NAWILIWILI — It was bound to happen. “Mapuana,” a Wells 35, sat far back in the harbor, its sails still unfurled, while three other boats got a feel for the 15- to 18-knot winds that coursed through Nawiliwili Harbor from
NAWILIWILI — It was bound to happen.
“Mapuana,” a Wells 35, sat far back in the harbor, its sails still unfurled, while three other boats got a feel for the 15- to 18-knot winds that coursed through Nawiliwili Harbor from the East-Northeast.
“It’s Halloween so the start is reversed,” said the old lady who needed the help of an aluminum cane to steady herself in the bone-chilling winds. “They go to the area where there is no wind, first. Then, a short out course, back in and it’s over.”
Witches and ghouls and the shadow of a former sea-faring sailor took over the chores at the Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s annual Halloween race, an event designed more for show than for competition.
But without the competitive edge, there is no race, so the alternate officials manned the start flags, the horns and the clipboards while others took out their cameras.
From the onset, the race was between “OZone,” a consistent top finisher whose crew was replaced by one from the Hooters club, and “Fast Company,” an Olson 30, whose crew was taken over by pirates. “Speedy,” the last Olson 30 in the race, was a victim of a redskin attack as multi-colored feathers punctuated its deck and loincloths flapped in the brisk wind.
“Do they have anything on under the loincloths?” the old lady giggled as a witch pressed the shutter button.
With three Olson 30s in the fleet, the race was going to be close. The starting flag flapped, the horn sounded and from a totally unorthodox tack, “Mapuana” appeared, its crew of three standing out with their psychedelic hair and raunchy outfits.
“No more boats, no more races,” one screamed as OZone headed straight for the Wells 35. A red bandana flapped from one of its lines and Mapuana veered off at the last second, a giant hand-created “No!” on its jib flapping and slapping in the wind.
“They’re protesters!” the old lady screeched. “I think they’re Super Ferries.”
Speedy made another unorthodox move by unfurling its spinnaker on the inside leg, that maneuver almost proving fatal as the ballooning sail dragged into the water at the inside turn before its crew recovered.
When the laughter subsided, OZone topped the fleet on a PHRF corrected time of 12:06 followed by Fast Company (12:50 PHRF), Speedy (13:52 PHRF) and the renegade Mapuana (17:16 PHRF).
At the post-race party, Sharon Gibson said Speedy earned a prize for the best theme boat with its redskin crew, and many prizes were awarded for costuming.
The Halloween fun race concludes the NYC racing calendar for this year with the only event remaining, the annual Christmas Lighted Boat parade.
But that event will have to take a wait-and-see posture as the Hawai‘i Superferry prepares to resume service to Maui and Kaua‘i, and may potentially cancel the parade.
