Model Yachting News • Week Ending May 29, 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead, Tim Wright
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead, B.B. Wright, Ed Johnson, Brooks Campbell
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry

Let’s Start with Our Appreciation
We had been searching high and low for the missing oars to our rescue boat, to no avail. Paul Wallace generously donated a pair of oars stashed in his storage. Thank you, Paul!

 

Quiz and Game Fun Page – Updated 5/28/2021

Skippers Memorial

Paul Wallace with New Oars for the Rescue Boat
B.B. Wright

We still have not been able to find a scorekeeper for the Tuesday Soling regattas. This week B. B. Wright stepped up and kept score for our last unofficial regatta. Her mission was to get everyone used to the system. Thank you, B. B.!

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Denis Boisvert

With so many windy days, skipper seeding was impossible, forcing us to go to plan B. Using stats from last season that hadn’t been totaled, Denis Boisvert went through all the 2020 score sheets and determined the class designations we needed. Thank you, Denis!

Tim Wright, vice commodore, leads our group not only with sailing prowess but also the education programs, willingly took charge of the US12 fleet, and has assisted in all aspects of our program. Thank you, Tim!

Out on the Water
May 25 delivered one of those wonderful days everyone enjoys, with sunshine, moderate temperatures, and a good breeze. Sixteen skippers attended this week’s regatta, including Jack Minahan, who was sidelined with electrical problems, and Bill Quayle, who likes to keep a watchful eye on the fleet.

Rick Laird 55, Rick Gates 26, Denis Boisvert 44

From top to bottom, year after year, the skippers improve their skills. To testify to that there were five skippers who took first place in races, this week — Tim Wright, Mark Whitehead, Rick Gates, Jim Opie, and Al Posnack. In addition, there were three different places landing in ties — two tied for fourth, three tied for fifth, and three tied for seventh.

Paul McBride 23 dismasted.
A Rescue Opportunity?!
RC Rescue Boat tries to join the fun.
Who could know that rusty bent hook would break?

The top five in this week’s regatta were Tim Wright in first, Al Posnack in second, Don Cundy in third, Steve Leker and Jim Opie tied for fourth, and Denis Boisvert, Rick Gates, and Mark Whitehead in a tie for fifth.

A quote from Tim Wright on this week’s Soling regatta supports the rise in skill: “I wanted to comment on the racing yesterday. The level of sailing has gone way up, the racing closer than I remember it being as evidenced by the photos B. B. took. The downwind shots had ten boats going for the third mark, not the first, and the downwind shots with the boats going to the outer mark were on their way to the fourth mark. The photos of many races show boats close together and yet I saw very few collisions. If there was a foul, people worked them out. I am impressed by the group of sailors who have learned how to race well and have made themselves competitive. Every race saw different people do well. It makes for challenging and exciting racing.”

Ducks in a Row, Geese in a Circle

Tim’s News from the US12s
Today, May 27, was a windy day. The forecast was for a good bit of wind, and that is exactly what happened. While the lulls were temptingly sailable, the gusts were powerful and plentiful. Those winds easily overpowered the three boats that went out. Don Cundy, Paul McBride, and Tim Wright were the three intrepid sailors who put their boats in for twenty minutes or so. They all tried to sail, and all three boats came home on their own. However, it was not a good day for sailing. Bob Strodel brought his boat for its maiden voyage, but wisely kept it in the car. 

Don Cundy gets his boat ready to launch.
Paul McBride 223
Tim Wright 438
Hmm, something is very wrong with the rescue boat.

The spectators got quite a show. There were a couple of onlookers who got front-row seats for the spills and chills. However, the big news was that the only boat that needed rescuing was the rescue boat. The previous night’s storm flipped it, and it was in the water, upside down, and full of water inside the cover. Paul, Don, and Tim worked to get it emptied and right side up. It must have been quite a blast of wind to flip the boat while it was tied up.

Let’s hope we are still getting wind in the middle of summer, although a little less would be appreciated. 

Ta-da!

Join the Fun
The season is underway so folks are encouraged to stop by on Tuesday and Thursday at 1 PM to watch the action (weather permitting of course), or Wednesday if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate on Tuesday or Thursday. Make sure you have your camera at the ready.

Have a Safe and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Upcoming events:

  • June 19, 2021 Sasquatch Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Footy Series Race 2, 10AM Back Bay, Wolfeboro NH
  • July 10, 2021 Scott Spacie Memorial Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Series Race 3, 11AM Rosemary Lake, Needham MA
  • August 14, 2021 Sheila Ryan Memorial Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Series Race 4, 10AM Lily Pond, Gilford NH

Model Yachting News • Week Ending May 22, 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

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

Another Hard Wind Day
On just about every other day of the week, the wind has been good-natured. As soon as Tuesday and Thursday roll around, however, it turns into a bully looking for a fight, and the May 18 Soling regatta was no exception. Skippers gathered on Back Bay knowing the wind would hover around 12 mph — strong but manageable. When more powerful gusts began to punch and shove, equipment and skippers started to fail. By the end of the first hour, fifteen sailors dwindled to five, the attack taking its toll on the little boats.

 

Quiz and Game Fun Page – Updated 5/21/2021

Skippers Memorial

The wind mixing it up at the start

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Commodore Mark Whitehead with his Soling
A strong gust at the start
Tim Wright 383 and Don Cundy 70
Al Stevens with his DF95
Steve Leker tried out his Rescue Boat
Rick Gates's Soling was dismasted.

US12 Action
On May 13, the US12 sailors finally got a chance to put their boats in the water and enjoy the warming temperatures. Seven sailors that included Paul McBride, Paul Wallace, Bill Hagerup, Jim Opie, Bruce Wilhelm, Tim Wright, and Don Cundy sailed twelve races, getting their boats back in tune and testing out the varied wind conditions. B. B. Wright also was getting back into her role as scorekeeper

A leisurely start in light wind.

As usual, the wind was all over the place, both in direction and in strength. At times the boats were either getting knocked down in gusts or finding no wind at all. Everyone hung in there and the sailing proved to be quite good.

Bill Quayle and Don Opie came to watch and had socially distanced front-row seats by the scorekeeper. It was a good first day and we look forward to many more over the season.

Thursday, May 20, was a great day for US12 sailing. Although the winds were light, the temperature was finally warm. It was very pleasant, and with our scorekeeper, B. B. Wright, helping to keep us moving, we completed twelve races with Paul McBride, Jim Opie, Don Cundy, Paul Wallace, and Tim Wright at their controls.

Five US12s in light wind.

The winds did a good job of coming from every direction, which kept sailors on their toes. An upwind leg one race would be a downwind run the next. Still the competition was lively and satisfying. We had a number of spectators, including our loyal centenarian Don Opie. We are looking forward to more sailors making it on Thursdays — the more the merrier.

Paul Wallace tried out his Rescue Boat.
Nothing to rescue today.

Join the Fun
The season is underway so folks are encouraged to stop by on Tuesday and Thursday at 1 PM to watch the action (weather permitting of course). Make sure you have your camera at the ready.

Upcoming events:

  • June 19, 2021 Sasquatch Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Footy Series Race 2, 10AM Back Bay, Wolfeboro NH
  • July 10, 2021 Scott Spacie Memorial Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Series Race 3, 11AM Rosemary Lake, Needham MA
  • August 14, 2021 Sheila Ryan Memorial Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Series Race 4, 10AM Lily Pond, Gilford NH

Model Yachting News • Week Ending May 15, 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead, Rick Gates
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry

Old Man of the Mountain Footy Regatta
On May 8, the weather was cool and mostly cloudy, and morning winds were low, around 0-5 mph, that came from the NNW. Right around 10 a.m., the winds fell to 1 mph and shifted around with small gusts up to 5 mph.

On a wonderful day, eight skippers launched for this regatta to pit their skills against each other in twelve races. The results were close, and all the skippers enjoyed the competition. I would like to thank the following: Jerry Leach for keeping score and the timeclock going; Chris O’Brien for bringing the Nashua colors to fly as an announcement of our event; and the parks and recreation department (Jason and their team) for making the park and pond.

Quiz and Game Fun Page – Updated 5/7/2021

Skippers Memorial

Nashua Model Yacht Club Burgee unfurled at the Old Man of the Mountain Footy Regatta, first regatta of the 2021 Nor'easter Footy Series

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Back Bay Skippers who attended the regatta were Bill Hagerup and Paul McBride.

The race results are as follows with throwouts:

Herb Dreher has won many footy regattas, including the Sasquatch Footy Regatta, which this year will be held on June 19.

Bluster on Back Bay
The plan was to have seeding scoring to place the skippers in one of the two classes. Mother Nature had other ideas, however, bringing out a tough wind well above predictions. Conditions were so tough that the idea of scoring was quickly abandoned. Fifteen anxious skippers had attended the regatta, but one after another bowed out and headed for home. A few stayed to challenge gusts over twenty miles per hour, but most called it a day. Strong winds are hard on the boats.

The US12s Sail in a Stiff Breeze
The winds had diminished to some degree from the previous week, but they were certainly strong enough to keep the US12 skippers on their toes for the May 13 regatta. There were seven skippers that challenged the bay and each other. The fleet certainly had a day to remember.

Don Cundy's Laser performed very well after being in mothballs for 25 years.

Don Cundy brought out his 30-year-old Laser for sea trials. Bruce Kirby designed the original Laser as an Olympic-class boat, sailing it in three Olympics representing Canada. Don’s model was designed by Jon Elmaleh in 1982 and is 41.5 inches long and carries 525 square inches of sail. There are currently 246 Lasers registered with the American Model Yachting Association.

 

 

Join the fun on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 PM.
(weather permitting)

Upcoming events:

  • June 19, 2021 Sasquatch Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Footy Series Race 2, 10AM Back Bay, Wolfeboro NH
  • July 10, 2021 Scott Spacie Memorial Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Series Race 3, 11AM Rosemary Lake, Needham MA
  • August 14, 2021 Sheila Ryan Memorial Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Series Race 4, 10AM Lily Pond, Gilford NH

Model Yachting News • Week Ending May 8, 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B.B. Wright, Paul McBride, Mark Whitehead
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry, Kathleen Whitehead

The Season Begins
Gray clouds kicked off the sailing season, but the wind was ideal for our “Tuneup Regatta.” Fifteen skippers joined the fun on Back Bay, and it proved to be a great day to sail. No scores were kept even though the competition was intense at times, putting the Rules Class to the test.

Puzzle and Game Fun Page – Updated 5/7/2021

Skippers Memorial

Colorful sails are back on Back Bay for the start of the 2021 Sailing Season.

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Rick Laird receives an award in recognition of his first win with the Back Bay Skippers.
Anthony Quinn tries a new tuning method.
Joel Nelson corrects a couple of issues with his boat.
Chinese Junk, Black Sails - Are there pirates on Back Bay?
We are lucky to have such a great path from which to sail our boats.

Strong Winds Send the US12s Home
Five people gathered for the inaugural US12 sail on Thursday, May 6. Strong winds and whitecaps provided too much of a challenge so the discouraged skippers called it a day.

 

 

Join the fun on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 PM.
(weather permitting)

A beautiful Spring day, but too windy for sailing US12s

Upcoming events:

Model Yachting News • April 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B.B. Wright, Paul McBride, Anthony Quinn, Mark Whitehead, Kathleen Whitehead
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Dave Perry and Kathleen Whitehead

New Soling Kit
We did receive a Soling kit for review, and eight more are in production and should arrive soon. Instructors and builders gathered on April 1 to review the new kit, and the general consensus was very positive with a well engineered Soling and, best of all, communication with the new manufacturer, Phil Pace.

Puzzle and Game Fun Page – Updated 4/29/2021

Skippers Memorial

New Soling Kit review: L to R Paul Wallace Tim Wright, Al Stevens, Anthony Quinn, and Ken Gerber
In April we went from this scene, to putting in the dock, setting the buoys, and having our first sail of the season.

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Race Day Review
April 13 was our final Zoom class, although more classes are scheduled at Back Bay during the season. This class concentrated on a review of rules and procedures for future race days. Use of the offset starting mark will be in play this season; however, if a skipper jumps the start, he or she does not have to go all the way around the offset, only the outer start mark.

Emphasis on the skippers taking responsibility for sign-in and issues during the regatta was at the forefront of the class. In the past, we have put far too much of a burden on our wonderful and dedicated scorekeepers.

A review of the scoring system that will be used in the 2021 season was next on the agenda. Skippers must participate in 60 percent of the races in each series — spring and summer — to qualify for awards in a particular series. In order to be eligible for the season awards, they must race in 60 percent of all races for the entire season.

The Dock Goes In
On Thursday, April 15, the dock went in. We didn’t even try to sail after the job was completed since the day was so cold and raw there were no takers. Many hands made a quick job of installation, however.

Okay, now move all the pieces to where they really belong.
Al Stevens tells Bob Brennan where he can go. He does that a lot.
Two workers and five supervisors (additional supervisors were available if needed)
L to R Paul Wallace, Paul Mc Bride, Al Stevens, Mark Whitehead, Bob Brennan, Joel Nelson, Bruce Brown, Tim Wright, John Simms, and Anthony Quinn

Setting the Buoys and a Little Sailing
There have been some dreary days of late, but on April 27 we were able to get the buoys in and a few skippers launched for a sail. We think the winds scared off most of the guys, but Tim Wright, Paul McBride, Anthony Quinn, and Mark Whitehead completed a few laps. Al Stevens and Jerry Leach arrived for moral support.

We now are ready for action, although official sailing won’t start till May 4.

 

Look for Us on the Water
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 PM
(weather permitting)

Upcoming events:

Model Yachting News • March 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B.B. Wright, Tim Wright, Mark Whitehead, Paul McBride, Al Posnack
Cloud Captions Al Posnack
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Ellen Koehler and Kathleen Whitehead

It’s Getting Close
If you look across Back Bay you can see some gaps, and as the Smith River flows to the lake it takes the ice with it. Dock-in will be here before you know it.

Puzzle and Game Fun Page

Skippers Memorial

Ahem, my contract authorizes only one public appearance per year. You'll be hearing from my lawyer.
We'll be putting the dock in soon.

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Bob Brennan

Skipper Hard at Work
Bob Brennan has taken on the responsibility of the Back Bay Skipper memorial. He has single-handedly approved the design, acquired the necessary town approval, and ordered the plaque. Our thanks also go out to Marc Stipo from Lakes Region Engraving for his generous involvement in designing and building the memorial plaque.

Proposed Plaque
Tim Wright

What a Team
The team of Tim Wright, Rick Lalley, and Al Posnack put together our March training programs on tuning and tactics. The team worked diligently to provide the skippers with first-class programs, and holding them on Zoom instead of in person has boosted our attendance dramatically.

Al Posnack
Rick Lalley

For those of us in the audience, there were many aha moments that provided newfound skills and knowledge we can use out on the water this season. A great big thank-you goes out to the team for a job well done.

Down to the Nitty-Gritty
On March 12, the Competition Committee met via Zoom to develop the rules and programs that we will sail under this season. At this point we are still under the Covid protocol from the state, town and boat museum so it makes the decisions a little tricky.

The committee includes Tim Wright, chairman, with Bill Hagerup, Anthony Quinn, Bob Brennan, Eric Leitner, Mark Whitehead, and Wes Matchett as statistision.

Under discussion right off the bat was education, education, education. Continuing out on the water what was started in Zoom classes was tops on the list. Time and method was discussed. For example, should we have a practice session at 12:30 before our 1:00 regatta?

Setting up and handling the starting offset buoy, the courses, scoring, protests, and penalties will be brought before the skippers during the coming weeks.

Tim Wright
Bob Brennan
Wes Matchett
Bill Hagerup
Eric Leitner
Anthony Quinn
Mark Whitehead
Ellen Koehler
Ellen Koehler

********* Rule Number 1 **********
Have Fun !!

 

 

Kathleen Whitehead
Kathleen Whitehead

Model Yachting News • February 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by B.B. Wright, Tim Wright, Mark Whitehead, Paul McBride, Al Posnack
Layout & Photo Captions by Paul McBride
Games by Ellen Koehler, Kathleen Whitehead

Winter Happenings
After a very informative session in January on the new Soling kits, we moved on to the business of sailing and the Rules of Sailing. The rules are actually the international rules with some addendums specifically for radio-control sailing. Whether you’re sailing a full-size boat or a little one, the rules are basically the same.

Puzzle and Game Fun Page

Skippers Memorial

Always call out when a foul occurs or may occur. Announce your intentions to prevent a foul.
Tim Wright holding two items from his extensive collection of sailing related wood carvings by Mark Whitehead

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

Tim Wright developed an absolutely outstanding two-and-a-half-hour in-depth program on sailing rules and how they affect all aspects of our sailing program. Steve Leker was the Zoom host, keeping the program running smoothly, and Laconia Model Yacht Club Commodore Bill Hagerup assisted with rule interpretations.

When you hit or go on the wrong side of the Start or End Mark, you must go around the mark again.
Starting on a Port Tack or Tacking to Port too soon will often cause fouls.

The time was split between the Finckh rules game and actual pictures or videos of Back Bay sailing. It sure brought the rules to life when you saw your own boat creating a foul! You might want to test yourself on the sailing rules game at http://game.finckh.net/indexe.htm. Be sure you click on all the different aspects of this game.

Next up on our sailing classes will be tuning and tactics on Tuesday, March 9, at 1:00 PM.

Someone probably shouldn't have done that.
Swing your partner. Good on the dance floor, not so good when sailing.
Becalmed, with a breeze on the way.
Clear sailing

Model Yacht Building
With the new Soling kits on their way, the 2021 class filled in minutes. There were others who wanted to sign up, but given the Covid restrictions, we had to limit the workshop.

Building Class 2020: Tom Barstow, Genie Ware, John Barstow
Bruce Wilhelm built a US12.

You do have options, however! Registration is open for the class of 2022, and there is even a gift certificate that would make a wonderful present. There is a loaner if you want to try your hand at sailing before you make the investment. Two used boats are available, and, of course, you can order a Soling kit and build it on your own ( Vac-U-Boat.com ). Also, Bob Pacini has two original Victor kits for sale.

Al Stevens and AJ built Solings.
Class of 2019: Nelson Steiner and his Soling

The Sasquatch Is Back
Saturday, June 19, is the day when the little guys will be in the spotlight, when the twelve-inch Footys will gather for some fierce competition. The Sasquatch Footy Regatta was canceled last season because of the pandemic, but it’s back this year. Registration starts at 9:00 AM and races at 10:00 AM. Come join the fun.

Sasquatch Footy Race Notice

NHPR 2014 Sasquatch Footy Regatta Audio, Transcript, and Slideshow

The Footy Fleet in a favorable wind.
A Footy is an Open or Development Class Boat.
Some Footys have 3D printed Hulls.

If you would like to 3D print your own Footy all the information you need is at https://3dprintedradioyachts.com/ where you can find printing instructions, STL design files, and assembly instructions by Bill Hagerup.

AMYA Footy Class

 

Punxsutawney Phil Says
There are only six more weeks of winter. That means the boats will be in the water on the first of April.

Yahooooooooooooo !!!

Unhand me, villain!

Model Yachting News • January 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by Mark Whitehead, B.B. Wright
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photographs B.B. Wright, Tim Wright, Mark Whitehead
Layout Paul McBride

Winter Projects
The first item on the agenda was new shirts for the skippers.
New Back Bay Skipper shirts were ordered for our skippers, scorekeepers, and several trustees in the fall. Usually, about twenty shirts are requested – this time there were seventy-two!

Puzzle Fun Page

 

Skippers Memorial

No Sailing on Back Bay
No Sailing on Lily Pond

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

The four styles offered were:
short-sleeve tees, short-sleeve polos, long-sleeve polos, and hoodies. Each style of shirt came from a different company, resulting in four different shades of blue. Combined with our original dark blue shirt, we will truly have a “rainbow of blues”at Back Bay next season.

Skip Koehler, Tim Brand, Ellen Koehler, B.B. & Tim Wright show off the new shirts.
B.B. Wright is ready for new shirt distribution.
Al Stevens goes shirt shopping at Back Bay.
Jim Opie, B.B. Wright, Don Opie, and Ellen Koehler

Thank you to the New Hampshire Boat Museum for helping with the invoice and to those who waited patiently for Calico Graphics to arrange for these orders.
The photos of the two days when shirts were handed out at Back Bay were taken just after a storm left two feet of snow! (Note that even our Floridian Don Opie braved the 30-degree temperatures to come to the bay!)

We look forward to reconnecting with everyone and sailing once again.

Happy New Year!

The second item to be taken care of is how we will handle the many programs we run, as well as schedules, sailing seminars, committee staffing, model yacht building, skipper gatherings, and awards.

Our very first Zoom meeting for the Skippers was held on January 12 with twenty-seven participants. The 2021 calendar was approved along with an increase in dues in addition to leadership positions. Under discussion was prerace training, a memorial plaque, model yacht building volunteers, Ellen Koehler’s puzzles, the skipper party, race course changes, and picture calendars.

Zoom Meeting Skippers
The New Soling Hull Kit

The next Zoom meeting on January 26 will be presented by Phil Pace, owner of Vac-U-Boat. He will be showing and describing the new Soling kit that will be in this year’s model yacht building class.

Anthony Quinn is hard at work sewing sails for the new solings.

Vac-U-Soling

Anthony Quinn works on sails for the new kits.
Bill Quayle is working on masts for the new kits.

‘Tis the season for model yacht annual maintenance. Yup, it’s time to smooth out all the dings we accumulated over the past summer and to make sure all electrical components are in top shape.

Rick Laird's new boat
Mark Whitehead is building a new Footy.
Don McBride is refurbishing an old soling.
Rick Gates is building a new EC12.
New boat kits for the younger set

For the little guys and gals, it’s a good time to build more sailboat kits. Last season we gave out about eighteen kits to youngsters who visited our sailing regattas on Back Bay. Look at the great smiles we got!

Just a few of the happy faces from 2020

Model Yachting News • Week Ending November 14, 2020

Posted on by Paul McBride

Written by B.B. Wright
Editing Kathleen Whitehead
Photos by Paul McBride, Kathleen & Mark Whitehead, B.B. Wright, Tim Wright
Layout Paul McBride

B.B. Wright Looks at 2020

The Back Bay Skippers had a wonderful season of sailing together. Many weekly pictures gave evidence to this. But the last two scheduled days of sailing were lost to very cold, blustery weather in the 30s. Then the dock was taken out. The season ended without an ending.

Skippers Memorial

The Dock is out. No Sailing on Back Bay until Spring.
Each Thursday a good sized group of US12s sailed at Back Bay.

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

It should be mentioned here that despite the ominous threat of the coronavirus, we all stayed safe while sailing this season. This was primarily because everyone dutifully followed the rules the New Hampshire Boat Museum set for us: to be diligent about wearing facial masks and keeping safe social distances. Even on Sundays, when Bill Hagerup organized our Lily Pond races, we adhered to the museum’s requirements.

After six months on the water at Back Bay and Lily Pond, none of our sailors, guests, or scorekeepers were taken ill during our time together. To have met this new adversary so successfully earned the Back Bay Skippers the right to sail during this challenging season. Our collective hats are off to Martha Cummings, director of the museum; her board of trustees; and to our commodore, Mark Whitehead, who spearheaded and enforced this new and critical initiative.

Masks and Social Distancing were de rigueur for the season.
An average of 20 Solings sailed at Tuesday's Regattas.

Ellen Koehler, who scores the Soling races, recently pointed out that we had more boats sailing this season than any other, averaging twenty boats each Tuesday. The US12 racers also had consistently good numbers each Thursday. It is good to know that our season was a safe and enjoyable one because everyone thought about the safety of fellow sailors as well as their own. Due to that caring attitude, two members who had been reluctant to participate due to the risk eventually made appearances. Everyone celebrated when Bill Quayle and Anthony Quinn stopped by to say hello, saw how dedicated to safety their fellow skippers were, and soon felt comfortable enough to take the helm. It was great to see them both!

Thanks to all who accepted these guidelines in the spirit of community well-being. We also want to thank Bob Brennan and Al Stevens, who were a big help to Mark with this year’s Soling workshop. Special appreciation should go to Paul McBride for his untiring work to organize and send photos out to us each week — a tremendous job to undertake.

Model Boat Building Workshop 2020
An Invitation to Sail at Ossipee Lake

Just One More Day — November 8
Looking ahead to an unusually warm November weekend, Tim Wright had an idea: Why not use one of those days to sail on Ossipee Lake? When word was put out, many sailors responded. Some wanted to be there but had conflicts. We wished they could have joined us! However, there were several who sent word that they would like to try this new venue.

Mark and Kathleen Whitehead, Anthony Quinn, Ellen and Skip Koehler, Paul McBride, and Joanne and Bruce Wilhelm all threw their hats into the ring to try sailing on Ossipee Lake with Tim and B.B.

B.B. Wright
Tim Wright
Paul McBride
Ellen and Skip Koehler
Bruce and Joanne Wilhelm

The following pictures show a huge area of sand before the water begins. This is true because the dam in Ossipee is opened each October in order to lower the lake. Since it’s so shallow in the summer, the walk to the water is more than 100 yards. In the beginning of the spring season, the rains and winter snow-melts are often pushed by winds into lakeside properties, destroying their shorefronts. Thus, dam control in the fall helps to curb potential damage.

Getting Ready for the Fleet
Walking to the Water

On Sunday morning, November 8, Tim was up early, getting what was needed to take out to the water’s edge. Tables, chairs, kayak, life vest, sailboats, six buoys, the timer, and a wagon to hold everything made ruts in the muddy sand as he made trip after trip, preparing for the sailors to come.

And come they did! They brought their own chairs, boats and other gear, water, and snacks. As they settled in, the observers — Ellen, Joanne, Kathleen, and B.B. — set up their own areas to watch and take pictures. They also tried their hand at a new game created by Ellen just that morning! (More on that later.)

Walking out to the water, it became evident that the immediate depth wasn’t enough to launch the boats. Sailors had to walk an extra distance in the challenging chilly water before they could begin to race. Tim had learned this prior to everyone’s arrival!

The pictures tell the real story. It was a wonderfully warm 70 degrees, just right for the planned races. The Ossipee and Sandwich mountains, along with Mount Chocorua were cloaked in a soft haze, and Mount Washington, fifty miles away, peeked at us throughout the day.

The races presented their typically good times and challenges. But everyone’s spirits remained strong and the fun made time pass quickly. The rescue kayak came in handy as Tim chased a boat that could have ended up three miles away instead of just across the bay.

After the last race, folks sat for a while in the warm sun. They then accepted an invite from the Wrights to join them on their old wooden deck to sit by an open fire pit. They reflected on the day and the season and shared personal stories. That was fun!

Then it was time to wash off the sand, gather everything, and pack up for the day.

Ossipee Lake Video

Ossipee Lake Photo Album

Telling Tales around the Fire Pit
Powered Paragliding at Ossipee Lake

We had hoped that two aerial kite pilots who flew by the day before, might come while the group was there. It wasn’t meant to be, but shortly after most had gone and while the Koehlers and the Wrights were still there, they did fly by so their pictures also are included.

Many thanks to ALL of our Back Bay Skippers for this November sailing day. Without the consistent congeniality of our group each week, this Sunday sail would not have taken place. Ours is a special group of people with various backgrounds, who come together with a common interest in sailing and racing. How fortunate we are.

Boats for sale

1: Almond hull with red stripe, hatch cover, mast, sails, stand. No receiver or servos.
2: Red hull, hatch cover, mast, sails, stand. No receiver or servos.
3: Red hull with black tape, hatch cover, mast, sails, stand, receiver, and servos.
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