gusts.

Anthony Quinn, Jeff Hathaway, Bill Malay,
Mark Whitehead, Lin Davis
The fleet heads to the first mark.
Anthony Quinn 111, Jeff Hathaway 77, Mark Whitehead 12,
Denis Boisvert's Schooner, Bruce Wilhelm 831
Denis Boivert's Schooner

This time of year our numbers dwindle a bit, so the fleet can go all in. The Soling regatta launched nine boats and completed eight races using the six-buoy enduro course. As usual, we had the typical Back Bay winds that can leave skippers in a wind hole as the rest of the fleet sails away.

Denis Boisvert brought out his schooner that much prefers a hard wind, so he was at a disadvantage in the light air. Tim Wright also brought his Independence with red sails for a little tuning.

Out on the Water

Even though Tim Wright scored a sixth in Race #5, he still managed to take the regatta with five wins, two second-place finishes, and a score of 1.29. With three wins, two seconds, and two thirds, Chuck Rudinsky earned second place overall, scoring 1.86. Third went to Linwood Davis with a score of 3.00.

A Beautiful Fall Day for Sailing on Back Bay
A Good Gust at the Mark

A special thank-you goes to Althea Currier, who Linwood Davis said contributed brownies to the Skipper gathering on September 26 along with Carol York. Since they were individually wrapped, Kathleen Whitehead put leftovers in the freezer and suggested serving them to those showing up for this week’s regattas.

By the way, Kathleen would like to know who brought a wine bag to the gathering. At the time, she assumed it was that person’s beverage of choice and set it on the counter by the corkscrew. When the bag remained after everyone left, she discovered a jar of red pepper jelly and a package of peanut brittle! She would love to thank the thoughtful donor. By the way, she and Mark devoured every morsel of candy the following day!

Rounding the Mark
Jeff Hathaway 77 crosses the finish line.

Unofficial Scores
1 – Tim Wright              1.29
2 – Chuck Rudinsky     1.86
3 – Linwood Davis        3.00
4 – Anthony Quinn        3.29
5 – Bruce Wilhelm        4.71
6 – Bill Malay                5.67
7 – Mark Whitehead     5.71
8 – Denis Boisvert        7.50
9 – Jeff Hathaway        8.00

US12 sailors decide whether winds are too strong for sailing.

What a Day!

Sailing on Thursday, October 8, the wind was intimidatingly strong at times, but everyone who came sailed their boats until they couldn’t any more. While the breeze was manageable some of the time, when the gusts hit, it was a matter of survival.

As a veteran of remote-control sailing, I have seen many unusual happenings on the water. I have seen boats get knocked down, but they come right back up. Today, Bruce Wilhelm’s boat was knocked down so hard and the wind was blowing so fiercely that his boat was literally on its side with the mast underwater for at least fifteen seconds before it popped back up. It was long enough that we thought the mast had come out. I cannot explain the physics of how it happened. In fact, I thought it was impossible to stay on its side for so long without the weight of the keel making it pop back up. Thank goodness it did.

Getting Boats Ready to Sail
US12s get ready to start.

 Bill Malay lost control of his boat, which sailed across the bay. Just as we were getting ready to recover it with a dinghy rescue, a small powerboat came along and asked if they could help. Why they were out on such a windy day I don’t know, but they were right on time. There were many other ways in which the day was unusual. What is gratifying is the community we have and the number of people ready to pitch in.

As for the results, everyone that sailed gets a prize for daring to put their boats in the water. I remember a time when people were hesitant to sail in such strong breezes, especially the US12 fleet. The boats don’t handle the strong winds as well as a Soling, but everyone that came put in for races. To the nine sailors (Bill Malay, Charlie Lincoln, Bob Strodel, Bruce Wilhelm, Lin Davis, Kevin Bennett, Tim Wright, and the two Soling sailors, Ted Monetta and Jeff Hathaway) congratulations for sailing on such a day! It also should be noted that Jeanne Butler brought her new US12 and put it through its paces before she had to leave. That was just as the wind was freshening.

US12s start a race.
A Strong Gust after the Start

Also, thanks to B.B. Wright for staying with us through all the hard winds and keeping us on the move through nine very challenging races!
In all, it was a very exciting day. We look forward to what next week will bring.

Enjoying the Fall Colors on the Way to the First Mark
The Second Leg

Back Bay Sailing

We continue to invite you to join us on Tuesday or Thursday at 1 PM, weather permitting. 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. Unofficial scoring is now the theme when results don’t count toward season standings.

Try your hand at RC sailing.

Quiz and Game Fun Page - Updated 11/4/2022​

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Upcoming Events: [2026 Schedule]

  • October 2026 1-3PM Tuesdays Solings, Thursdays US12s, Wednesdays Rain Date
  • November 3, 2026 Dock Out

Past Events:

e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com

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Our last day of the season is Sunday, October 11. Hours are 12pm to 4pm.

We will open on Wednesday, November 11 from 10am to 4pm.to honor our veterans and active military.

Free admission for veterans and active military.

Our last day of the season is Sunday, October 11. Hours are 12pm to 4pm.

We will open on Wednesday, November 11 from 10am to 4pm.to honor our veterans and active military.

Free admission for veterans and active military.