Written by Tim Wright, B.B. Wright, Mark Whitehead
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, B.B. Wright, Kathleen Whitehead, Karen Enos
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride and Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry
Presentations This Week
Two more presentations were made to deserving Back Bay Skippers at the October 19 Soling regatta. Several weeks ago, Bruce Wilhelm earned his first win for the US12 Class and was given a certificate. We waited several weeks for a hat to give our dedicated race director, Don Cundy, but Calico Graphics had been swamped with orders. Don certainly should earn big bucks for running our regattas so smoothly, but the hat represents at least a small token of our appreciation for his volunteer efforts.
Just the Luck of the Draw
Or maybe the fickle finger of fate picked the velocity and direction of this week’s wind. Those who can read the wind well were leaders in the October 19 Soling regatta, and those of us who couldn’t really, really struggled. One half of the course had winds blowing from the shore, the other half from south to north. Throughout the regatta, they changed and changed and changed and changed! Now and then, the boats were hit with gusts that made them act squirrelly to say the least. The good news was that we didn’t have to launch the rescue dinghy and the sun was out!
Out on the Water
There were eleven Soling skippers October 19, but only nine competed in the twelve-race regatta. At the end of the day, wearing his new hat for speed, Don Cundy took first place with four wins and an average score of 2.0. Just behind Don in second place was Steve Leker with two wins of his own and an overall score of 2.3. Third overall was Tom Barstow with a couple of wins and a score of 3.5. Right behind him was Denis Boisvert, who had two first-place finishes and a score of 3.8. Mark Whitehead struggled off the line and at the finish but did manage a score of 4.1 that landed him in fifth place. Having two throw-out races certainly impacted the final scores because everyone had at least one dud. It’s well to note that all top five skippers won at least two races.
Scores
1. Don Cundy 2.0
2. Steve Leker 2.3
3. Tom Barstow 3.5
4. Denis Boisvert 3.8
5. Mark Whitehead 4.1
6. Bill Malay 4.9
7. Anthony Quinn 5.6
8. Paul Wallace 6.0
9. Bruce Wilhelm 7.1
US12 Sailing
Thursday, October 20, was a great day for sailing. The crisp temperatures came with a perfect wind — strong enough to give the boats a good workout without overpowering them. With fewer than average wind shifts, the sailing was outstanding. Skippers brought a variety of boats to sail. While we had many US12s, there also were two Solings, a Marblehead, and a Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara, all 70 inches, loves a good breeze, and it was in heaven. The Marblehead, built by our former member and champion, Ned Lakeman, sailed well. It also likes a good bit of wind to get it moving, and both boats were doing well throughout the afternoon.
Sometimes the Solings beat the US12s, but more often, the US12s were battling it out with the Marblehead at the front of the fleet. John Simms had a good day, finishing first on many occasions with his US12. There were many solid performances but no scoring, so we will never know the exact results. People can embellish their personal results without fear of recrimination.
As the season winds down, we are enjoying both the sailing and the camaraderie. Too soon, the dock will come out and we will start thinking about next year. For now, let’s keep enjoying the time together in such a beautiful setting.
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
Sailing on Back Bay
The 2022 season has only two weeks of sailing remaining, when radio-controlled model yachts will be 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.
Join the last hurrah! 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.
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