Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Editing & Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B. B. Wright, Tim Wright, Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead
Layout by Ken Gerber
Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry
e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com
Bow Lake Laser Regatta
On Sunday, September 24, the annual Laser Regatta hosted by Bow Lake Sailing MYC was held. Fifteen Skippers from most of New England’s states participated, Tim Wright and Paul McBride representing Back Bay Skippers. Our own champion Tim Wright was declared the winner.
1: Tim Wright Ossipee, NH BBS 2: Michael Hoydis Gorham, ME BLSMYC 3: Bob Shapiro Wilmington, MA BLSMYC 4: Glenn Chalder Simsbury, CT 5: Nathaniel Hendrickson Dover, NH BLSMYC
Solings’ Last Regatta of September
The September 26 nine-race Soling regatta was attended by seventeen skippers. The Master Class had five yachts while the Sailor Class launched ten. Adding to the excitement was Tim Wright sailing his Laser and Rick Gates at the helm of his V36.
An unusual northeast wind greeted the skippers, making it a real challenge to sail to the marks. It seemed like every tack made by the skippers carried them further away from the layline than toward it.
In sailboat racing, a layline is an imaginary line extending from the objective (typically a racing mark) to indicate the point at which a boat should tack or jibe in order to just clear the mark on the correct side (weather side if upwind tacking, leeward side if downwind jibing).
Butch Lalime, sailing #126, has finished his 2023 stint as a Back Bay Skipper, soon heading south for Florida’s sailing season. Good luck, Butch!
Solings on the Water
After repairing his rudder post broken last week, Al Posnack led the way in the Master Class, posting a score of 2.3. Whatever he did worked! There was a tie for second between Denis Boisvert and Mark Whitehead, both posting a 3.6 – Denis with two second-place finishes, Mark with a first and a second. Don McBride sailed to fourth place with a 4.0, and Bob Brennan was fifth with a score of 4.8.
Sailing his #94 Laser, Tim Wright scored a 1.0 with an impressive five wins, which would put him in first place over the Solings. In preparation for this weekend’s V36 regatta in Pennsylvania, Rick Gates sailed in order to achieve optimum tuning. His 4.6 score would have put him in fifth place, if Solings were included.
Despite sore arms from finishing the outside of his house addition, Ken Gerber captured first in the Sailor Class with a score of 8.3 and bragging rights for the week. Sporting new sails, Jeff Witzel posted a score of 8.8 for second place. Always a strong contender, Genie Ware took the third slot with a score of 9.0. Linwood Davis’ score of 9.3 put him in fourth, and only one tenth of a point behind was Anthony Quinn with 9.4 for fifth. Once again the close competition was demonstrated by a separation of only 1.1 points between the top five.
Soling Master Class Scores 9/26 1 Al Posnack 2.3 2 Denis Boisvert 3.6 2 Mark Whitehead 3.6 4 Don McBride 4.0 5 Bob Brennan 4.8 1 Tim Wright 1.0 sailing #94 Laser 5 Rick Gates 4.6 sailing #1 V36
Soling Sailor Class Scores 9/26 (starting one minute behind the Master Class) 1 Ken Gerber 8.3 2 Jeff Witzel 8.8 3 Genie Ware 9.0 4 Linwood Davis 9.3 5 Anthony Quinn 9.4 6 Ted Monetta 10.3 7 Butch Lalime 11.1 8 John Barstow 13.0 9 Skip Koehler 15.0 10 Dave Corbet 16.5
A Wonderful and Unusual Day for the US12s
Thursday, September 28, was indeed unusual and fun. It had been announced as a Bring What You Want to Sail Day, and the assortment of boats sailing lived up to that title. We had multiple Solings, US12s, and Lasers. Lasers, you ask? We have two Lasers in our fleet, and they both were there. However, Bob Shapiro, of Bow Lake, brought his fleet of four, so we actually had six Lasers! In addition to that assortment, the Weetamoe, an eight-foot J Class RC model, made an appearance, and quite an appearance it was. She is 70 pounds, 93 inches long, and is equipped with a 10-foot mast. Built by Ned Lakeman, a former Back Bay Skipper now living in Florida, she has stayed in the fleet and makes an appearance at least once a year. Ned was a prolific model maker as well as a former champion here and at other regional and national events.
All of the different models in Back Bay were a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the reflections on the water were almost as clear as the real thing. We just didn’t have enough wind, although there were some helpful breezes every once in a while. To counter those winds, there was just enough debris floating in Back Bay to slow down (or stop) the Lasers and Solings. The long waterline length of Weetamoe gave her a speed advantage, and she won the four races in which she competed. The starts were quite interesting with Weetamoe blasting through the fleet of Solings, Lasers, and US12s without hitting (or sinking) any.
Thursday on the Water
On a whole, in those conditions, the US12s did best. Once they got some speed, they would coast further than the Lasers. Anthony Quinn had a very strong showing, finishing as the first non-J-boat five times in the seven races he entered. Jim Opie also did very well, finishing first once and second three times. Bob Shapiro was the top Laser sailor, finishing consistently well. Don Cundy did well with his Laser, having a first and a second. The entire group that sailed, and also those who watched, were treated to a very pleasant afternoon. There is something very satisfying about seeing so many different types of boats sailing and racing together. The spirit of helpfulness and generosity also was evident.
We would like to especially thank Bob Shapiro for bringing his Lasers, his knowledge, and his enthusiasm to Back Bay. How nice to have a chance to sail and race boats that don’t usually compete in our club. Bob came earlier in the year to sail US12s. While here, he helped put the dock back together when the high waters lifted it apart. Thank you, Bob, for what you have done to benefit the Back Bay Skippers.
We look forward to the last few weeks of sailing this season. As the leaves change colors and the ski jump gets hauled out for the winter, the sailing gets even more special. Come on down, and bring what you want to sail.
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 radio-controlled model yachts are on Back Bay in Wolfeboro from 1 PM to 3 PM weekly, the Solings on Tuesday and US12s plus
“what you brung”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:
- September 8, 2024 4th Annual RC Laser Regatta – Region 1 Championship, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
Past Events:
- September 24, 2023 3rd Annual RC Laser Regatta, Bow Lake, Strafford NH
- September 15-16, 2023 Vintage Race Boat Regatta, Wolfeboro Bay
- 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