Written by Mark Whitehead, Paul McBride
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
The Sixth Annual Bow Lake RC Laser Regatta
The 2026 AMYA Region 1 RC Laser Championship Regatta was hosted by Bob Shapiro and the Bow Lake Sailing MYC on September 13. Despite three races completed in light rain and dead-calm conditions preventing further racing after lunch, a good time was had by all.
1st Place
Race Director: Ryan Gershuny,
Hostess and Chef: Margo Krukonis
Confusion
That’s what we heard around Back Bay on Tuesday, September 15. Some decent winds, some frustrating lulls, and constant wind shifts. The nineteen skippers who attended this next-to-last scored regatta of the season for Solings certainly enjoyed the sunshine and cool temperatures for the seven-race event.
The fleet’s split this week was great, with eleven in the Master Class and eight from the Sailor Class. Maybe our effort to balance the fleets is paying off.
Over the winter we do need to work on rules about buoy-rounding — six or eight boats trying to jam their way into one spot just doesn’t work. I didn’t hear any calls for fouls, but there obviously were some.
Out on the Water
This week the Sailor Class was led by Bruce Wilhelm, earning three wins, two seconds, and a score of 1.83. Bill Malay took the second spot, his two wins and a second helping to tally a score of 2.17. Third place was held by John Barstow with two wins and two seconds, his score an impressive 2.50. Genie Ware was fourth overall, earning a second in the last race and scoring 3.33. Fifth went to Jim Opie, who had a second-place finish of his own and a score of 3.60.
The Master Class was led by Tim Wright, who crossed the finish line first in four races and was given a score of 1.33. Chuck Rudinsky decided to vary his finishes with a first, a second, a third, and a fourth. His effort put him in second place overall at 3.67. Denis Boisvert remembered his sails this week and came in third with two second-place finishes and a score of 4.17. The fourth spot went to Ted Monetta, winning the first race and finishing second in the second race, his score a 4.33. After hiking across England for a couple of weeks, Linwood Davis returned to sailing action and qualified for fifth with a score of 4.67.
US12 Sailing
With less than favorable wind conditions, the seven skippers of the September 17 US12 fleet did manage to complete nine races. Cloudy skies kept the racers cool for the challenging races. A big thank-you goes to Diane Guerriere for filling in as our scorekeeper.
When the dust settled, Charlie Lincoln led the way with three wins and a score of 2.50. Chuck Rudinsky earned four seconds for a second-place score of 3.00, followed closely by Bruce Wilhelm and Lin Davis tied with two wins each and scores of 3.12.
What Is an Enduro?
On September 29 and October 1, our skippers will sail one long race event called an enduro. It will start at the regular time but not end until 3 PM. The skippers will continually race with no stopping until 3:00. The skipper with the most laps will be declared the winner.
Sounds easy, right? We’ll see if concentrating on their boats for two hours will take its toll. If they break down or go off course it doesn’t matter; it’s the number of times that the finish line is crossed.
Back Bay Sailing
As the sailing season approaches the end of September, we 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. There is only one more week of official scoring. After that, competition results don’t count toward season standings.
Scores
Race Results for Sixth Annual Bow Lake Strafford, NH RC Laser Regatta
Place | Skipper | Sail# | Points | City | St | Home Club |
1 | Robert Shapiro (Bob) | 17 | 5 | Wilmington | MA | BOW LAKE SAILING MYC |
2 | Tim Stone | 84 | 9 | Essex Junction | VT | STOWE YACHT CLUB |
3 | Glenn Chalder | 42 | 10 | Simsbury | CT | NOROTON YACHT CLUB |
4 | Michael Hoydis | 82 | 11 | Gorham | ME | BOW LAKE SAILING MYC |
5 | Paul McBride | 623 | 16 | Wolfeboro | NH | NEW HAMPSHIRE BOAT MUSEUM-BACK BAY SKIPPERS |
6 | Frederick Skeels (Fred) | 38 | 16 | Montpelier | VT | STOWE YACHT CLUB |
7 | Nathaniel Hendrickson | 9 | 17 | Dover | NH | BOW LAKE SAILING MYC |
8 | William Shaw | 12 | 24 | Seekonk | MA | |
8 | Richard Wakeman | 509 | 24 | Plymouth | MA | |
8 | Timothy Wright | 94 | 24 | Center Ossipee | NH | NEW HAMPSHIRE BOAT MUSEUM-BACK BAY SKIPPERS |
2026-09-15 Sailor Class Soling Regatta | ||||
| Name | Races/Throws (Pct) | Total Pts. | Average | Score |
| Wilhelm, Bruce | 6/1 (100%) | 11 | 1.83 | 1 |
| Malay, Bill | 6/1 (100%) | 13 | 2.17 | 2 |
| Barstow, John | 6/1 (100%) | 15 | 2.50 | 3 |
| Ware, Genie | 6/1 (100%) | 20 | 3.33 | 4 |
| Opie, Jim | 5/1 (83%) | 18 | 3.60 | 5 |
| Lincoln, Charlie | 5/1 (83%) | 28 | 5.60 | 6 |
| Currier, Dick | 6/1 (100%) | 36 | 6.00 | 7 |
| Lotter, Lisa | 1/0 (14%) | 6 | 6.00 | 7 |
2026 Sailor Class Season Scores | |||||
| Name | Class | % Regattas | Score | 2025 | Diff |
| Butler, Jeanne | Sailor | 0% | 0.00 | 5.50 | -5.50 |
| Claire, Henry | Guest | 0% | 0.00 | ||
| Corbett, Dave | Sailor | 0% | 0.00 | 4.29 | -4.29 |
| Ferrucci, Leo | Sailor | 0% | 0.00 | ||
| Lotter, Lisa | Sailor | 0% | 0.00 | ||
| York, Michael | Sailor | 0% | 0.00 | ||
| Cundy, Don | Sailor | 21% | 1.00 | ||
| Hogenson, Dave | Sailor | 36% | 1.40 | 2.17 | -0.77 |
| Wadsworth, Gaius | Guest | 7% | 2.00 | ||
| Parent, Austin | Sailor | 21% | 2.33 | ||
| Barstow, John | Sailor | 71% | 3.10 | 3.33 | -0.23 |
| Opie, Jim | Sailor | 64% | 3.22 | 2.88 | 0.35 |
| Wilhelm, Bruce | Sailor | 79% | 3.27 | ||
| Ware, Genie | Sailor | 64% | 3.44 | ||
| Malay, Bill | Sailor | 43% | 3.50 | ||
| Wolcott, Clint | Sailor | 29% | 4.00 | 4.50 | -0.50 |
| Lincoln, Charlie | Sailor | 71% | 5.10 | ||
| Hathaway, Jeff | Sailor | 7% | 6.00 | ||
| Currier, Dick | Sailor | 21% | 7.33 | 5.50 | 1.83 |
2026-09-15 Master Class Soling Regatta | ||||
| Name | Races/Throws (Pct) | Total Pts. | Average | Score |
| Wright, Tim | 6/1 (100%) | 8 | 1.33 | 1 |
| Rudinsky, Chuck | 6/1 (100%) | 22 | 3.67 | 2 |
| Boisvert, Denis | 6/1 (100%) | 25 | 4.17 | 3 |
| Monetta, Ted | 6/1 (100%) | 26 | 4.33 | 4 |
| Davis, Linwood | 6/1 (100%) | 28 | 4.67 | 5 |
| Pacini, Bob | 6/1 (100%) | 31 | 5.17 | 6 |
| Posnack, Al | 6/1 (100%) | 33 | 5.50 | 7 |
| Cundy, Don | 6/1 (100%) | 37 | 6.17 | 8 |
| Whitehead, Mark | 6/1 (100%) | 47 | 7.83 | 9 |
| Barstow, Tom | 5/1 (83%) | 42 | 8.40 | 10 |
| Quinn, Anthony | 5/1 (83%) | 42 | 8.40 | 10 |
2026 Master Class Soling Season Scores | |||||
| Name | Class | % Regattas | Score | 2025 | Diff |
| Wright, Tim | Master | 86% | 1.00 | 1.07 | -0.07 |
| Witzel, Jeff | Master | 71% | 3.40 | 4.64 | -1.24 |
| Rudinsky, Chuck | Master | 86% | 3.67 | 8.80 | -5.13 |
| Gates, Rick | Guest | 29% | 3.75 | 3.50 | 0.25 |
| Davis, Linwood | Master | 57% | 4.12 | 5.07 | -0.95 |
| Posnack, Al | Master | 93% | 4.77 | 5.38 | -0.62 |
| Monetta, Ted | Master | 100% | 5.36 | 4.67 | 0.69 |
| Boisvert, Denis | Master | 64% | 6.00 | 7.58 | -1.58 |
| Gerber, Ken | Master | 50% | 7.00 | 7.30 | -0.30 |
| Pacini, Bob | Master | 64% | 7.33 | 9.00 | -1.67 |
| Barstow, Tom | Master | 57% | 7.62 | 7.55 | 0.08 |
| Cundy, Don | Master | 7% | 8.00 | 6.00 | 2.00 |
| Quinn, Anthony | Master | 71% | 8.10 | 7.21 | 0.89 |
| Griggs, Doug | Master | 79% | 8.64 | ||
| Whitehead, Mark | Master | 79% | 9.09 | 7.40 | 1.69 |
| Bennett, Kevin | Master | 29% | 10.50 |
2026-09-17 US12 Regatta | ||||
| Name | Races/Throws (Pct) | Total Pts. | Average | Score |
| Lincoln, Charlie | 8/1 (100%) | 20 | 2.50 | 1 |
| Rudinsky, Chuck | 8/1 (100%) | 24 | 3.00 | 2 |
| Davis, Lin | 8/1 (100%) | 25 | 3.12 | 3 |
| Wilhelm, Bruce | 8/1 (100%) | 25 | 3.12 | 3 |
| Bennett, Kevin | 8/1 (100%) | 32 | 4.00 | 5 |
| Malay, Bill | 3/0 (33%) | 12 | 4.00 | 5 |
| Simms, John | 8/1 (100%) | 33 | 4.12 | 7 |
2026 Season US12 Scores | |||||
| Name | Class | % Regattas | Score | 2025 | Diff |
| Wright, Tim | Sailor | 80% | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 |
| Cundy, Don | Sailor | 10% | 2.00 | ||
| Laird, Rick | Sailor | 20% | 2.00 | 3.80 | -1.80 |
| Leker, Steve | Sailor | 30% | 3.33 | ||
| Davis, Lin | 20% | 3.50 | 2.00 | 1.50 | |
| Simms, John | Sailor | 90% | 3.89 | 3.08 | 0.81 |
| Wilhelm, Bruce | Sailor | 80% | 4.25 | 5.38 | -1.12 |
| Rudinsky, Chuck | Sailor | 80% | 4.38 | ||
| Quinn, Anthony | 40% | 4.50 | 4.22 | 0.28 | |
| Bennett, Kevin | 50% | 5.40 | |||
| Malay, Bill | Sailor | 50% | 5.60 | ||
| Opie, Jim | Sailor | 50% | 6.40 | 6.00 | 0.40 |
| Clason, Kurt | Sailor | 10% | 7.00 | ||
| McBride, Donald | Sailor | 10% | 7.00 | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Lincoln, Charlie | Sailor | 40% | 7.50 | ||
| Strodel, Robert | Sailor | 30% | 8.33 | 4.60 | 3.73 |
| McBride, Paul | Sailor | 10% | 9.00 |
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: [2026 Schedule]
- June – October 2026 1-3PM Tuesdays Solings, Thursdays US12s, Wednesday – Alternate Rain Day
- September 22, 2026 Soling Season Ends
- September 24, 2026 US12 Season Ends
- September 29, 2026 Soling Enduro
- October 1, 2026 US12 Enduro
- November 3, 2026 Dock Out
Past Events:
- September 13, 2026 6th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
- August 15, 2026 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
- June 25, 2026 AMYA US12 Region 1 Championship
- September 14, 2025 5th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
- September 10, 2025 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
- July 5, 2025 Model Yachting Day
- July 7-11, 2025 NHBM Model Yacht Building Workshop
- September 8, 2024 4th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH [More Photos]
- 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