The Invitational Series of 4 races requires that a guest be on board to promote sailing. Without a guest, the boats are penalized to last place plus one more point. Ouch! So be sure to bring a guest. This first race in the series was over a 6.03 mile course B-A-D with 2 outside laps and one inside lap. With winds at 12 knots out of the Northeast, most boats had their smaller #3 headsails up.
The pin end was favored as usual for a starboard start to the race. Fast Company had Ozone to weather and was pushing them up to either make Ozone be over early or to have to re-round. But by luffing both sails Ozone slowed down and started okay though behind and slower than Fast Company. Papa Au started midway down the line and Weatherly did a port tack start at the pin end just in front of Bonjolea II on starboard. Bonjolea II was quickly gaining and they passed Ozone at the Kalapaki buoy which was being rounded to starboard on the way out to the lighthouse. Fast Company had taken a lower line and though they were ahead, Ozone was outpointing them and gaining.
Bonjolea II by now had passed everyone and they rounded the Ninini Lighthouse buoy first. Although Ozone appeared to have reached the 3 boat length circle ahead of Fast Company, they were on port tack while Fast Company was on starboard and so
Ozone had to do a sharp duck of Fast Company’s stern and Fast Company gained. Speedy, Weatherly, Double Espresso and Papa Au followed.
Downwind under spinnaker after the rounding several boats exceeded 12 knots surfing down the waves. Fun rides and thrills for the guests on board. Weatherly and Speedy were now side by side in a close downwind battle. Weatherly eventually got ahead of Speedy at the G-11 buoy rounding by the Coast Guard Station. But here Bonjolea II had rounded in the lead, followed by Fast Company, Ozone, Weatherly, Speedy, Double Espresso and Papa Au.
On the second lap the rounding of the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station had Fast Company ahead of Ozone but Ozone was outpointing them. And when Fast Company reached the cruise ship obstruction zone and had to tack back onto port, Ozone’s crew could be heard yelling “starboard” and Fast Company had to duck Ozone’s stern. But Ozone’s lead over Fast Company was not to last as Fast Company soon passed them upwind to the Kalapaki Buoy which on this third and final lap was rounded to port before heading to the G-7 buoy gybe mark and on to G-11. And while Bonjolea II was way in the lead, the race became very tight for second place.
As Fast Company rounded the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station for the final run to the finish line, Ozone once again pointed better and got separation from Fast Company. And when Fast Company reached the cruise ship obstruction zone and had to tack back onto port, Ozone’s crew was once again heard to yell “starboard”. And Fast Company once again ducked Ozone’s stern and the race to the finish line was on! The two boats were neck and neck, like in a horse race, and the outcome was definitely not clear as two horns were heard to go off almost simultaneously as they crossed the finish line. Fast Company radioed the race committee to see who took the first horn. And Ozone’s crew burst into cheers and high fives when they heard it was them beating Fast Company by only 1 second!!!
So the results at the finish line showed that Bonjolea II with Bonnie Tiffany on the helm had taken line honors and first place for the 5th race in a row. Can they catch up to Fast Company’s amazing string of 13 wins? Second place went to Ozone and third place to Fast Company. Weatherly, Double Espresso, Speedy and Papa Au followed.
-Chris
Click for complete results and the RaceQs race replay on the
Club Racing page.