Written by Tim Wright, B.B. Wright, Mark Whitehead
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, B.B. Wright, Mark Whitehead
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride, Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry
Spring Series Awards
The Back Bay Skipper official racing schedule features two eight-regatta series — spring and summer. The spring series was completed on July 19 and awards were presented this week.
Soling Sailor Class Spring Series
3rd Place Bruce Brown
2nd Place Jay Burns
1st Place Tom Barstow
Soling Master Class Spring Series
3rd Place Denis Boisvert
2nd Place Don Cundy
1st Place Tim Wright
US12 Spring Series
3rd Place John Simms
2nd Place Don Cundy
1st Place Tim Wright
Lots and Lots of Solings
Good weather brings out a great crowd of both boats and spectators, and for the July 26 regatta, twenty-five skippers raced while dozens watched. Members of the 2022 Soling workshop joining the fun for their first regatta this week were Butch Lalime, David Hogenson, and Bruce Wilhelm. Adding to the mix was Dennis Nichols, from the Old Colony Model Yacht Club in Plymouth, Massachusetts making his annual visit to Back Bay.
Our race director, Don Cundy, kept things moving, and the fleets completed ten very competitive races. The wind helped by remaining reasonably steady for most of the afternoon, but the hot weather had stimulated weed growth, several boats picking up a collection of green stuff to halt forward motion.
Out on the Water
The Sailor Class of fifteen skippers was extremely tight with Tom Barstow and Bill Malay in a fierce battle for supremacy. In the end, Tom landed in the top spot. He had two wins and placed consistently high in the other races. Bill Malay had four wins, but some lower-scoring races kept his regatta score down. Jay Burns sailed to third, followed by Anthony Quinn in fourth and Ken Gerber in fifth.
The Master Class fleet of nine boats was again led by Tim Wright with eight wins. Dan Masessa returned to finish consistently in the top five and clinch the second slot. Steve Leker sailed to three seconds and a third-place overall finish, followed by Don Cundy with a win and two seconds for fourth place. Filling out the top five was Denis Boisvert with a win in Race 1. Our guest skipper Dennis Nichols held his own with a score of 5.7 that would have put him in seventh place.
Three Weeks in a Row
The weather for Thursday’s US12 racing has been the same for three consecutive weeks. The morning’s heat and humidity with the afternoon’s threat of storms has interfered with the timing of our races. The first week, we ended early, and on the 21st we started two hours early and missed the storms, which did indeed come. July 28 had the same forecast so we started an hour early. With a group of nine sailors we braved the frustrating winds of Back Bay. With such radical changes in direction and velocity, it was a challenge to get around the course consistently well.
On the water was Rick Laird’s US12, up from Boston to sail with us. Anthony Quinn sailed but didn’t want to be scored as he was trying out his new mainsail with a well-used jib. The second new jib is on its way. There was stiff competition throughout the fleet with a little bit of chance thrown in due to the fickle nature of the winds.
Again, Tim Wright led the way with eight wins out of eleven races. Rick Laird showed the speed of his new boat with a second-place finish overall. He had the other three wins and was a consistent top-three finisher. John Simms was right behind in third with multiple top-three finishes as well. The race for fourth place was tight, with Paul McBride sailing a borrowed boat to a narrow win over Don Cundy. The final three places were Jim Opie, Bruce Wilhelm, and Paul Wallace.
The nature of the wind, the clouding of the skies, and the growing intensity of the humidity and rising temperature made sailing a challenge in many ways. However, the group of sailors have a good time together and, as always, thank their scorekeeper for her patience and her dedication. With the scoring season more than half over, we look forward to the remaining days ahead. Beware! An early forecast for next Thursday predicts heat, humidity, and afternoon storms. We may need to start early at noon next week as well.
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 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 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