Back Bay Skippers Model Yacht Club braces for the Sasquatch Footy Regatta

MOULTONBOROUGH — With just over two weeks to go, excitement is building for one of Wolfeboro's most charming summer traditions. On Saturday, Aug. 15, the Back Bay Skippers Model Yacht Club will again host the annual Sasquatch Footy Regatta, drawing radio-controlled sailboat skippers and curious onlookers to the shores of Back Bay.

"These boats may be small, but the competition is fierce, and the crowd is always lively," said New Hampshire Boat Museum Executive Director Devon Kurtz. "It's a summer highlight you don't want to miss."

Open to all Footy Class boats, races will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with on-site registration for participants beginning at 9 a.m. The Sasquatch Footy is part of the Nor'easter Footy Series, a regional circuit that draws model yachting enthusiasts from across the Northeast. Awards will be presented to the top three finishers.

The Footy Class is the smallest recognized class in the AMYA. First conceived in the early 2000s, the class is defined by one rule: every boat, fully rigged, must fit inside a measurement box 12 inches long, 12 inches tall, and 6 inches wide. Within that constraint, skippers build their boats from materials ranging from balsa and plywood to carbon fiber and 3D-printed components, producing a fleet of fast, maneuverable sailboats with a devoted global following.

“What I love about the Footy Class is that it rewards ingenuity,” Kurtz added. “No two boats are exactly alike, and every skipper brings something new to the starting line.”

Due to their small size, Footy boats can be raced almost anywhere there is a patch of open water — making Back Bay, with its sheltered shoreline and shifting breezes, an ideal venue. Spectators can watch the action up close from Bridge Falls Path, adjacent to the Glendon Street parking lot.

“You can bring a chair, grab an ice cream downtown, and spend the whole afternoon watching these little boats battle it out,” Kurtz said. “It's the kind of event that reminds you why summer in Wolfeboro is so special.”

The Back Bay Skippers Model Yacht Club has been a fixture at the New Hampshire Boat Museum since 2008, welcoming sailors of all ages and skill levels throughout the summer months.

To learn more about the Sasquatch Footy Regatta or other events this summer, visit nhbm.org.