Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, B.B. Wright
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry
Lily Pond Sailing
The last regatta of the season was held October 10 on Lily Pond in Gilford. The buoys have been pulled and the dock is headed for storage until 2022.
New Skipper Onboard
We’re not quite sure if it’s legal or not, but during pre-race setup, Paul McBride had a new skipper jump onboard. The newbie – or should we say “newbee”? — immediately took the helm, eager for Race One. He came all suited up ready for action, with his yellow and black stripes and antennae alerted. Perhaps he thought the boat would be a more relaxing way to find nectar – less tiring than using wings. We knew Paul had a sweet boat, but was it now overweight with a passenger?
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
Weeds Weeds Weeds!
You’d assume that Back Bay’s Soling-killer weeds would be on the wane by now, but that’s not the case. The floating critters seem to be gathering like gangs around the marks, just waiting to snag any unsuspecting boats.
Welcome to Tom Green
Tom Green has acquired a Soling and looks forward to getting her ready for competition. He brought his new purchase to sailing this week, and with help from Anthony Quinn and Tim Wright, he finally got things working, only to discover that the servo didn’t have enough rotation to get good sail movement. We located a servo for him so hopefully, the next time he comes to sail he actually can. A special thank-you to Anthony, who spent the entire afternoon helping Tom with his boat. We welcome Tom to the Back Bay Skippers and to sails on Back Bay.
October 12 Soling Regatta
Thirteen skippers attended the seven-race regatta. As of late, we have not had very strong winds, but the sun has been out and the temperatures have been comfortable – and really enjoyable. Our numbers are slowly decreasing as the end of our season approaches. Many of the snowbirds already have spread their wings and headed south to practice for next year — it’s kinda like spring training.
John Barstow and Genie Ware have sailed their last regatta of the season and will be crossing the border into Massachusetts for winter activities. They will be missed, but we look forward to their return.
Out on the Water
There were enough races to allow a six-race throw-out, so Tim Wright was able to drop his disastrous second race and maintain his string of regatta victories, winning the day once again. Doing his happy dance – yes, we saw him do it — Steve Leker took the first and sixth races to grab the second spot. Actually, Steve and Tim had the exact same score, but Tim ran one more race so his average was better. Jack Minahan captured third, sailing in four of the seven races, no worse than fourth place. Plagued by weeds in two races and absolutely no wind in Race Seven, Mark Whitehead crawled to fourth. John Barstow sailed into the fifth slot.
Unofficial October 12 Soling Scores
1 Tim Wright 1.5 6 Jim Opie 4.6
2 Steve Leker 1.8 7 Al Stevens 5.0
3 Jack Minahan 3.25 8 Paul McBride 5.25
4 Mark Whitehead 4.0 9 Denis Boisvert 5.4
5 John Barstow 4.2 10 Paul Wallace 5.75
11 Genie Ware 6.0
US12 Sailing
The faithful and dedicated US12 sailors were treated to a good day of sailing. The temperature was in the 70s, and the wind held out for most of the afternoon. The seven sailors completed seven races, although some dropped out of the last race when the wind finally quit. The foliage and reflections on the water added beauty to the racing, and some of our faithful fans came to watch and enjoy the regatta.
On the water, Tim Wright was tough to catch today. The race for second place went to John Simms, and third to Don Cundy. Everyone had at least one finish in the top three.
Unofficial October 14 US12 Sailing
Tim Wright 1.0
John Simms 2.3
Don Cundy 3.3
Paul McBrid 4.17
Bob Strodel 4.5
Jim Opie 4.5
Paul Wallace 5.17
We don’t expect the warmth to continue, but we do hope the wind decides to give us a little more to work with. Thanks to our scorer, B. B. Wright, for hanging in there on a slow afternoon, knowing the scores aren’t official. We hope for a few more good days of sailing before the season ends.
Join the Fun
The season is still going strong despite no official scoring, so folks are encouraged to stop by on Tuesday and Thursday at 1 PM to watch the action (weather permitting, of course), or Wednesday if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate on Tuesday or Thursday. Make sure you have your camera at the ready.
Sailing Around the Country
The Ricks were on the road again. Back Bay Skippers were represented by Rick Gates and Rick Laird at the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group Nationals in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania.
Upcoming events:
- October 24, 2021 Chowder Cup Regatta, Redd’s Pond, Marblehead MA
- October 30, 2021 MinuteMan Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Footy Series Race 5, Rosemary Lake, Needham MA
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