NAWILIWILI — There was no “snake wake” from the “Malihini” Thursday. The 35-foot catamaran, sure-footed in the 10-15 knot winds blowing out of the north-northeast, plowed through the waters of Nawiliwili Harbor from the onset, faltering only in dead wind
NAWILIWILI — There was no “snake wake” from the “Malihini” Thursday.
The 35-foot catamaran, sure-footed in the 10-15 knot winds blowing out of the north-northeast, plowed through the waters of Nawiliwili Harbor from the onset, faltering only in dead wind at the first turn.
Racing in the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Wahine Series Race No. 1, Sharon Gibson exchanged her clipboard and air horn for the wheel of the catamaran for opening of the three-race series.
“It was really fun,” Gibson said. “I’m pretty snake wake at the helm, but I’m all they’ve got.”
Gibson was one of three ladies who took the wheel in the three-boat field for the series that requires a female be at the wheel.
Dick Olsen of the NYC Race Committee said there should be more boats in the next race.
“This is just so they get their teeth,” Olsen said of the course that totalled 3.4 nautical miles. “We’ll probably do a longer course for the next two remaining races.”
At the start, the Malihini was already entrenched in the wind and plowed ahead of “Papa‘au,” an Express 27 whose normal skipper was on the “Costco run” because they had a full crew of nine people, and “Bonjolea,” and “X-342” with Bonnie Tiffany at the wheel.
Shooting cross-wind, the sails rattled. The catamaran slowed nearing the first can, but recovered to keep a slim lead heading into the harbor and into the long leg out to the Ninini Point turnaround.
Despite the ballooning of spinnakers on Papa‘au and Bonjolea, the Malihini chewed out a sizeable lead heading back from the outside water.
But another problem reared its head for the Race Committee as the tug “Miki Miki” and its GASCO barge “Miki” pulled out of its berth.
That slowed the fleet only slightly as Malihini continued to nurse its lead. Olsen noted that without the cliffs or seawall to buffer the wind, the catamaran was expected to gain the lead.
The lead held and Malihini sounded the finish horn with an elapsed time of 38:04, more than three minutes ahead of Bonjolea (41:39 elapsed) and Papa‘au (41:50 elapsed).
With the corrected time, Malihini topped the race at 39:02 followed by Bonjolea and Papa‘au tying for second at 40:03, the correction giving Bonjolea and Papa‘au a tie for top honors in the monohull class.
“I hope the winds stay just the same for the rest of the series which is thankfully only two more races,” Gibson said. “Doug said I did ‘OK.’”
In the Club Open class, Bonjolea topped the race (35:57 Club) followed by Malihini (37:16 Club) and Papa‘au (38:54 Club).
The public is invited to view the Wahine Series Race No. 2 which takes place Thursday from the Nawiliwili jetty sea wall. The first flag flies at 5 p.m.
