The weather was gorgeous for the first Invitational Series Race held on 5/26/22. This series requires that the boats have a guest on board or they are penalized the number of boats in the race plus one. The 6.11 mile course was A-C-D with two outside laps and an inside lap. The wind cooperated with 8-10 knots out of the Northeast (compared to the very fluky Kona winds last week).
Only 5 boats competed as Fast Company is over on Oahu for some racing there. Ozone tried setting the pin end start buoy several times which made the crew appreciate how well Fast Company does it every week. The guest on the Sydney 36 Bonjolea II was Koa. Ozone, one of the four Olson 30’s in the race, brought in a ringer from Newport Beach, California. Patrick Scruggs is a well known sailor from the Newport Harbor Yacht Club and he did a fantastic job trimming the mainsail (at 69 you can still be a rock star in sailing!) It looked to me like Weatherly with guest Sophia and Double Espresso with guest Evan had swapped crew (I guess that is legitimate). [Editors note: Quite the coincidence! Sophia and Evan are not the same as the regular Weatherly and Double Express crew members! Evan was visiting John and Charlotte from Florida] And Speedy had guest Jessica.
Ozone had the best start at the pin end. But Speedy and Double Espresso hit the start line at the same time, just further down the line. Weatherly didn’t have their RaceQ’s on for the course tracking so it won’t be as easy to comment on their performance in the race. Bonjolea II tacked early towards the breakwater after crossing the starting line. Speedy, Ozone and then Double Espresso tacked a short time later. Ozone was able to cross in front of Bonjolea II and Speedy went behind. As Double Espresso approached Speedy they tacked below them and in front.
Bonjolea II easily took over the lead and they tacked first to get out of the harbor. Speedy tacked earlier and Ozone later than Bonjolea II’s line. On the way out to the Ninini Lighthouse Buoy Double Espresso tacked back in towards the Timber’s Resort twice which appeared to cost them some time. At the rounding it was Bonjolea II in the lead followed by Ozone, Weatherly (with Astrid Andersson back from college taking the helm), Speedy, and Double Espresso. Bonjolea II, with Bonnie Tiffany on the helm, continued to extend their impressive lead as they headed to the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station.
On the second lap out to the lighthouse buoy Ozone tacked early to get out of the harbor, but this did not pay off as they got headed compared to Bonjolea II’s line. Ozone therefore tacked back towards the Timber’s Resort Beach but Weatherly was gaining behind them. Bonjolea II meanwhile had taken off like she was shot out of a cannon and they were long gone in the lead. Ozone slowed way down in the fluky air air that often occurs at the Kukui Lighthouse. And when they gybed and the spinnaker sheet came off the sail they were really slow and anxious as Weatherly gained on them. But the crew made a nice recovery and Ozone sailed on.
At the finish line first in the PHRF class was Bonjolea II lapping some of the fleet and finishing 10 and a half minutes over the second place boat Ozone. WOW! Weatherly finished in 3rd place. Speedy with Dick Olsen on the helm finished first in the Club Class and Double Espresso with Dasha steering took second.
Just a great day for sailing.
-Chris
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