The US12’s Start Their Season with a Few Companions
Thursday, April 25, the US12 group sailed, bringing an assortment of boats to test out after a long winter. The weather was cool with a nice gentle breeze, and it was good to get together with sailing friends.
There were four or five US12’s sailing, but skippers were eager to try out other boats early in the season. Tom Greig brought his J-Class model of Ranger, which was ready to go but had a gearing issue and never made it into the water. Rick Parent’s Soling 50 was sent on its maiden voyage.
Jerry Leach had his Marblehead, which was in the water for the second time in 35 years — the first being two days earlier! Tim Wright quickly staked a claim for mishap of the year, when his Santa Barbara went over the stern of Paul Wallace’s US12. This put and kept the US12 access hatch underwater, and the possibility of a sinking grew as each minute passed. Fortunately, the boats were close to the dock and were pulled from the water shortly before Paul’s boat went under for good. To his credit, Paul resumed sailing in about fifteen minutes with no long-term water damage. Liquid tape was apparently part of the solution.
It was a very relaxed day of sailing — chilly but enjoyable to everyone there.
Raw and Damp
Word on the street for April 30 said the dock was underwater. Yup, it was! Like most of the lakes in the Northeast, Winnipesaukee is way above normal. We’ve had it rise close to the dock deck but not over.
Although a raw and drizzly day with cloudy skies and temperatures in the low forties, the wind was great for sailing. The skippers were limited and spectators pretty much nonexistent. Eight sailors launched for a very casual regatta, just punching the start button and following Tim Wright around the course.
A lot of boat swapping occurred, mainly to check tuning. This time of year focuses on learning the best boat setup. For the first few races, master builder Anthony Quinn gave Diane Labella’s boat a re-rig. Thank you, Anthony. Diane now should jump to the front of the pack.
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 boat building 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 1:00 PM, weather permitting. Be sure to bring your camera.
Back Bay Skippers 