The sailboat racing is tight and after 2 of the 4 Shorts Series races there is a 3 way tie for first place between Bonjolea II, Fast Company and Ozone. The course for the second race in the series was D-D-E with the first 2 laps around the Kalapaki buoy, G-7 and then G-11 by the Coast Guard Station. The third lap went around the Kalapaki buoy and straight to G-11 before the upwind finish. The distance was 3.22 miles and the winds were out of the Northeast at 10-14 knots. The day before the race Papa Au was noted to be backwards with stern in at their slip and it turned out that they had dropped their deck stepped mast and replaced the wind vane indicator at the top. Not an easy job!
The start appeared to be favored for a port tack. But Ozone’s skipper didn’t keep luffing enough before starting and they were over early. Fast Company and Bonjolea II had good starts on port tack by the race committee. Ozone restarted but its cost them 1 minute and 15 seconds so they were now in last place.
At the Kalapaki mark rounding it was Bonjolea II first but they went a little wide and Fast Company snuck inside and took over the lead. Speedy was in the mix here somewhere but since they didn’t have their RaceQ’s on I couldn’t follow them on the computer. The next boat to round was Double Espresso with 12 year old Stella Fornari on the helm (I think she liked seeing her mother Alison who was on Ozone in last place...) After Double Espresso rounded it was Weatherly, Papa Au and finally Ozone brought up the rear. But downwind under spinnaker to the G-7 buoy gybe mark Ozone was able to pass Papa Au and Weatherly.
At the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station it was Fast Company rounding in the lead followed by Bonjolea II. Now heading upwind, Bonjolea II tacked towards the breakwater and soon thereafter Fast Company tacked to cover them. Papa Au had some problems at G-11 and their mark rounding was quite wide. Ozone had a tighter mark rounding so that when Double Espresso tacked towards the breakwater they had to duck Ozone who now moved into 3rd place.
After each lap the rules require the boats to pass through the finish line in case the race committee has to shorten the race. So at the G-5 buoy Bonjolea II tacked to stay inside and shortly thereafter they tacked back towards the breakwater. Fast Company went further before tacking towards the breakwater and they took it in close to the breakwater before tacking towards the Kalapaki buoy. But Bonjolea II somehow avoided the header near the Kalapaki buoy and they made it around in front. They were followed by Fast Company. Ozone, Double Espresso and Weatherly were next and they were all bunched close together.
The downwind spinnaker run to G-7 where the gybe to G-11 took place was relatively uneventful. But heading upwind on the last lap to the Kalapaki buoy, Bonjolea II had to tack to stay inside the G-5 buoy as required. But somehow Fast Company was able to pinch up and just make it inside the buoy without hitting it (nice driving Jim!). By saving 2 tacks and heading in very close to the breakwater before tacking, it looked like they were on the lay line to the Kalapaki buoy. But fate intervened in the form of a header and after Bonjolea II made 2 tacks to get around the buoy, Fast Company also had to do 2 short tacks to make it around. Ozone subsequently rounded and then Double Espresso who went wide and pursued what looked like an essentially dead downwind course to G-11. Weatherly rounded next tightly inside and they reached up for more boatspeed. And when Weatherly gybed their spinnaker to get to the G-11 buoy they were now able to get ahead of Double Espresso.
Upwind to the finish line it was Bonjolea II taking line honors. But on corrected handicap time (the Sydney 36 Bonjolea rates 66, Fast Company and the other Olson 30’s rate 99) it was Fast Company in first place in the PHRF Class with Jim Saylor driving.
Ozone with Chris Jordan steering took second place 55 seconds behind Fast Company (that over early restart cost them!) and Bonjolea II with Bonnie Tiffany on the helm corrected to third place (a mere 17 seconds behind Ozone). In the Club Class it was Double Espresso in first place with Stella Fornari steering, Speedy took second place with Dick Olsen driving and Weatherly took third with Lily Briones on the helm.
The third race in the Shorts Series will take place Thursday 8/19/22 with a 5 pm start. The public is invited to watch the races from the Nawiliwili mole parking area.
-Chris
Click for complete results and RaceQs replay on the
Club Racing page.