April 2019 – Back Bay Skippers

The Season Begins
On April 17, the bay had cleared, the sun finally made an appearance, and it was warm enough to install the dock. Our crew of twelve made quick work of the project, taking just over an hour for transport and setup.

Bringing their energy to this year’s crew were Tim Wright, John Russell, Paul McBride, Paul Wallace, Rick Gates, Jerry Leach, the Koehler trio (Skip, Kent, and Ellen), John Simms, Bob Brennan, and Mark Whitehead.

Competition Committee
To get started on the right foot, the Competition Committee met on April 20 to review scoring and to set rules for the 2019 season. Chairman Tim Wright welcomed members Anthony Quinn, Bill Hagerup, Wes Matchett, Bob Brennan, and Mark Whitehead.

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First Day of Sailing
Boats hit the water on April 23 with fifteen skippers and an impressive array of classes represented. Launched were fifteen Solings, three Marbleheads, two Santa Barbaras and, oh yes, one little footy to round out the fleet.

The scoring is very loose at this time of year — official scoring starts May 21. However, bragging rights will have to go to Tim Wright, Tom Greig, Rick Gates, Mark Whitehead and Anthony Quinn with kudos to Jerry Leach and Paul McBride who also sailed well. Newish skippers Denis Boisvert and Bruce Brown really showed great progress, putting in good performances.

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Join the Fun
We have a wonderful group of participants for this challenging-but-fun hobby. Young and old can join, and those wanting to build a yacht should keep in mind our boatbuilding class at the NH Boat Museum July 8 through July 12. If you don’t want to build a boat, we’ll help you find a used one. Visit Model Yacht Building above for details.

Don’t want to sail? Just come and watch — we put on a great show every Tuesday and Thursday starting at one PM, weather permitting. Be sure to bring your camera.

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It’s Up to Mother Nature

Our permit says April 2, but footing along the shore of Back Bay is tricky enough to delay boat launch a bit. Every year, the skippers wait impatiently to set sail again, and, traditionally, we pick a nice warm day to put in the dock. If you see the dock, that’s the signal for a new sailing season so look for sailors on Tuesday or Thursday afternoon, weather permitting. Come to watch or join the fun. We love to share and welcome onlookers to try their hand at the sport.

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Something New

We are trying to encourage more family participation, so this year’s class will be held during the New Hampshire Boat Museum’s Family Boat Building session July 8 through July 12. No experience is needed – guidance will be provided every step of the way. Details can be found under Model Yacht Building Workshop.