The Kona winds out of the Southwest went from a mild ten knots to gusting over 20 knots. The boats with their larger #1 headsails up were often overpowered in the gusts and the spinnakers were a challenge. The 4.36 mile course was S-U-X which starts off heading upwind towards the mountain which is the opposite direction from our usual starts.
The pin end of the starting line appeared to be favored and that is where Bonjolea II and Ozone started on port tack. But Fiasco and Kato came down the starting line on starboard tack and the port tack boats had to duck and avoid them as the starboard tack boats had rights. And then the starboard tackers tacked onto port in a good position.
The upwind first mark was the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station. Fiasco rounded in the lead followed by Kato. Both boats made it to the mark without tacking but Bonjolea II and Ozone were lower down and they had to tack to make the mark and so the other boats gained.
The next mark was a gybe mark at G-7 to round and head downwind to the Kalapaki buoy. Kato and Fiasco were side by side battling and they took their battle up near the end of the breakwater. But Ozone sailed more dead downwind under spinnaker towards the Kalapaki buoy and they were able to round first, followed by Fiasco, Kato and Bonjolea II. (I think Double Espresso was next followed by Speedy but they didn’t have their RaceQ’s on to confirm things on the computer).
On the next upwind leg to the G-7 buoy the boats had to throw in multiple tacks. Ozone rounded first but now Kato had passed Fiasco and they rounded next. On their way out to the Ninini Lighthouse buoy Ozone had their small “chicken chute” up for a spinnaker. But as the wind built and became gustier out towards the lighthouse, Ozone couldn’t hold it and had to bear way off towards the shore to get the spinnaker down. Kato had stayed under jib and they now rounded in the lead. And Kato also rounded the Kalapaki buoy a little ahead of Ozone with Fiasco next and Bonjolea II coming on strong. When Kato a little ahead tacked towards the breakwater, Ozone tacked to cover them. Both boats ignored Fiasco (huge mistake always) who after rounding kept going straighter and farther and Fiasco gained tremendously. When Kato and Ozone approached the G-5 buoy they were required to tack and stay inside it (in case the race committee finishes the race early at the finish line before the next lap). But by doing this they were both on port tack and they had to avoid the oncoming starboard tackers. A very unseemly duck of Bonjolea II was done by Ozone’s skipper who slipped in the wet cockpit at the last minute. And now Fiasco had to be ducked as well and Fiasco was now in the lead after having come from quite a ways back.
Fiasco rounded the upwind G-11 buoy first followed by Bonjolea II, Ozone and Kato. Double Espresso with Carl Andersson on the helm with his all wahine crew were sailing smartly without using their spinnaker and they were close by. Speedy followed. Ozone’s spinnaker was soaking wet and tangled from their previous takedown and so they didn’t use it on this downwind leg. Instead they tried going wing on wing with their jib. But Kato caught up and passed them. And Fiasco gained even more.
On the 3rd and final lap which went to the downwind Kalapaki buoy it was Fiasco rounding in the lead followed by Bonjolea II, Kato, Ozone, Double Espresso and Speedy. And now heading back upwind to the finish line between the mole and G-5 it was Fiasco taking first place with a time of 54:06. And although Bonjolea II crossed next they had to settle for 4th place with a handicap time of 58:02. And Kato followed 7 seconds ahead of Ozone but with their 6 seconds a mile handicap they took 3rd with a time of 57:20. And so Ozone took second place with a time of 56:55.
After 3 races in this series (with one throwout) Fiasco is in the lead over Ozone by 1 point. Don’t miss the excitement next Thursday 3/6/25 when race 4 starts at 5pm!
-Chris
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