Written by Tim Wright, B.B. Wright, Mark Whitehead
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, B.B. Wright
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride and Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry
In Memory of
Don Opie
1920 – 2022
Sail Number 2220
Don Opie was born on April 20, 1920 and grew up in Concord, New Hampshire. He served in the Marines from 1942 to 1946 in the South Pacific. Although he wouldn’t talk about it much, he was at Guadalcanal.
Don worked for the Boston and Maine Railroad for forty years. During winter months, he built wooden boats for summer use by family in the West Alton and Alton Bay area when son, Jim, was younger.
Don retired in 1980 and relocated to Arcadia, Florida. Once Jim also retired, Don spent summers with his son in Moultonborough, but as cold weather arrived, Jim traveled to Florida to be with his father.
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
We Just Couldn’t Believe It
The forecast was for cloudy skies and winds from 1 to 3 mph, or to use a better term: zilch. With winds that low, the regatta becomes a floating contest with little or no competition. Lo and behold, we actually had a winner of a day on October 25 — temperatures reaching seventy degrees, a reasonable breeze, and the appearance of sun toward the end. To add to the festivities, we were visited by a loon, mallards, seagulls, a gaggle of geese, and a cormorant – as seen in a photo when the latter popped up between competing boats.
The eleven skippers managed to complete ten races on a south-to-north two-buoy course. There were a few light spots, but generally, the wind adequately filled the sails.
Out on the Water
With an average of 1.0, Tim Wright won the day despite a dismal second-place finish in Race 3. Thank goodness the poor guy could throw that one out! Testing a new suit of lightweight sails, it was Mark Whitehead placing second overall with a score of 2.6 and five second-place finishes. On the downward leg, his was the fastest boat in the fleet.
Third place overall was held by our race director, Don Cundy, only one tenth behind Mark Whitehead with a score of 2.7. He won Race 3, by the way. Steve Leker earned the fourth spot, scoring 3.3, and competing in only two races, Paul McBride was fifth, scoring 4.5. During the regular season, two races would not qualify a skipper for top positions, but at this time of year, we’re a lot more lenient. Brag away, Paul!
Scores
1. Tim Wright 1.0
2. Mark Whitehead 2.6
3. Don Cundy 2.7
4. Steve Leker 3.3
5. Paul McBride 4.5 ( Two races in #70)
6. Anthony Quinn 4.9
7. Tom Barstow 5.0 (one race due to boat issues)
Bob Brennan 5.0
Bill Malay 5.0
8. Roger Rice 6.7
9. Joel Nelson 7.0 (one race due to boat issues)
Force of a Cold Front
The US12 fleet again felt the force, resulting in a fresh northerly wind for our sailing on October 27. The brisk winds would have scared us away in years past, but we had five sailors sailing four different classes, none of which was a US12. They would have been overpowered in the puffs, even with a “b” rig. Instead, we had a DF 95, a Laser, two Soling 1Ms, and a handmade schooner. While there were some breakdowns, each boat got back out there to sail.
Don Cundy was first in the water with his Laser, and opened the door for others to try. Denis Boisvert made the trip north with his handmade schooner. It loved the breeze, showing great speed and ability to handle the strong puffs. Although there were some rigging issues brought about by the high winds, Denis made some on-the-spot fixes, and sailed again. It is a pretty boat in any wind, but with a strong wind, it flies along and really shows well.
The DF95 did a good job and handled the wind well. Rick Gates was pleased with how it sailed, making his trip from Nashua worthwhile. Bill Malay and Tim Wright put Solings in the water, and they did well. At times the wind appeared to be winning, but when the puffs let up a little bit, the boats performed as they should.
Sailing on Back Bay
The 2022 season has only one week 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