Model Yachting News • Week Ending August 14, 2021

Posted on by Paul McBride

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

A Pleasant Surprise
The prediction for wind at the August 10 Soling regatta was about three miles per hour. To our surprise, the wind was well above that and held all afternoon. We did shorten the course and eliminate the last yellow mark just to be safe, so the nineteen skippers completed a lucky thirteen races. The separate class race plan was in affect, offering six races for each class plus one all-in race.

Quiz and Game Fun Page – Updated 8/15/2021

Skippers Memorial

The Sailor Class makes an orderly rounding of the mark.

Videos and Photos

Previous Highlights

Score Sheets

US12, Soling Masters, Soling Sailors

From front to back the racing was intense and close. The Sailor Class posted only 3.4 points between first and fifth, and the Master Class was even less at 2.7 points.

We continue to work on sailing rules and are happy to report there were only a few violations this week.

Commodore Mark Whitehead 12 leads on the approach to the second mark. No, Tim Wright is not already half way through the third leg. He didn't sail today!

Out on the Water

In the Sailor Class the season leader Steve Leker pulled off another regatta win, posting three race wins. Right in Steve’s wake with four wins was Paul McBride, his first race a high score that pulled him out of the top spot. Jack Minahan took the third spot just ahead of Al Stevens in fourth and Joel Nelson in fifth.

Incidentally, Al Stevens, in an effort to keep the Screw-Up of the Season trophy for another year, announced that he broke yet another mast. I don’t think he fully understands the concept that sailboats do not sail well without a mast.

The Master Class was led by Don Cundy this week with two race wins and just .27 points ahead of Denis Boisvert, who also posted two victories. It was a tie for third between Rick Gates and Mark Whitehead, both only .33 points behind regatta winner Don Cundy. Mark tried to claim a wind foul when two feet from the finish he hit a dead spot that prevented a win. The race committee disallowed the claim, however – there’s no such rule in the books!

Rick Laird landed in the fourth spot with one race win and .83 points behind the regatta leader. Bill Malay filled the fifth slot despite a struggle with consistency.

Paul Wallace returns from a rescue mission.

US12 Sailing
The August 12 conditions were HOT and sunny – did we mention HOT – with mainly light winds that shifted all over the compass throughout the afternoon, resulting in challenges for the racing fleet.

When the spray settled, it was Bill Hagerup at the top of the podium with Paul McBride, gaining skills, in second and John Simms in third.

It was a great day for US12 sailing, but it was a good idea to keep in the shade.
Rick Parent checks the sails on his Coast Guard 1790 boat.

Sheila Ryan Memorial Footy Regatta

Because of a proliferation of weeds on Lily Pond in Gilford the regatta was moved to Back Bay. August 14 was hot like the previous few days, but we were blessed with a good steady wind throughout the day, punctuated with the usual slow spots. Weeds thrive in this hot weather so most ponds develop problems, and during the Sheila Ryan Memorial Regatta, skippers faced seven weed calls. For each race a skipper encounters a weed, he receives an average score of his other races.

Bill Hagerup was the Race Director for the Regatta.
At the Skippers Meeting before the first race, the rules for the regatta are explained.

Four Back Bay Skippers and five Minutemen arrived to participate in the event. Unfortunately, Back Bay Skipper Jim Opie and Jim Linville of the Minutemen were knocked out at the start with technical boat issues. That left a strong field of seven boats to carry on the regatta. Tim Wright had a strong showing in the morning’s six races, leading the fleet. However, he was sidelined by rudder problems for the rest of the regatta.

At the end of the day, it was Minuteman Herb Dreher at the top of the leader board with Back Bay Skipper Mark Whitehead second and Minuteman Jack Berglund in third.

Tim Wright had a lot of problems with his boat during the regatta.
B.B. Wright and Bill Hagerup kept things moving from the scoring table.
The keels of Footys are great at catching weeds - not a good thing.
The Footys are off to a great start.
Race Director Bill Hagerup announces the results.
L to R: Jim Linville, Bill Hagerup, Mark Whitehead, Jim Opie, B.B. Wright, Tim Wright, Herb Dreher, Jack Berglund, Steve Doherty, Alain Jousse, Paul McBride
Results for the Sheila Ryan Memorial Footy Regatta
Score Sheet for the Sheila Ryan Memorial Footy Regatta
Tanner, Jason, and Carter got a boat kit to share.

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. And don’t forget Lily Pond in Gilford Sunday mornings at 9:00, weather permitting!

Bodie will have fun building and sailing his boat.

Upcoming events:

  • August 28, 2021 New England Vintage 36 Regatta, Noon, Nashua Model Yacht Club, Sandy Pond, Nashua NH
  • September 4, 2021 Schooner, Sloop and Electric Boat Day, Nashua Model Yacht Club, Sandy Pond, Nashua NH
  • October 30, 2021 MinuteMan Footy Regatta, Nor’easter Footy Series Race 5, Rosemary Lake, Needham MA
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