Model Yachting

A Work Day on Wednesday, October 16

Tim and B. B. welcomed four more sailors intending to spend time working on their boats, either Solings or US12s. The group included Jeanne Butler, Ken Gerber, and Kevin Bennett. Bruce Wilhelm graced us with his presence for the third time – determined to use these opportunities to continue increasing his nautical skills. Jeff Witzel had intended to join us, but a last-minute dental appointment had to take precedence.

Each sailor came with various issues they wanted to address: lines and boom vangs to restring, electrical connections to improve, equipment to inspect and modify, plus vessels made to be more responsive, reliable and competitive on the water. Another focus was clarifying rules to make racing easier to understand. Advice on the subject was sought from Tim and one another.

Tim then used two house fans to talk about sail shape. It included taking full advantage of the wind by tuning the sails. That discussion then expanded to include wind direction and sailing strategies. Tim used his workbench, small boat models, and ‘wind arrows’ to illustrate various points.

Learning to watch for wind direction was key. Watching for changes in the wind’s velocity (dark water) became a focus of the discussion.

Out on the Course

Bruce Wilhelm topped the Sailor Class this week with a score of 7.4. Second place had a tie with Kevin Bennett and Mark Bodenstab each scoring 7.7, just three tenths behind Bruce. Fourth will have to go to Dick Currier at 11.1 since Dave Corbett sailed only five races, two short of qualification for this regatta.

Tim Wright forgot the radio for his new boat so went with plan B and the old #383, taking only four firsts but generously sharing his boat with other skippers. Oh, by the way, he did take the regatta with a score of 1.3! Steve Leker managed four wins and a second to place second overall with very consistent sailing leading to his score of 3.3. Don Cundy held onto third place with a couple of seconds, three thirds, and a score of 3.9. He was followed by Ken Gerber in fourth with 4.0 that included two wins and a second of his own. Ted Monetta rounded out the top five at 4.3, proud of his one win and one second.

Out on the Course

Linwood Davis continued his winning ways, finishing first in the Sailor Class with a score of 4.40, not only to win his class but also third overall. Not far behind was Clint Wolcott with a score of 5.30 to achieve second place in the Sailor Class and fifth overall. He is headed back to D.C. this week with instructions to straighten out the place. Good luck with that one! He responded that he just keeps his head down all winter. Good strategy.

Mark Bodenstab earned a score of 5.70 to take third in his Sailor Class and sixth overall. Fourth spot in the Sailor Class went to Dave Corbett with a score of 6.80, placing ninth overall. Rounding out the top five in our Sailor Class was 90-year-old Dick Currier with a very respectable score of 7.60 and tenth overall – just a little slower than his 80-mph hydroplane in his heyday, but very respectable for Back Bay.

The Master Class was led by our season champion, Tim Wright, crossing the finish line first in seven races for a score of 1.30. In between victories, he also made a couple of rescues. Anthony Quinn left his old boat at home and won the first race in #111 for a score of 3.20 and a second-place finish overall. Mark Whitehead stopped his grumbling about wind to win the last race and tally a score of 4.60, placing third in the Master Class and a fourth overall. With a score of 6.20, Ted Monetta earned fourth in class and seventh overall, followed by Joel Nelson with a score of 6.30, fifth in his class, and eighth overall.

The Grinch Brought the Winds

The winds for September 24 were funny but not giggly, happy funny. They were just plain weird – the strangest we’ve seen – and that’s saying something for Back Bay! Its velocity wasn’t bad, but it seemed to be intoxicated, coming from the strangest directions and heights. We’d set the sails just right and suddenly they would luff and the boat would sit dead in the water. The wind’s direction was not only unpredictable but also different at various levels above the water. The pennant at the top of the mast would flutter in one direction, the waves in another. The wind on shore could be at our backs yet the sails would fill in the opposite direction, leaving us scratching our heads. Very few skippers could figure it out.

It was all-in for the eight Sailors and eight Masters, punching their tickets for ten races. At least we got one throw-out race.

Frustration Sinks In

After a couple of races with our normal four-buoy course, the fleet seemed to stall at the second mark. There was no wind that close to shore so races were slow as the proverbial molasses. Perhaps a possible solution might be to just skip it and round the first mark to port. Ahhhh! Problem solved – and the pace of the races was at least a little better.

What a Way to End the Scoring Season!

Not too hot, not too cold, sunshine, and a good breeze to get in a record number of fourteen races. The September 10 Soling regatta brought out sixteen skippers, fifteen of whom joined the competition. Normally we’d separate the classes when more than fifteen participate, but the number being right on the edge, we decided to call for a single fleet — the reason we could complete so many races.

This was the last officially scored regatta of the season — a spectacular ending – but don’t you dare think that we’ll stop sailing! Our season of fun has another month and a half to go. Like the Energizer Bunny we keep going and going until it gets too cold to pull out the dock.

From now on, however, the pressure is off as we have more relaxed scoring and regattas in our weekly gathering with friends.

A wonderful group of about fifteen Belgians joined us, our skippers handing over radios between races to share the camaraderie of sailing. Later, they slowed down to smile and wave as they pedaled by on their bicycles.

The commodore brought a new toy so we’d know what the wind velocity was. It clocked speeds from eight to fifteen mph, but most of the time showed speeds of ten to twelve — ones that we could handle.