The 7th and final race of the Gene Wells Memorial Series was held in winds out of the North at about 10 knots. The course was C-H-E with one outside lap to the Ninini lighthouse buoy and two inside laps around the Kalapaki buoy. The distance was 4.46 miles.
Speedy had a great start on port tack by the race committee and not only was this the favored tack but they made it outside of the harbor beyond the breakwater in one tack. Ozone started at the pin end on starboard tack and with the wind so far North they fell way behind the first three boats, losing about 45 seconds by not taking the port tack start. Papa Au also started on starboard tack and fell in behind the other four boats in the fleet.
As Speedy very nicely made it out of the harbor on one tack, the larger and faster Bonjolea II was able to catch up to them and tacked on top of them to windward giving them bad air. And Bonjolea II took off. Weatherly was ahead of Ozone and Papa Au here. Bonjolea II was the first boat to round the Ninini Lighthouse buoy followed by Speedy, Weatherly, Ozone and Papa Au. With the winds so far North the spinnakers were not hoisted right away as the wind was forward of the beam. Several boats stayed far North of the lay line to the Kalapaki buoy in order to set their spinnakers when the wind was abeam.
Bonjolea II rounded the Kalapaki buoy still in the lead and they reached up high towards the breakwater as this is a fast point of sail for them. Weatherly was next and took the shorter lay line route to the G-7 buoy with Speedy and Ozone following them. At the G-7 gybe mark where the boats would then head to the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station Ozone was able to pass Speedy and Weatherly. Heading back upwind after the rounding, Weatherly tacked away first towards the breakwater soon followed by Ozone and Speedy. And at the Kalapaki buoy Ozone and Speedy were able to make it around okay but Weatherly had come in low and now had to throw in two extra tacks which slowed them down and they now fell behind. Subsequently, on the way to the G-9 buoy Weatherly was able to catch and pass Speedy. But then disaster struck Weatherly as they went around the G-9 buoy the wrong way, leaving it to port rather than to starboard. At first it looked like they were trying to unwind and correct their mistake, but then Skipper Carl Anderson decided to continue the chase to stay in the race (and it was more exciting that way). He did notify the race committee and he knew that they would be scored DNF (did not finish).
And indeed, after rounding the Kalapaki buoy Weatherly was able to pass Speedy and they were right on Ozone’s stern. Ozone had gone up too high towards the breakwater after the Kalapaki buoy rounding but they had a better angle coming in to the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station and they were able to stay a little ahead of the other two Olson 30’s as they headed towards the finish line.
And at the finish line it was Bonjolea II with Bonnie Tiffany on the helm taking line honors and first place for the 5th time in the 7 races and they easily took first place in the series with 7 points. (Every boat was able to throw out their worst score). Ozone was second place in the race 38 seconds behind Bonjolea II and they took second place in the series with 11 points. Speedy took 3rd place in the race and 3rd place for the series with 17 points.
There is no race next Thursday on 10/19/23. The Halloween Race will be held on Thursday 10/26/23 so think about costumes. Rumor has it that Jim Saylor may be back from the mainland to race and that Ozone’s skipper Chris Jordan is so nervous about Jim’s return that he is heading to the mainland. Chris has asked Thor Temme to skipper Ozone and to take on Fast Company and Jim Saylor. It could be a ZOO!
-Chris
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