It was great to have Jim Saylor back in town to race his Olson 30 Fast Company. We missed you Jim! He has been hitting up a lot of National Parks on the mainland in his RV the passed couple of months. The wind forecast was for very light winds but they turned out to be 8-15 knots out of the Northeast. The course was A-D-E with the first lap out to the Ninini Lighthouse buoy and the other two laps inside the harbor over a distance of 4.51 miles.
Ozone had the best start right at the pin end on starboard with Bonjolea II close behind and Fast Company behind them. After crossing the starting line Bonjolea II quickly tacked towards the breakwater. Speedy started on port tack about midway down the starting line and they ducked Ozone who quickly tacked back to cover them. Ozone subsequently had to duck Bonjolea II when they met up near the breakwater.
Bonjolea II led heading out of the harbor. Ozone tacked out further to weather of Bonjolea II’s course while Fast Company tacked early and they were able to stay between the end of the breakwater and the green buoy. There are a few big rocks in there! Fast Company was pointing incredibly well and they were able to come up from below to pass Speedy and to gain on Ozone.
Bonjolea II rounded the Ninini Lighthouse buoy first followed by Ozone, Fast Company and Speedy. The positions stayed about the same until the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station when Ozone’s jib came off the tack hook at the bow. While fixing that they were delayed in getting their spinnaker down and they had to round the buoy widely. Fast Company took advantage of this opportunity and they had a nice tight rounding which pinned Ozone to leeward and Fast Company gained a lot. And as the two boats approached the breakwater side by side Fast Company called for room to tack. Ozone yelled “you tack” to Fast Company, which they did and Ozone then tacked closely into a lee bow position. Jim Saylor commented “that was pretty close” but he didn’t raise a protest flag. Fast Company rounded the Kalapaki buoy just behind Ozone and both boats had port poles for their spinnakers to head to the G-7 buoy which was almost dead downwind with the Northeast wind. As they gybed their spinnakers at the G-7 buoy Ozone tried to stay just in front of Fast Company as they headed to G-11. But Fast Company again had a tighter mark rounding than Ozone and Ozone was pinned to leeward once again, unable to tack. And when Fast Company subsequently tacked towards the breakwater they were quickly followed by Ozone. But it was now Fast Company taking the lead on Ozone. Meanwhile Bonjolea II was rounding the Kalapaki buoy way out in first place while the two battling Olson 30’s were just nearing the starting line by the race committee. And Speedy was just rounding the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station.
But when Fast Company rounded the Kalapaki buoy in front of Ozone they again had their spinnaker pole set up on port and so they had to reach up towards the breakwater to keep their spinnaker full. Ozone however had switched and put the pole up on starboard and they now had a direct course to the G-11 buoy and they were gaining significantly on Fast Company and soon passed them.
And at the finish line it was Bonjolea II taking line honors and first place by 2 minutes and 8 seconds over Ozone in second place. Fast Company took third place a minute and two seconds behind Ozone. Speedy rounded out the fleet.
For the 4 race series Bonjolea II and Ozone were tied with 6 points. But since Bonjolea II won the last race they win the series. Congratulations Bonnie and crew! Speedy and Double Espresso were tied with 18 points each but since Double Espresso was unable to get their new main halyard in place after the old one failed last week they didn’t do the last race and so Speedy took 3rd place in the series.
The Wahine Series of 5 races is next starting on 6/13/24 with a 5pm start. A wahine (female) is required to steer the boat in all 5 races, although it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same wahine steering in each race. The public is invited to watch the races from the Nawiliwili mole parking area.
-Chris
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