News Archives - Page 8 of 10

Model Yachting News • October 8, 2019

Posted on October 9, 2019October 12, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12s
Tim Wright reports, the first day of un-scored racing on October 3rd was just what it should have been, fun and loose with seven US12s and one Marblehead. The Marblehead was one of many built by Ned Lakeman. Ned made so many boats he gave them away, this one to Tim Wright. It was sailed by Paul McBride. The boat needs a good wind to reach it’s potential, but we didn’t have the wind to really get it moving. However, beautiful fall colors and no ski jump made for great sailing as well as splendid photos and lots of fun amongst the competitors. In all, a wonderful day and a nice gathering of sailors.

Photo Albums

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

You Have to Love Autumn
The sun was out, there was a bounty of color, and the temperature was in the mid-sixties. A bald eagle even flew by to celebrate the day.
When we arrived for the October 8 regatta, there was concern about the wind being too light, but overall it wasn’t a bad day. There were occasional dead spots, but we managed to complete ten races. Fourteen skippers launched Solings, Tom Greig sailed his US12 and performed a waterline test on his J Boat while Tim Wright sailed his Chinese junk.

Tim Wright’s Chinese Junk — look, he’s in the lead

Promotions
In past years, who sailed in which fleet was determined by a 50-50 split in scores. When we split the fleet in 2018 (Sailors and Masters) it didn’t work as well as it should have. In a recent vote it was determined that the top four Sailors would be promoted to the Master Class and the bottom four Masters would become members of the Sailor Class for 2020. The hope is that this will keep the fleets balanced in numbers and abilities.

Congratulations to the 2020 Promoted Skippers!
New Master Class Skippers

- - - - Don McBride
        Paul McBride
        Denis Boisvert
        John Russell

Al Stevens Makes Progress
Over the summer, Al Stevens made great progress, filling leaks and painting the Johnboat he’s donating to Back Bay Skippers. He’s almost there, and we’ll be transporting the boat to Rollins Upholstery for a cover as soon as the dinghy comes out of the water.

Out on the Water
Howard Germon enjoyed an exciting adventure to Alaska the last three weeks. Prior to that, it was a deluge of friends and relatives, all contributing to his lack of sailing time on Back Bay. Back in action this week, he started the regatta with decisive wins in races one and four. Following that, he scored one second and two thirds.

Race two was a miracle when always-sixth-place Commodore Mark Whitehead led from start to finish with a win. After that, it was a second in race four and a couple of fourths.

Tim Wright had three wins and three thirds. Not to be outdone, Rick Lalley had three wins and three seconds. Paul McBride joined the list of winners in race eight. Don Cundy didn’t get a win, but had three seconds in races two, six, and nine, and Tim Brand sailed to second place in race ten.

Almost Your Last Chance
We never know how many regattas are left. When the dock is gone, so are we. It all depends on the weather — when it gets cold, we tend to lose enthusiasm, so come on down and watch the fun while it lasts at 1 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. The sailing season will end soon.

Model Yachting News • October 1, 2019

Posted on October 3, 2019October 3, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12s
Tim Wright reports that this week, our US12 fleet wasn’t wondering whether rain would stop in time for the regatta as we did last week. Rather, we were hoping it would hold off long enough for a full afternoon of racing. Under dramatic skies and with ridiculously fickle winds, we managed to complete ten races. B.B Wright scored for us and kept the pace moving along. She would see wind and say, “Let’s get going.”

At 2:30, Don Cundy showed us the weather radar, which indicated a serious line of rain ever so close to Wolfeboro. We decided enough was enough and started packing up quickly. While leaving the parking lot, the rain started to fall. Thanks, Don, for your timely attention to the weather!

On the course, due to the winds and the holes into which we all sailed, the racing was spirited and lively. People changed positions right up to the finish line.

Photo Albums

2019-10-01 Soling Regatta
2019-09-26 US12 Regatta
Photo Gallery

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

There was some borrowing of boats. Don Cundy sailed to second place with Tim Wright’s spare boat, winning a race for the second week in a row. Paul McBride sailed to fourth with Paul Wallace’s boat. Paul W.’s boat won a race for the second week in a row.

Don McBride didn’t catch any weeds this week, and sailed to a solid third-place finish. He also displayed uncommon courtesy by lagging behind in one race to keep Diane LaBella’s Soling1M company at the back of the fleet. However, he stayed back only once.

Jerry Leach was having some issues with his boat at times, finishing fifth. At one point, it seemed he was trying to match Don McBride’s miracle of catching weeds with his keel. He didn’t come away with anything, but his boat stayed very still on multiple points of sail.

Tim won the day with good boat speed and lucky phantom winds and shifts. In the first race his luck hadn’t kicked in and he tacked into a 90° header on the last leg, barely avoiding a last-place finish. After that, he started to pay better attention.

We all were glad to complete ten races in ninety minutes, and just as glad to get out before the heavens opened up. Since we need the rain, we were willing to sacrifice the last few races. Hopefully, we’ll have some more good racing next week.

Bruce Brown Receives Award
Last week, Bruce Brown took his first win, and this week, he received the totally desirable Back Bay Skippers water bottle for his accomplishment — no easy task. Congratulations, Bruce!

Late-Season Sailing
Last week was the end of season scoring, but we’re still sailing, and the Solings gathered on October 1 for a non-scored regatta. There’s a lot less pressure and certainly a more relaxed atmosphere. It was a gray day with the typical Back Bay wind that you never know when, where, or if it’s going to blow. It certainly tests your skills at reading the wind, however, and we managed six races for our sixteen skippers.

Rick Gates Challenges for Award

One of the awards given each year is the screw up award. Sailing his Dragon Flite 95, Rick Gates looked just a little foolish hooking the start buoy line. Freeing himself from that, he sailed off and proceeded to entangle the first and final mark. Could Rick be this year’s winner?

Breaking News
Paul Wallace, a Sailor Class skipper, jumped into the lead in race three and never looked back. Sailing one hundred feet ahead of the rest of the fleet, he certainly demonstrated his sailing prowess. It was an all-in — both Master and Sailor class — regatta, so the win was all that much sweeter.

Out on the Water
Looking at overall scores, Rick Gates had an impressive record of one first, two seconds, and a third. Since he was sailing his #170 Dragon Flite 95, a different class, he couldn’t be compared to Soling finishers.

Don Cundy pulled off a win in race one to start things off. Paul McBride had a strong showing taking two wins, although one was when he was sailing Rick’s DF95.

Tim Wright had an unusual day with only one win, but in his defense, he took rescue duty and served as boat analyzer for the rest of the skippers. After his tragic mast disaster last week, Rick Lalley was back in action with three seconds and a third. Commodore Mark Whitehead was shooting for a straight with a fourth in race one, a third in race two, and a second in race three. After that it was a fizzle with two sixths and no fifth or first. Mac MacDonald, after missing a few weeks of sailing, waited until the last race to pull off a good strong second-place finish.

Model Yachting News • September 24, 2019

Posted on September 26, 2019September 26, 2019 by Paul McBride

Tim Wright Reports
The US12 sailing on September 19 was good but a little frustrating. How many times can we mention the shiftiness and uncertainty of the wind? (Just about every week!) The six US12 skippers persevered, however, and completed nine races. Don Cundy showed up despite a hole in his keel that needed attention. Tim Wright has been holding onto Paul Wallace’s boat and brought it to test it out. It was a match made in heaven. Tim told Don he could sail Paul’s boat and give some feedback.

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

In racing, Tim again won the day with eight first-place finishes. The only boat to beat him all day was Paul Wallace’s boat with Don Cundy at the helm. Don finished second for the day. He also had five second-place finishes to go with his victory in race five. Third place went to Don McBride, who finished just ahead of his brother, Paul. Paul overcame some early difficulties and ongoing steering issues. Fifth place went to a returning sailor. John Simms hasn’t sailed often this year due to boat issues. His boat had a persistent leak, but he purchased a boat from Tim Brand and started shaking off some of the rust. We expect more from him in the future and certainly next year. Jim Opie finished close behind in sixth.

There were some incredibly close finishes. In one race, the third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-place boats were overlapped as they approached the finish. The fifth-place boat crossed while the third- and fourth-place boats were still crossing the finish line. It was very dramatic, and our spectators marveled at the racing.

September 26 is the final day of scored racing for the US12s, then a month or so of unscored sailing until the dock comes out. Tim Wright always brings an extra boat, so if you want to try sailing a US12, come on down.

A Dark Cloud
Every week, Rick Lalley makes a three-hour trip from Thomaston, Maine, showing dedication to the sport and to the Back Bay Skippers. This week, however, a gust of wind knocked his boat off the stand and broke the mast before Rick got near the water. Sadly for Rick was a three-hour trip home and missing the last scored regatta. A real bummer, we all hurt right along with him.

A Blustery Day
We are starting to lose a few skippers to conflicts and commitments, but we still launched eighteen Solings for the September 24 nine-race regatta, the last scored regatta of the season. We will continue to sail till it gets too cold to be enjoyable; we just won’t keep track of the scores — on paper, that is!

Tuesday’s winds made up for the last few regattas. Hard winds for the entire afternoon kept us on our toes. At the beginning of the season, many of the skippers would have called it quits and headed home, but now with a little more confidence, they enjoyed the blustery day.

Breaking News
Bruce Brown, another member of the Building Class of 2018 pulled off his first win in race two. We forgot to reload the water bottle bag, so the awards presentation will be made next week.

John Brucker, Class of 2017, finally got a chance to sail with us again. He works in Danvers, Massachusetts, so it’s a struggle to sail with us. Being a little tentative getting started, John made significant progress after a little tuning help from Tim Wright, placing fourth in races eight and nine. It was a great day to play hooky!

Macklin and his dad join the fun

Back Bay Sailboat Kits
Always looking for ways to educate and improve the experience, especially for the younger set, we are trying out the Back Bay Sailboat Kits. The first to receive a kit was three-year-old Macklin. He and his dad will be working together to build his own sailboat.

Out on the Water
First place in Sailor Class was dominated by the top two finishers this week, both with four race firsts. Don McBride took top honors, and close on his heels was Denis Boisvert. Paul McBride had three second-place race finishes to give him third for the day. Jay Burns showed off his prowess with two seconds and three thirds, and Diane Labella rounded out the top five.

At the top of the Master Class was Tim Wright with seven firsts. New in the top three was Jerry Leach with five second-place finishes. Don Cundy tied for second after sailing to one first, two seconds, and four thirds. Bob Brennan snuck into third, proud of one second-place finish, and Rick Gates captured fourth. Miraculously, Mark Whitehead reached the top five — thanks to the tie by Don and Jerry.

Join the Fun
If you don’t want to build a boat, we’ll help you find a used one. Don’t want to sail? Just come and watch — we put on a great show every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 1:00 PM, weather permitting. Be sure to bring your camera.

Model Yachting News • September 17, 2019

Posted on September 23, 2019September 23, 2019 by Paul McBride

Headed South
Sadly for us, John and Bonnie McClun left Wolfeboro to call Amish country in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster area their home. Movers were scheduled to arrive Thursday, September 19, when their change of residence was officially launched.

John had been a longtime sailor in both the Soling and US12 fleets, and Bonnie was an outstanding scorekeeper for the US12 regattas. So they wouldn’t forget us, they were presented with a memento of their days with the Back Bay Skippers.

Previous Highlights

Upcoming Events

9/24 Soling Season End
9/26 US12 Season End

Score Sheets

US12 News
Tim Wright reports that the sailors this week for the US12s had two big questions. The biggest was the weather. On September 12, the rain looked like it might go all day, but both Mark Whitehead and Tim Wright thought it would stop. It did at 12:15! We had just enough time to set the marks, get the boats out and ready, and plan the course.

There were twelve races, with the wind lessening over the afternoon. The wind direction dictated a course from left to right. The racing was competitive except for Tim Wright, who seemed to get his wind from a more reliable source. That was the other big question. Where did he get it? It was apparent at the start that his boat was moving well, and he came in first for the day with 10 points. Paul McBride, who has been making good decisions over the last few weeks, came in second for the third week in a row with 25 points.

The differences in scores between third and fourth, and fifth and sixth were two points in each case. The races came down to the finish on many occasions, and the closeness of the scores showed how good the racing was. Jerry Leach (34) had some trouble with his jib sheet but managed to finish in third, barely two points ahead of Don McBride (36). In fifth place with 42 points, Jim Opie finished two points ahead of Bob Brennan (44). Bob hasn’t sailed his US12 often this year, and tried to shake off a little rust. In the next to last race, Bob got a second place, showing there is hope for the future.

The group enjoyed the day and the sailing, and putting up with the fickle wind yet again. We needed no crash boat or boat hook, so it was a good day! As the scored season is rapidly winding down, all sailors are enjoying the wonderful last days of sailing this summer and into the fall.

New Skippers Meet the Challenge
Last week it was Jay Burns who charged to the front of the Sailor Class and took his first win. We didn’t realize it until the scores came in, so presentation of his awesome Back Bay Skippers award wasn’t presented until this week.

Completing his boat in July and with very little stick time under his belt, it was Nelson Steiner who took his first win this week, receiving the coveted Back Bay Skippers water bottle.

Out on the Water
The September 17 Soling regatta launched twenty-one boats for a frustrating eight races. The wind was predicted to blow at a pitiful five mph, and it did but only in very limited spots. Most races had very very light winds — great for the light-air wizards, but a real struggle for the rest of us.

But actually the wind was like this: VERY LITTLE

When the spray settled in the Sailor Class, Diane Labella displayed woman power as she sailed to the top, followed by Don and Paul McBride. Jay Burns did a great job sailing into fourth with Nelson Steiner pulling off fifth.

Light air must agree with Dan Masessa because he won the Master Class. Rick Lalley and Bob Brennan tied for second, and Anthony Quinn held off challenges by Rick Gates to place third, Rick landing in fourth. Completing the top five was Tom Greig.

Model Yachting News • September 10, 2019

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12s Sail
Tim Wright reports that on Thursday, September 5, we had good news and bad news. The good news concerned the weather. It was beautiful with good wind — variable, of course — and very pleasant temperatures. The bad news was that only four US12s sailed, taking advantage of the great conditions.

Previous Highlights

Upcoming Events

9/24 Soling Season End
9/26 US12 Season End

Score Sheets

On the water, Tim Wright led the way with Paul and Don McBride finishing second and third respectively in very competitive racing, and Paul Wallace in fourth. Trying out his new sails, Paul, in his thoughtful way, let others do well because he knows how important it is to them. What a guy!

Diane Labella sailed her Soling on the course with us and had some good races. At one point, she brought her boat ashore to let it take a nap. “It looked tired,” she explained. After a short rest, her Soling returned to the action.

The big news of the day was something they said couldn’t be done. Impossible, they said. Don McBride actually picked up some weeds on his US12 keel, but it wasn’t just a little weed. It was easily longer than the boat. When it comes to doing the impossible, just ask Don! We were all in shock that he was able to do something so unlikely.

News Flash
Al Stevens took his first win in race five on September 10, a day that will go down in history — or infamy, depending on your outlook. Congratulations, Al!

Without boastful fanfare, Jay Burns snuck in his first win in race two and followed that with another victory in race three! Jay was so quiet about his achievement, the rest of us focusing on our own yachts didn’t even notice until the scores came in. His award of the coveted water bottle will be presented at the next regatta. Congratulations, Jay!

On-Again-Off-Again Winds
During the September 10 Soling regatta, winds were fickle, to say the least, with spotty winds challenging the entire fleet. Stragglers would cruise along making gains on the leaders when, suddenly, the wind disappeared. The next race might be just fine, so it became a crap shoot as to what you’d get. The light-air skippers always seem to manage, but the rest of us go nuts. To further the frustration, six weed calls were made.

Twenty-two skippers launched for the eight-race regatta this week, making for a full bay. No matter the conditions, however, skippers and spectators always have a bunch of fun.

Out on the Water
The Sailor Class was led this week by Paul McBride, a bit more consistent than older brother, Don, who sailed to second place. Rounding out the top three was Denis Boisvert. Jay Burns took the fourth spot with two first-place races, followed by Bruce Brown in fifth.

In the Master Class, Tim Wright was out in front with Rick Lalley in second. The other Rick, Rick Gates, ran a strong third with two first-place finishes. Dan Masessa sailed into fourth with just a little more consistency than Tom Greig in fifth.

Model Yachting News • September 3, 2019

Posted on September 6, 2019September 6, 2019 by Paul McBride

Tim Wright Reports
The US12 regatta on August 29 featured the best sailing wind of the season. A fairly consistent 7-10 knots of breeze gave the sailors a good opportunity to get the boats moving. The warm temperatures belied the slow changing of the seasons. On the water, seven boats showed up.
Tim Wright and Tom Greig alternated first and second places in the first six races until Tom won two in a row. Tim responded with three straight wins. In the end, Tim edged out Tom by winning seven of the twelve races, while Tom won the other five.

Previous Highlights

Upcoming Events

9/13 – 9/14 Vintage Boat Regatta, Wolfeboro
9/14 Footy Regatta, Nashua
9/24 Soling Season End
9/26 US12 Season End

Score Sheets

Paul McBride showed some consistency and good sailing, resulting in strong finishes for third place. Jerry Leach did well too, coming in right behind Paul in fourth. Don Cundy and Don McBride felt their boats weren’t going quite right and had some frustrating times. We know they will keep coming back and raising their games. Jim Opie kept at it and worked on getting his boat going a little better too.

We did have the pleasure of Dianne and Bill Quayle as spectators for a while. Dianne was very well-behaved, but Bill… We loved having them at Back Bay. It was a wonderful day of sailing, and we hope a few more US12’s show up next week. The more the merrier!

Two Regattas in a Row
Trying to keep up with the US12 weather, the Solings hit the jackpot on September 3. Temperatures were in the low 70’s, the sun was out, and the wind held steady all afternoon at about eight mph. We couldn’t ask for more!

Another good turnout this week had twenty-three boats for the twelve-race regatta. There were only a few weed calls, so it was clear sailing all afternoon. The rescue dinghy stayed put till the very tail end of the regatta, when Paul Wallace decided to check out the far shore.

Eeyore did manage three races before gremlins hit the new 2112. Back to the drawing board. We’ll hope for better results next week.

Out on the Water
A bit of a shakeup at the top of the Sailor Class this week with Don McBride taking back his first-place status. Denis Boisvert, showing skill, sailed into second, and for the first time this season, John Russell was among the top three with a strong third-place showing, taking three firsts and three seconds. Rounding out the top five this week were Diane Labella in fourth and Paul McBride in fifth. Except for his brief diversion, Paul Wallace sailed well with two wins.

The Master Class had the top three locked in a battle all their own. Tim Wright forged ahead to first, with Rick Lalley capturing second, and Tom Greig on their tails in third. Surging into the top six this week were Rick Gates in fourth with one win and two seconds, Dan Masessa in fifth with two seconds, and Bob Pacini in sixth with one second place.

Model Yachting News • August 27, 2019

Posted on September 2, 2019September 2, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12 Fleet
Tim Wright reports that Thursday, August 22, was another good day of US12 sailing on Back Bay. The wind was light and shifty, something sailors at Back Bay have grown to know well. The temperature had backed off its summer high and was quite enjoyable.

The sailing seemed to be getting more competitive throughout the fleet. Tim Wright was pressed hard this afternoon. People were determined to test him at the start, and he was over early once. He also said it was getting harder and harder to get a good port tack start (as it should be).

Previous Highlights

Upcoming Events

9/13 – 9/14 Vintage Boat Regatta, Wolfeboro
9/14 Footy Regatta, Nashua
9/24 Soling Season End
9/26 US12 Season End

Score Sheets

Tom Greig, who has done better in recent weeks and is now a fixture at the head of the fleet, pressed Tim often. They battled for first place with Tim winning by a narrow margin. The battle for third place also was heated. Jerry Leach had an average finish of 3.40, while John Simms and Don McBride each had a 3.50 average finish to tie for fourth. For fifth and sixth place, Paul McBride and Jim Opie each won their head-to-head competition six times and finished within a point of each other.

Paul Wallace, as always, enjoyed the afternoon, the camaraderie, and the sailing. When he arrived (early as always), he discovered that his steering servo wasn’t working. With a replacement, he quickly and efficiently changed it out and had another enjoyable day of sailing. Tim has been telling Paul that new sails can’t hurt. Tom Greig offered to barter a new set of handmade sails for some homemade turnbuckles. When Paul gets his new sails, watch out!

What are best are the smiles. The sailors are really enjoying time to sail with each other and to share their hobby with people who pass by. The number of people, both adults and kids, who try RC sailing, walk away with big smiles and great memories.

News Flash!
Jack Minihan takes his first win on Back Bay. It was five short weeks ago that Jack built his boat, and on August 27 he charged through the Sailor fleet and took the win on race three of that day’s Soling Regatta. No small accomplishment. Congratulations, Jack! His reward was the traditional Back Bay Skippers water bottle.

Eric Borrin visited from Dover. He brought his recently completed T65 for its maiden voyage. No matter how you looked at it out on the water, it was a beauty.

The commodore, Mark Whitehead, built a new boat to better challenge the Master Fleet. It looked purty but didn’t go so well, so he had to revert to the old tired boat.

The Solings Gather
The August 27 Soling Regatta sure brought out the boats — twenty-seven including the T65. The bay was filled with both the Master and Sailor yachts. I don’t remember when we had that many boats. The fleets were well-behaved for the most part, and the weeds were at least manageable. The winds could have been a little stronger, but the fleets completed eight races.

Out on the Water
The brothers McBride maintained their hold on the Sailor Class this week. However, younger brother Paul kicked older brother Don out of the top spot. Don Boisvert had been absent for a couple of weeks with other commitments but fought his way into the third slot. Always a strong contender, Diane Labella showed her prowess by placing fourth, Jay Burns and Jack Miniham tied for fifth, followed by Al Stevens in sixth.

No changes for the Master Class, the strong contenders staying at the top. Tim Wright first, Rick Lalley second, Tom Greig third, and Dan Masessa fourth. Don Cundy sailed into the fifth position, followed by Bob Pacini. Bob, our sometime-skipper, gave the leaders something to think about, taking a win in race two.

Model Yachting News • August 20, 2019

Posted on August 21, 2019August 22, 2019 by Paul McBride

Tim Wright Wins CanAm Challenge!
Experienced sailors from the U.S. and Canada gather in Stowe, Vermont every August for one of the major regattas of the season. The competition is intense and extremely close, with the top five for 2019 within nine points of each other. Our own Back Bay Skipper Tim Wright was overall winner in this year’s two-day fourteen-race event, a mere four points ahead of second-place finisher Don Ouimette.

CanAm Score Sheet

Leading the fleet were: Tim Wright, U.S. Team, 36 points; Don Ouimette, U.S. Team, 40 points; Jim Goddard, Team Canada, 40 points; Bruce Nourjian, U.S. Team, 41 points; and Jack Ward, U.S. Team, 45 points. Once all totals were tallied, the U.S. team claimed victory.

US12 Guest is AMYA Director Don Ouimette
Tim Wright reports that the August 15 US12 sailing regatta had a special guest. Don Ouimette is the AMYA Region 1 Director and an outstanding sailor. He recently won the Region 1 US12 regatta hosted by Rick Gates in Nashua. He proved to be just as tough today. Although he wasn’t officially scored, unofficially, he won the day quite handily. Tim Wright and Bill Hagerup tried to give him a challenge, but he was tough to catch and won all but three of the eleven races, including the last six in a row! It was a treat to have him visit — and to demonstrate we have a way to go with the 12s!

US12 Score Sheets

Tim barely eked out a victory over Bill Hagerup. Bill was doing better as the day progressed, and had we any more races, Bill could easily have passed Tim in the scoring. Don McBride came in third with a couple of second- and third-place finishes.

Paul McBride was right behind. He had a string of thirds in the middle of the afternoon and finished just ahead of Jim Opie, who also did better as the racing continued. John McClun finished sixth, but had a first (by a mile) in the first race. He is borrowing Tim’s second boat that recently had some weight-reduction surgery. It seemed to be successful. Paul Wallace again showed his love of sailing and his determination. He finished seventh, but never gave up. After all, what could be better than doing something you love with a group of nice people on a sunny afternoon.

The Solings Dance
The sun was out and so were the skippers — twenty-two to be exact — for the August 20 nine-race regatta. The forecast predicted four-mph winds, but, luckily, they were a little stronger for the most part, although the usual dead spots creeped in now and then. The split-fleet start was used, with Master Class going out first, followed by the Sailor Class.

Our champion skipper Tim Wright, back from his impressive win at Stowe, jumped the start not once but twice. Of course, our scorekeepers, Ellen Koehler and B.B. Wright, won’t stand for those shenanigans, and he was called back for a restart. While the rest of us made smart-mouth comments, he returned to the starting line — and immediately caught up with the fleet!

Soling Masters Score Sheets

Soling Sailors Score Sheets

Alex Hill joined us for the first time with his newly acquired boat, and spent the afternoon getting acquainted with this new sport. We hope he can join us often. Look for Alex’s #4068.

For the most part, the fleet was reasonably well-behaved, although we did have one five-man mast dance that took awhile to untangle. Weeds flourish in this hot weather, and a few floated to our side of the bay to grab rudders and keels, but it was manageable.

Out on the Water
The top of the Sailor Class seems to be holding steady with Don and Paul McBride leading the way. It’s a close race for the third spot, with Paul Wallace hanging on to the third spot for the season, but Diane Labella has sailed into third for the last two weeks and is creeping up. We are glad to see Al Stevens pulling into fourth and Jack Minahan taking fifth.

Tim Wright took top honors, with Rick Lalley and Tom Greig fighting it out for second and third. This week, Rick Lalley finished second with four race wins and holds second for the season at the moment. Don Cundy, always a strong contender, pulled into the fourth spot, followed by Rick Gates.

Join the fun

If you don’t want to build a boat, we’ll help you find a used one. Don’t want to sail? Just come and watch — we put on a great show every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 1:00 PM, weather permitting. Be sure to bring your camera.

Model Yachting News • August 14, 2019

Posted on August 16, 2019August 16, 2019 by Paul McBride

US12 Regatta August 8, 2019
Don McBride #10 writes that our weather wizard, Commodore Mark, made another good call again today. Despite two afternoon downpours at my home on the north end of town, only occasional sprinkles fell on Back Bay today!

Tom Greig took top honors for the day with six firsts and four seconds. John Simms was well rested after his long hiatus, coming in second with five firsts and one second. Don McBride snuck into third place with one first, two seconds, and three thirds. Don Cundy was close behind with two seconds and one third. Jim Opie was putting on the pressure and came in with one second and four thirds. Jerry Leach had two seconds and two thirds. Paul McBride had one third.

Paul McBride had an exciting rescue with most of the fleet helping to coax his boat back to shore. During the rescue Jerry demonstrated superior skills in ushering the helpless boat back to its master at high speed

Bonnie kept us racing even as the darkest clouds approached. We raced on through sprinkles and were able to complete twelve races, which means we could throw out our two worst scores.

Tom Greig could be heard throughout the day giving sage sailing advice to the less experienced sailors. Tom has been sailing most of his life just like Tim Wright. A total of eight sailors enjoyed another great day on the water.

Commodore Makes the Call
After forecasts of a high rain potential, the call went out: Why take a chance? We moved our Soling race day to Wednesday. Meteorologists goofed — there wasn’t much rain in the area on Tuesday after all, but Wolfeboro did get wet so the call was a good one. Besides, Wednesday turned out to be glorious. Winds could have been a little more consistent, but what else is new? The sun was out at least, and everyone had a great day, with nineteen boats launching for a ten-race regatta.

Out on the Water
In the Sailor Class the McBride brothers dominated again this week, with Don leading the way and Paul a close second. Diane Labella sailed well to the third spot. Bit by bit, Paul Wallace has crept up in the standings and landed in fourth place this week, followed by Bruce Brown. Jack Minahan and Skip Koehler, each pulling off a third place in one of their races.

Tim Wright was king of the hill for the Master Class, battling Tom Greig all the way — something they’ve done since they were kids on Narragansett Bay. Always near the top of the fleet, Rick Lalley earned third, and Bill Malay and Bob Brennan had strong showings, placing fourth and fifth respectively.

Model Yachting News • August 6, 2019

Posted on August 7, 2019August 7, 2019 by Paul McBride

US 12 Sailing
Tim Wright reports that August 1 provided the US 12 skippers and observers with some of the best weather for sailing and watching this year. The wind was strong, but not too strong, and the low humidity made it very pleasant on the walking path. While many boats were emptied during the day, the crash boat never had to rescue anyone. Some boats were involved in tangle-ups and equipment failures, but everyone got their boats to shore without aid from the dinghy. The sailing was tight and there were many “photo finishes” during the afternoon. In all, it was a very good day to be sailing

Tim Wright won the day with nine firsts, Don Cundy edged out Bill Hagerup for second, and Paul McBride came in fourth. John McClun sailed well in fifth. Jerry Leach and Don McBride were very close for sixth and seventh, and Jim Opie and Paul Wallace rounded out the fleet. The racing was close and exciting. The racers demonstrated that they all are getting better at starting, with many starts making official scorers Bonnie McClun and B.B. Wright work hard to call the line, ensuring no one was over early. It was a wonderful day of sailing and we hope others will join us as the season continues.

US 12 Spring Series Awards
Awards for the spring series were ceremoniously presented on August 1, with Tim Wright topping the list, Bill Hagerup earning second-place honors, and Don Cundy landing an impressive third.

Soling Regatta
Unlike last week, August 6 was, for the most part, weed-free. There were six weed calls, and we should credit Tom Greig with the day’s top weed. He boasted it weighed forty pounds, but we think that was a slight exaggeration — more like a few ounces. We tried to take a verification picture, but Tom is much too shy — or didn’t want to be caught in his fabrication!

It was great to see some familiar faces returning to the bay. Bill Malay works extremely hard at keeping the Boat Museum’s building program on the straight and narrow, leaving little time for sailing. He was back today.

New skippers, Nelson Steiner and Clint Wolcott, launched their newly built boats. Clint had electrical issues that kept him sidelined for much of the day, but Bob Brennan came to the rescue helping Clint get back on track.

The Dax is back!! About a foot taller than when he last sailed, Dax Rivera joined us for a few races. Jackson O’keefe came at the end of the day, and we hope that he and his brother will join us next week.

Out on the Water
Tuesday had one of the best showings of the season, with twenty-three boats launched. No complaints when we split the fleet to more manageable starts.

The Sailor Class was led by the McBride Brothers — Don leading and Paul close on his heels. Paul Wallace put in a strong performance placing third. In third place for the season, John Russell sailed to the fourth spot.

Jay Burns, class of 2018, finally finished his boat this year and had some good races, placing second, fourth, and a couple of fifths. Jack Minaham, Bruce Brown, and Nelson Steiner had some strong race showings as well, but, like the rest of us, need to work on consistency.

The path to the top two places in Master Class is well established, with Tim Wright in first and Rick Lalley close on his heels. After that it’s a free-for-all. This week, Dan Masessa jumped into the third spot with Rick Gates and Tom Greig providing a serious challenge. The rest of us show occasional spurts of brilliance but all too often can’t find that elusive wind.