The final race of the Shorts Series (where all the racing is done inside the harbor) had course F-E-E-D over 3.91 miles with winds out of the Northeast at 16. Five boats raced including the Sydney 36 Bonjolea II and 4 Olson 30’s (Speedy, Weatherly, Double Espresso and Ozone).
Ozone had a good start on starboard tack at the pin end with Bonjolea II just a little below and behind them. But Bonjolea II is very fast and they can point incredibly high so that they soon passed Ozone and got upwind of them. Speedy started on starboard tack about the middle of the starting line and Weatherly was a little late and they followed behind Bonjolea II. Double Espresso had their RaceQ’s freeze which normally shows their position on the race course on the computer and as a result I can’t comment much about them except to say that they were doing very well. By starting further down the starting line it made Speedy and Weatherly come in low of the Kalapaki buoy upwind and so they had to tack twice to make it around. Meanwhile, Bonjolea II rounded in the lead without tacking and Ozone followed and barely made it around by pinching up and going slow and avoiding the tacks. Double Espresso, Speedy and Weatherly followed.
Downwind and heading to the G-7 buoy Ozone put up their spinnaker and they gained on Bonjolea II. Bonjolea II was short of foredeck crew and so they didn’t use their spinnaker, which really helped Ozone gain. And Weatherly caught up to Speedy at the G-7 buoy and passed them going back upwind towards Kalapaki.
Bonjolea II again rounded the Kalapaki Buoy in the lead, followed by Ozone, Double Espresso, Weatherly and Speedy. But downwind without their spinnaker they were passed by Ozone. And after rounding the G-11 buoy Bonjolea II was directly behind Ozone going upwind and they were in bad air. So Bonjolea II tacked away early towards the breakwater in order to get clear air. Double Espresso, with the youngest Kauai Sailing Association sailors, was remarkably close to Bonjolea and Ozone. Meanwhile, Weatherly and Speedy were still having quite a battle with Weatherly a little bit ahead.
When Ozone next met up with Bonjolea II and crossed tacks they were now a little behind and they had to duck Bonjolea II’s stern. Bonjolea II soon tacked back towards the breakwater to cover Ozone. And when Ozone tacked towards the Kalapaki Buoy, Bonjolea II tacked directly in front of them giving them bad air and slowing Ozone down. And meanwhile Weatherly had gained some on Speedy.
Downwind on port tack under spinnaker Ozone was gaining on Bonjolea II once more. But Bonjolea II gybed onto starboard tack which has rights over port tack and as the two boats converged at the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station Ozone had to let Bonjolea II have room and they rounded ahead. And for the rest of the race the boat positions pretty much stayed the same. And at the finish line it was Bonjolea II taking line honors. But as a bigger and faster boat they owe the 4 Olson 30’s in the race 36 seconds a mile on handicap. And as a result, Ozone corrected to first place by a minute and 15 seconds. Bonjolea II took second place and Double Espresso with the youngest sailors aboard took third. Weatherly and Speedy followed.
For the 4 race Shorts Series Bonjolea II won the first two races and Ozone the last two. But the rule book says that whoever won the last race wins the series if there is a tie and so Ozone took the series by winning the last race.
Next up is the Gene Wells Memorial Series of 7 races which starts on Thursday 8/31/23 with a 5 pm start. The public is invited to watch the races from the Nawiliwili mole parking area. A KSA community educational event will be held at the clubhouse at approximately 6:45 pm. Denis and Holly Michaud who are cruisers from the catamaran Tango will talk about their adventures sailing in the southern part of the Inside Passage in the Pacific Northwest. A potluck dinner is available.
-Chris
Click for complete results and the RaceQs replay on the
Club Racing page.