Written by Tim Wright, B.B. Wright, Mark Whitehead
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, B.B. Wright, Mark Whitehead, Ed Johnson
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride, Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry
How Does It Work?
You see the model yachts out on Back Bay, but what makes them go? There is no motor; they are totally powered by the wind. The boats have two controls — the rudder and the sails. The skill of the skipper and velocity of the wind determine how fast the boat goes.
A radio sends a signal to a receiver in the boat that sends a signal to a servo (a small electronic winch) that will move the rudder or the sails. The rudder has a rod connecting the servo to a tiller, which in turn moves the rudder. The sails are controlled by a winch arm that moves ropes that in sailing vernacular are called sheets – for whatever the reason! The sheets are attached to the booms and move the sails in and out.
No Storms – And No Wind
They say when high and low pressures swirl together across the land, winds and storms are a result. After Tuesday’s storm, apparently Mother Nature was all pooped out and took a rest. Although there was no rain on Wednesday, the wind was in low supply. Fifteen skippers attended the September 7 Soling regatta, completing only five very slow races. The fleet went all-in while Don Cundy, race director, called a left-to-right three-buoy course until the wind crawled around in the other direction. If we’d split the fleet, we’d have been sailing through suppertime to circle the course once!
Old Dinghy Resurrected
With the johnboat transported to a new life, the old dinghy was pulled out of mothballs and into service. The old girl needs a little TLC, but she’s certainly capable of taking care of us for the rest of the season. She will undergo some work this fall to bring her back into shape.
Commodore Mark Whitehead had to yell rowing instructions to Tom Greene trying to retrieve his boat from the other side of the bay. Bob Brennan added his own editorial comments since he knew Tom had been in the Navy!
Out on the Water
From a delayed posting of the August 30 regatta, the Sailor Class was led by Tom Barstow with three wins and four second-place finishes. Six other racers crossed the finish line first to spread the glory around. Anthony Quinn’s performance captured second place, Bruce Brown followed in third, Bill Malay fourth, and Clint Wolcott fifth.
For the September 7 regatta, Anthony Quinn was at the top of the Sailor Class heap, with two wins and three seconds. The season leader, Tom Barstow, took the second slot with two wins and three thirds. Genie Ware made a strong showing this week for third place with one win, one third, and three fourths. Rounding out the top five were Bob Brennan in fourth and John Barstow in fifth.
Our guru of the light wind is definitely Tim Wright, who led the way this week for first place in the Master Class. Steve Leker made a strong showing, landing in the second spot. Always in the thick of things was Don Cundy, who finished in third, and Rick Gates occupied fourth place overall. A tie between Denis Boisvert and Mark Whitehead filled out the top five.
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
After the Blowout
After too much wind last week for the US12s and a lack of wind September 7 for the Solings, the US12s were treated to enough wind for twelve races. September 8 was sunny with temperatures in the 70s, making it a wonderful day to be sailing on Back Bay. Six sailors showed up and dealt with the consistently inconsistent winds. The course had a left-to-right start. After rounding both windward marks, we had a long run down to the green outer buoy then on to the finish. The winds, as always, made the course more of a challenge than it should be.
Paul Wallace (5.67 average for the day) finished in sixth place. He might have been thinking about his upcoming travels and never got his boat going as he has in the past. In fifth place, and sailing in eight of the twelve races, Anthony Quinn (3.71 average) had a second and three thirds. Just ahead in fourth, Paul McBride (3.4) had two seconds and three third-place finishes. In third, John Simms (2.9) had a first, two seconds, and four thirds. In second, Don Cundy (2.4) had a first, six seconds, and a third-place finish. Tim Wright (1.0) was the winner. His boat was moving well, and he had ten first-place finishes.
It was a spectacular day for sailing and we welcomed many onlookers — some regulars and some from as far away as Oklahoma. Thanks to our scorekeeper for keeping us moving and making sure we had enough races to get two throw-outs. Next week is our last scored regatta of the season.
Sailing on Back Bay
The radio-controlled model yachts are 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 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.
Upcoming Events:
- Saturday September 24, 2022 RC Laser Regatta, Bow Lake, Strafford NH – Race Notice
- Saturday October 1, 2022 Old Man of the Mountain Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Series, Nashua NH
- Saturday October 22, 2022 Minuteman Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Series, 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