The 6th and final race of the Ken Martinez Commodore Series had JT Schoonover as skipper on Fast Company as Jim Saylor was back on the mainland. And Kato’s skipper Kevin Millett had crew Bob Kolodny back again this week as another secret weapon. Bob is owner with his wife Mary Kopitzke of the beautiful Lagoon 50 catamaran that is moored right out in front of the clubhouse. And Speedy had a new set of sails just waiting to show the other 4 Olson 30’s what they could do with them. Double Espresso had Kauai Sailing Association instructor Zack on the helm with the young KSA sailors. They seem to be getting better and better each week.
Although the wind initially appeared to be light, as Ozone got out into the harbor it picked up and they had to go back to the dock where they had left their smaller #3 sail. And they were very happy that they did! But they were now short of time without testing out the course as they usually do. The winds were very northerly and a port tack start was perhaps favored a bit. Speedy, Kato and Ozone started on port tack and indeed passed in front of Bonjolea II and the other starboard tackers. But Speedy and Bonjolea II stayed on the inside closer to the mole and they appeared to be lifted towards the Kalapaki buoy for the first mark rounding (course E). Speedy was in front for quite a while until the larger and faster Bonjolea II passed them to round the Kalapaki buoy in the lead. Speedy, Fast Company, Kato, Ozone and Double Espresso followed. Unfortunately for Ozone they had their spinnaker set up for the usual port pole but the winds were so far north that it was a starboard spinnaker set. And so they didn’t use their spinnaker on this leg as the other boats did and they fell way behind. Ozone’s skipper Chris Jordan kicked himself as Fast Company pulled ahead.
After rounding the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station to head back upwind Ozone tacked away early due to the north wind and Kato nearby tacked to cover them. But Bonjolea II and Speedy kept sailing towards the cruise ship and the mole before tacking towards the breakwater and this paid off as they gained. Kato outpointed Ozone upwind considerably frustrating Ozone’s skipper. The next day Ozone discovered that their backstay block under the cockpit had jammed into the wooden bulkhead so that they couldn’t harden it to bend the mast in order to point upwind better. But this was easily fixed!
The second lap (course A) went out to the Ninini Lighthouse buoy where Bonjolea II was first to round. They were followed by Speedy, probably Fast Company next and then Kato, Ozone and Double Espresso. (Fast Company and Double Espresso did not have their RaceQ’s on to track them on the computer so it is a little hard to comment on them). After rounding and heading “downwind” the north wind was still forward of the beam and so spinnakers were not raised until the boats got back into the harbor to turn towards the G-11 buoy. And the boats rounded this buoy in the same order.
Heading back upwind for the Kalapaki buoy and when nearing the end of the breakwater Kato did a short starboard tack back early towards the buoy. Ozone and Speedy went further before tacking and Speedy made it around the buoy okay. Ozone had to do 2 more tacks. And when Kato made their last tack towards the Kalapaki buoy they were low of it and had to “shoot it” with the boat essentially going head to wind to coast around the buoy. Nice move Kevin! And apparently Fast Company just missed hitting the buoy by mere inches or they would have had to do a penalty turn.
The last lap was a relatively new course to the G-9 buoy and a course I suspect that Kato was unaware of as they headed towards the G-11 buoy once again. And when they realized this error and gybed back, it slowed them down enough that Ozone passed them. And then disaster struck Kato as their jib pulled out of their head foil breaking the carbon fiber and destroying the foil so that now the jib was dangling free from the top of the mast. OUCH! How do you trim the jib now???
And at the finish line it was Bonjolea II once again taking line honors and first place. Skipper Bonnie Tiffany just keeps on trucking. And Speedy with their new set of sails showed the other 4 Olson 30’s what they could do by taking second place by 25 seconds over Ozone who was in 3rd place. Fast Company was in 4th place a minute and 49 seconds behind Ozone and Kato with their “hanging jib” took 5th place only 10 seconds behind Fast Company. Double Espresso rounded out the 6 boat fleet. For the series overall it was Bonjolea II in first place, Fast Company in second and Ozone in third.
It was nice to see Papa Au the Express 27 out with its new owner and crew practicing. Hopefully they will join our racing fleet soon.
The Rum Race Series of 6 races starts 3/21/24 with a 5 pm start. Please read the notice of race and sailing instructions as there have been some changes (see the restrictions in regards to the mole and the cruise ship). In addition, make sure that your PHRF rating certificate was renewed within the last 3 years. And please note that the races must be paid for before 1655 on the day of the race (or the race may not count for you).
The public is invited to watch the races from the Nawiliwili mole parking area where the race committee is located. Around 7pm Carl Andersson (Kauai Sailing Association treasurer and sailing instructor) and the young sailors of KSA will host a potluck dinner and educational event in the clubhouse.
- Chris
Click for Results and the RaceQs replay on the
Club Racing page.