Model Yachting News • Week Ending June 15, 2024

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B. B. Wright, Paul McBride, Kathleen Whitehead
Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Layout by Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry

e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com

Genie Ware, 3rd Place, Sailor Class, Summer Series

Awards

Two more awards from 2023 were presented by the commodore prior to the June 11 Soling regatta. Hearty congratulations to both!

Genie Ware 3rd Place 2023 Soling Sailor Class Summer Series

Don Cundy 3rd Place 2023 Soling Master Class Season

Genie Ware 74
Don Cundy, 3rd Place, Master Class, 2023 Season
The Tom Greig Volunteer Award was resurrected from years past, and in a surprise presentation by Tim Wright was given to Mark Whitehead for being “a role model for the Energizer bunny” in getting things done and “assembling a vast network of helpers and like-minded sailors to make the club what it is today.” Mark was indeed surprised and honored
Mark Whitehead is presented with the perpetual Volunteer of the Year plaque crafted by Ken Gerber.
Ken Gerber presents to Mark Whitehead the individual Volunteer of the Year trophy, also made by Ken.
Tom Greig (1956-2020) was the inspiration for the new Volunteer of the Year award.
Skippers Memorial

You Just Never Know

The weather was checked just a few hours before the June 11 Soling regatta started, the wind prediction a dismal 0. Disappointed – except for Tim Wright, the master of light wind – Skippers were relieved to find a gentle breeze blowing across Back Bay when they arrived. Whew! The wind was nothing to write home about, but we could at least crawl around the course for seven races.

This week had a little more balance to the classes with thirteen Masters and nine Sailors. Our Sailor fleet is getting back to normal as more join us every week. Dave Hogenson was so excited, he made the trip from Colorado just to join our fun. Lee Kimball raided Rick Parent’s vast collection of boats so he could sail as well, and Genie Ware along with John Barstow joined us for the first time this season.

David Hogenson 303
Solings prepare for the start.

Solings Out on the Water

After trucking all the stuff up to their summer cottage, Genie Ware decided it was time to get sailing. Not skipping a beat, Genie took two firsts and three seconds to lead the Sailor Class this week, scoring 1.83. Second place was a tie, with Bruce Wilhelm and Linwood Davis, both scoring 2.5 thanks to one first and two firsts respectively. John Barstow gained some ground with two firsts and one second and a score of 3.33 for the fourth slot. His trip from Colorado worth it, Dave Hogenson was in the mix with consistent scores for 4.83 and fifth place.

Leading the way in the Master Class was Tim Wright with five wins and a score of 1.17. Instead of milfoil, Don Cundy snagged the second spot with one win, three seconds, and a score of 2.17. Third was captured by Mark Whitehead, who tallied one win, two thirds, and a score of 3.83. Al Posnack has been struggling as of late, but with one second-place finish and a score of 4.50, he took fourth. To round out the top five, Steve Leker posted two thirds, a fourth, and a score of 5.17.

Solings round the first mark.
Skippers and Scorekeepers
Solings head for the first mark.
Solings approach the second mark.
Tim Wright 383
Scorekeepers Karen Enos and B.B. Wright
Solings head for the finish.

The US12 Fleet

Seven US12 sailors launched their yachts on June 13, but three left before sailing enough races to qualify for the day, so four boats battled it out to hold top position. The inconsistent winds led to exciting racing with each of the four boats winning a race. At one point, the course was shifted to accommodate a “consistent” wind change and get a better upwind leg. Immediately after the start, the wind shifted 180°. Oh well! We went back to the original course.

The closeness of the racing captured the interest of quite a few viewers. A number of people tried out the boats, including Hudson, an interested young fan.

US12s start a race.
US12s at the Start
US12 Skippers and Scorekeepers

US12s Out on the Water

John Simms came out on top with a score of 2.38, winning one race while earning four second-place finishes. Don Cundy was five tenths of a point (2.88) behind, landing in second place overall. He had a first and two seconds. Less than a point behind Don was Jim Opie (3.75), who also had a first and a second. Thirteen hundredths behind Jim Opie was Rick Gates (3.88), who had a first and two third-place finishes.

Bruce Wilhelm 267
Hudson receives a sailboat kit.

A special thank-you goes to Karen Enos, who came in to score the second half of the day as our regular scorekeeper had to leave early. It was a very good day for sailing and we look forward to next week.

The Sasquatch Footy Regatta

Right up front, we had a fantastic regatta staff. Don Cundy did a masterful job setting the course and running the regatta. Kathleen Whitehead handled the registration and statistics for the event, and Karen Enos performed scorekeeping duties. Skip Koehler assisted with the setup and made the doughnut run. We can’t thank the staff enough for their dedication.

It was a glorious day, but the strong wind just wouldn’t quit, resembling a gale force with heavy surf at times. Trying to control a twelve-inch boat in those conditions was no easy task!

The annual competition between the Back Bay Skippers and the Minuteman Model Yacht Club is always a wonderful competition — good friends challenging each other.

Race Director Don Cundy
Kathleen Whitenead, Registration and Statistics
Scorekeeper Karen Enos
Mark Whitehead rings eight bells for Jim Linville.

The event was started with an eight-bell tribute to Jim Linville from the Minuteman Club, who recently passed away. A great guy who was involved nationally with model yachting, Jim had attended all Sasquatch Regattas over the years.

Don Cundy manned the rescue boat.
Perpetual Sasquatch Footy Regatta Plaque
Individual Sasquatch Trophies

The nine who participated in the regatta completed twelve races, but the attrition rate was high, matching the wind’s velocity. At the end of the competition, it was Herb Dreher who took home the coveted Sasquatch Trophy. Stephen Doherty earned second place and Jack Berglund was third, all three from the Minuteman Club. It should be mentioned, however, that our very own Paul McBride came in fourth.

Herb Dreher 734
Stephen Doherty 456
Jack Berglund 65
Paul McBride 54
Herb Dreher, 1st Place, 2024 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
Stephen Doherty, 2nd Place, 2024 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
Stephen Doherty, Jack Berglund, Steve Leker
Jack Berglund, 3rd Place, 2024 Sasquatch Footy Regatta
Sasquatch Regatta Scores
Place Name              Club  Score

1     Herb Dreher       MMYC   15
2     Stephen Doherty   MMYC   20
3     Jack Berglund     MMYC   30
4     Paul McBride      BBS    43
5     John Lamport      MMYC   50
6     Rick Gates        BBS    58
7     Mark Whitehead    BBS    64
8     Tim Wright        BBS    92
9     Steve Leker       BBS    99
2024 Sasquatch Footy Regatta Skippers, Steve Leker and Tim Wright Missing from Photo
A young skipper receives a sailboat kit.

Sailing on Back Bay

The 2024 season has begun, with radio-controlled model yachts 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.

Come join the fun! We love to share so give it a try

Quiz and Game Fun Page - Updated 11/4/2022​

Trophy Room

Skippers Memorial

Soling 1M Building Manual

Boat Dock - RC Model Yachts for Sale

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Upcoming Events:

Past Events:

e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com

June 6, 2024 • US12 Regatta

NAME
CLASS
SCORE
SEASON
Wright, Tim
Sailor
1
1.00
Gates, Rick
Sailor
2
4.67
Quinn, Anthony
Sailor
3
2.67
Simms, John
Sailor
3
3.50

June 4, 2024 • Soling 1M Master Class Regatta

NAME
CLASS
SCORE
SEASON
Wright, Tim
Master
1
1.33
Whitehead, Mark
Master
2
4.67
Witzel, Jeff
Master
3
2.0
Monetta, Ted
Master
4
7.00
Towne, Steve
Master
5
5.00
Barstow, Tom
Master
6
6.00
Gerber, Ken
Master
7
5.50
Posnack, Al
Master
8
6.00
Nelson, Joel
Master
9
9.33
Quinn, Anthony
Master
10
6.50
Minahan, Jack
Master
11
10.00
Malay, Bill
Master
12
10.00

Model Yachting News • Week Ending June 8, 2024

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B. B. Wright, Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead
Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Layout by Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry

e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com

Jeff Witzel

Scoring Correction

When the May 28 score sheet was reviewed, we discovered a misunderstanding of the rules in Race 7. Rather than a “Did Not Start,” Jeff Witzel received an “Excused,” meaning he pulled out before the official start and received no score for that race, thus no penalties. That one race affected the outcome of the regatta, Jeff Witzel earning a score of 1.25 and first place among his competitors. Congratulations to Jeff on his delayed and hard-earned victory!

2023 Awards Presented

By the time a season ends, many Skippers have left the North Country, so we hold off until the following spring to honor champions in that summer series as well as that season. The 2023 Soling awards were presented on Tuesday, June 4.

2023 Soling Summer Series

Soling Sailor Class:

1st Place Ken Gerber

2nd Place Jeff Witzel

3rd Place Genie Ware

Ken Gerber, 1st Place, Sailor Class, Summer Series
Jeff Witzel, 2nd Place, Sailor Class, Summer Series

2023 Soling Summer Series

Soling Master Class:

1st Place Tim Wright

2nd Place Al Posnack

3rd Place Tom Barstow

Tim Wright, 1st Place, Master Class, Summer Series
Al Posnack, 2nd Place, Master Class, Summer Series
Tom Barstow, 3rd Place, Master Class, Summer Series

2023 Soling Season

Soling Sailor Class:

1st Place Anthony Quinn

2nd Place Steve Towne

3rd Place Jeff Witzel

 

Anthony Quinn, 1st Place, Sailor Class, 2023 Season
Steve Towne, 2nd Place, Sailor Class, 2023 Season
Jeff Witzel, 3rd Place, Sailor Class, 2023 Season

2023 Soling Season

Soling Master Class:

1st Place Tim Wright

2nd Place Al Posnack

3rd Place Don Cundy

Tim Wright, 1st Place, Master Class, 2023 Season
Al Posnack, 2nd Place, Master Class, 2023 Season

The US12 awards were presented on Thursday, June 6.

2023 US12 Summer Series:

1st Place Tim Wright

2nd Place John Simms

3rd Place Don Cundy

Tim Wright, 1st Place, US12 Summer Series
John Simms, 2nd Place, US12 Summer Series
Don Cundy, 3rd Place, US12 Summer Series

2023 US12 Season:

1st Place Tim Wright

2nd Place John Simms

3rd Place Don Cundy

Tim Wright, 1st Place, US12 2023 Season
John Simms, 2nd Place, US12 2023 Season
Don Cundy, 3rd Place, US12 2023 Season
Dave Corbett

Back-to-Normal Winds

It seemed like the weather forecast was pretty close. The temperatures were as predicted at about eighty degrees, and the wind blew in at five to six mph — sometimes.

The full slate of Skippers has not joined us so far, but it won’t be long before they do. The June 4 Soling regatta posted fifteen participants – four in the Sailor Class and eleven Masters. Despite a few windless spots on the bay, the fleet managed to complete eight races. Depending on how you were able to start, it was either joy or frustration — except for Tim Wright, of course.

Dave Corbett 148

Solings Out on the Water

Only three skippers competed in the Sailor Class this week. Bruce Wilhelm outdid himself with five firsts and three seconds, and a final score of 1.29 for first place. Gaining ground was Dave Corbett, getting his first win, and two more firsts, with two seconds for a score of 1.40 and second place. Mark Bodenstab seemed to like the number three, finishing with six thirds and a score of 3.0.

Soling Skippers
Solings Off to a Good Start

The Master Class was again led by Tim Wright, winning all seven races he started. A real surprise was Mark Whitehead, his two seconds and two thirds landing him in second place with a score of 3.43. Jeff Witzel struggled a bit this week, his one first-place finish and one third-place finish helping him climb to a third-place tie with Ted Monetta, both tallying a score of 4.71, Ted with two seconds and a third. Steve Towne made the top five with his score of 5.14

Solings round the first mark.
Solings on the Second Leg
Solings Getting Ready for the Start

US12 Sailing

The weather forecast for the US12 fleet on Thursday, June 6, was not good. Neither was the forecast for the rain day on Wednesday, June 5. We opted to sail on our regular day, Thursday, and it was a good thing we did. June 5 brought rain, and despite a worse weather prediction, the afternoon of June 6 had no precipitation while we were there. The wind, however, was off the land, making course selection difficult.

Only four sailors braved the soggy forecast and, instead, enjoyed a cloudy afternoon of sailing. That is the minimum number of sailors required to make a US12 regatta “official.” We completed five races, also enough to make the regatta official. The racing was spirited, with large wind shifts affecting the order of the fleet and creating close finishes. There also were quite a few spectators, including two very young boys who, with Tim Wright’s help, had a chance to try the controls of a US12. Both were then given model boat kits made by members of the club.

US12 Scorekeeper and Skippers
Rick Gates 35 and Tim Wright 438

Some other US12 sailors came, but without boats. Paul McBride arrived to take his wonderful photos, and Don Cundy stopped by to watch while his US12 remains in the boatyard. Dave Corbett, a Soling sailor, made a few practice runs between our races, so watch out, skippers of the Soling fleet, he might be gaining on you!

Not every day is sunny with a pleasant wind, but here in New England we take what we can get. Hopefully, next Thursday’s weather will help bring out more sailors and more spectators. Regardless, unless it’s pouring, we’ll be back at it, and hope to see you there.

US12s Out on the Water

Tim Wright won each race, averaging 1.0, and worked hard (“got lucky”) to pass each of the other boats on the course. The other three racers were very close in the final scores. Rick Gates averaged a 2.6 for second place, while John Simms and Anthony Quinn tied for third with a 3.2 average score.

US12s in Light Wind
US12s round the mark.
These young skippers sailed Tim Wright's US12.

Sailing on Back Bay

The 2024 season has begun, with radio-controlled model yachts 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.

Come join the fun! We love to share so give it a try

Young Skippers receive sailboat kits.

Quiz and Game Fun Page - Updated 11/4/2022​

Trophy Room

Skippers Memorial

Soling 1M Building Manual

Boat Dock - RC Model Yachts for Sale

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Upcoming Events:

Past Events:

e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com

May 30, 2024 • US12 Regatta

NAME
CLASS
SCORE
SEASON
Wright, Tim
Sailor
1
1.00
McBride, Donald
Sailor
2
3.12
Quinn, Anthony
Sailor
3
3.62
Simms, John
Sailor
4
3.89
Wilhelm, Bruce
Sailor
5
4.00
Gates, Rick
Sailor
6
4.29

May 28, 2024 • Soling 1M Master Class Regatta

NAME
CLASS
SCORE
SEASON
Witzel, Jeff
Master
1
1.25
Wright, Tim
Master
2
1.5
Boisvert, Denis
Master
3
4.40
Posnack, Al
Master
4
4.70
Towne, Steve
Master
5
5.00
Barstow, Tom
Master
6
5.20
Whitehead, Mark
Master
7
5.40
Malay, Bill
Master
8
5.70
Monetta, Ted
Master
9
6.90
Leker, Steve
Master
10
7.50
Gates, Rick
Master
11
9.12
Pacini, Bob
Master
12
9.43
Nelson, Joel
Master
13
9.80
Quinn, Anthony
Master
14
10.40
Minahan, Jack
Master
15
12.67

Model Yachting News • Week Ending June 1, 2024

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Rick Parent, Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Editing and Proofreading Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B. B. Wright, Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead, Al Posnack
Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Layout by Ken Gerber
Games by Dave Perry

e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com

Kyle Blaisdell and his father, Bob, sail from the dock.

First Annual Rick Parent Squadron 57 Scholarship Award

Anthony Quinn and Rick Parent met with the final candidate, Kyle Blaisdell, to award the first annual Rick Parent Squadron 57 scholarship for this year’s NHBM Model Yacht Building Class. Working with Wolfeboro PD officer Eric Larochelle and Kingswood teachers, we were able to list five candidates who were painstakingly whittled down to the final two. The other candidate had a prior commitment and will be away during the week of our building class but will move to our top choice for next year if he keeps his grades up and continues to do well in the community.

Anthony and Rick met with Kyle and his parents to become better acquainted, Kyle unaware that he was chosen for the scholarship. He was given the remote control for the Wolfeboro Fire Department’s Soling to sail while Anthony mentored his father, Bob, with the Wolfeboro Police Department’s Soling. During the sailing session, Rick informed Kyle’s mother, Doreen, that her son had been awarded the scholarship.

Kyle works at Goodhue Hawkins, volunteers on Abenaki’s ski patrol, and hopes eventually to become a firefighter or enter an engineering field. He will be a great junior asset to the Back Bay Skippers fleet, having taken lessons at the Parks and Recreation NH Boat Museum sailing class. Perhaps at some point he might be interested in building one of the bigger boats with his father in a workshop offered by the NHBM during the summer.

 

 

Kyle Blaisdell receives Rick Parent's Squadron 57 Scolarship to the NHBM Model Building Workshop.
Doreen, Bob, Kyle Blaisdell and Rick Parent.

Kyle’s father will attend the building class with his son, and Kyle in turn will attend the June 22 NHBM event at Pop Whalen with Rick Parent and will serve as one of the team members on the July 6 model yachting day. He also will be helping during any upcoming demo days. It is hoped that he will be able to mentor the recipient of the second annual award during the 2025 building class.

We Had Wind!

A regatta with consistent wind – certainly an unusual condition for the Back Bay Skippers! And thanks to that gift from Mother Nature, the fleet of nineteen skippers completed a full slate of twelve races for the May 28 Soling regatta. A few might have been intimidated by the strong gusts, but it was all smiles for any wind-lovers.

Another refurbished SanAntonio Vintage Marblehead hit the bay this week. Denis Boisvert did a masterful job at bringing the old girl back to life. The SanAntonio collection was donated to the New Hampshire Boat Museum last fall, and the Back Bay Skippers are gradually restoring the original glory of these ten boats

SanAntonio Collection, Vintage Marblehead 188, Refurbished by Denis Boisvert
Karen Enos, Soling Scorekeeper

Solings Out on the Water

The Soling fleet was light on numbers for the Sailor Class this week, but those attending were very competitive. At the end of the day, it was Jim Opie who led the way, scoring nine firsts, two seconds, and a third. Jim’s tally goes in the record books as 1.10. Second place went to Bruce Wilhelm with three firsts, seven seconds, two thirds, and a score of 1.7. Only six tenths separated the two. Dave Corbett placed third with two seconds, two thirds, one fourth, and a score of 2.8. Al Stevens fought through boat issues to post one second and five fourths for a score of 3.6.

 

Wynken and Blynken, where's Nod?
Jim Opie 130

There were fifteen skippers in the Master Class, led by Tim Wright with six firsts, three seconds, and a score of 1.5. Giving Tim a run for his money, Jeff Witzel earned six firsts, one second, and a second-place score of 3.0. A very strong performance put Denis Boisvert in third place with two seconds, three thirds, and a score of 4.3. Al Posnack glided to fourth place with two seconds, two thirds, and a score of 4.7, and Steve Towne became the fifth-place finisher with one second and a score of 5.0.

Tim Wright 383
Solings start the first leg.
Solings are off to a good start.
Solings at the Second Leg
Scorekeepers Karen Enos and B.B. Wright
Soling Skippers
Solings head to the first mark.
Steve Towne sets out to rescue his sailboat.
Tom Barstow 638 and Al Posnack 111 cross the finish line.

Keen Competition for the US12s

The US12 fleet ignored the rainy forecast and ended up sailing in great conditions. It was cool and cloudy with a more consistent wind that came from the opposite direction, blowing in from the east. The seven sailors completed ten races, with a few interruptions for boat repairs or, in one case, a substitution. Three different courses were sailed while trying to get a good upwind leg. When that goal was achieved, the wind shifted. It was, after all, typical sailing on Back Bay.

Everyone had at least two top-three finishes in a row. The second-place and seventh-place boats were just over a point apart. The fleet had spirited racing, and a bit of rust came off our boats and our skills while we enjoyed the day

 

The camaraderie of the sailors and spirited conversations made the day very pleasant for everyone. Again, we thank the volunteers who pitch in to help make our day possible. Special thanks to our scorekeeper, B. B. Wright. We look forward to next week.

Launching US12s at the Dock
US12s are off to a good start.
US12s start the race.
US12s round the second mark.
John Simms 101
Bruce Wilhelm 267 and Don McBride 10 approach the fourth mark.

On the Water with the US12s

With nine wins, Tim Wright finished in first for the day. Don McBride, who finished in second, sailed his boat for four races until it had an equipment failure. He then sailed a “backup” boat for the last five races. Anthony Quinn came in third overall with one first, two seconds, and a third. In fourth was John Simms and right behind him in fifth was Bruce Wilhelm. Rick Gates bought a used US12 today, and sailed it to sixth place. In one stretch, he had three third-place finishes in a row. Jim Opie was starting to do well at the end of his day with a third, then a second-place finish. That’s when his hull met a rock and Jim had to call it a day. Had he kept it up, who knows how the scores would have changed.

US12 Skippers and Scorekeeper
US12s round the first mark.
US12s
Anthony Quinn 937

Sailing on Back Bay

The 2024 season has begun, with radio-controlled model yachts 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.

Come join the fun! We love to share so give it a try

Fun for All Ages

Quiz and Game Fun Page - Updated 11/4/2022​

Trophy Room

Skippers Memorial

Soling 1M Building Manual

Boat Dock - RC Model Yachts for Sale

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Upcoming Events:

Past Events:

e-mail: backbayskippers@gmail.com

May 22, 2024 • US12 Regatta

NAME
CLASS
SCORE
SEASON
Wright, Tim
Sailor
1
1.17
Quinn, Anthony
Sailor
2
1.60
McBride, Donald
Sailor
3
3.50
Brennan, Bob
Sailor
4
4.33
Wilhelm, Bruce
Sailor
5
4.60
Gates, Rick
Sailor
6
4.83
Laird, Rick
Sailor
7
5.00
Opie, Jim
Sailor
8
6.50
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