The Roger Cable Memorial Rum Series Race #4 started with light 4 knot winds out of the Northeast and ended with winds coming from the opposite direction. The course was D-E-A over 4.51 miles with two inside the harbor laps and one outside lap to the Ninini Lighthouse Buoy.
All the boats started on starboard tack. Fast Company was again the first boat to cross the starting line while Ozone was more to weather at the pin end and Weatherly was in between. Everyone was very happy to see the Papa Au crew out sailing again. Speedy was the fifth boat in the fleet. Bonjolea II the Sydney 36 skippered by Bonnie Tiffany was over on Oahu representing the Nawiliwili Yacht Club in the Lipton Cup. Go Bonnie and crew!
Ozone was to weather of Fast Company as they approached the Kalapaki Buoy to be rounded to port and they never thought that Fast Company could make it around without tacking. But miraculously they did, right in front of Ozone who couldn’t believe it. Some incorrect words were heard to be spoken by Ozone’s skipper Chris Jordan. Curse you Jim Saylor! All the other boats had to tack to make it around the buoy which slowed them down.
Now heading downwind under spinnaker to the G-7 buoy Ozone was trying to catch Fast Company and Weatherly was trying to catch Speedy. The smaller Papa Au with it’s slower rating rounded out the field. At the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station Fast Company was able to gain a lot. Ozone tacked away early on a header but Fast Company quickly tacked to cover, which they did several more times on the upwind leg. On the longer upwind leg to the Ninini Lighthouse Buoy Ozone gained some on Fast Company and Speedy was gaining and pulling ahead of Weatherly.
Normally after rounding the lighthouse buoy it is a spinnaker run into the harbor. But today the winds were so far North that it was a close hauled course and even then the boats couldn’t make it to the entrance of the harbor and they had to tack to make it inside. Papa Au at this point was just heading out of the harbor and it appeared that in the interest of time they retired from the race. Still great that they were out there.
Speedy had pulled further ahead of Weatherly and Ozone on the last leg to the finish line was close on Fast Company’s heels. But Fast Company took line honors and first place again for the 10th time in a row! Ozone finished 14 seconds later with only 3 of their usual 8 crew members and the Fast Company crew very kindly gave them a round of applause. Speedy finished in 3rd place followed by Weatherly. The light shifting air definitely made this an interesting race.
-Chris
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