NAWILIWILI — A different tack and a birthday made the difference for “Fast Company” when the winds died, Thursday afternoon. “Papa‘au,” an Express 27, was clearly in control of third place within striking distance of the finish line, but her
NAWILIWILI — A different tack and a birthday made the difference for “Fast Company” when the winds died, Thursday afternoon.
“Papa‘au,” an Express 27, was clearly in control of third place within striking distance of the finish line, but her forward progress completely stopped within two boat lengths of the line, said Sharon Gibson, scorekeeper for the Nawiliwili Yacht Club.
“She could not make any forward progress, and even drifted backwards as one by one, the rest of the fleet passed her and finished,” Gibson said at the NYC Rum Series, Race No. 2 at the Nawiliwili Harbor.
“Papa‘au” was finally able to catch a breath of air to finish — from third place to last place on a 1:29.03 elapsed time, almost nine minutes after the fifth place boat, “Speedy,” sounded the finishing horn.
With a corrected time, “Papa‘au” was awarded a PHRF time of 1:25.15, still a solid sixth place finisher.
With the air still, the seas calm, NYC Race Committee members decided it would post just one course which would be run in reverse due to the Kona winds that whispered at 0-6 knots.
“It’s going to be a long race,” said Doug Gibson, skipper of the “Malihini” who joined the committee on the seawall vantage point. “But the boats will have a long spinnaker run because they’ll strike right after the inland turn and keep it up out until the (Ninini Point) lighthouse.”
Fishermen lining the seawall tended their lines as five of the six boats crowded the entrance to the harbor in preparation for the starting horn.
In a clean start, “Fast Company,” whose skipper Jim Saylor was celebrating a birthday, slipped in from a tack line off the Kipu range as opposed to the rest of the field who chose to come in on the seaward entrance.
That maneuver put “Fast Company” in almost immediate control of the lead, and despite a rapidly-dying wind around the first turn, was able to hold the lead for the remainder of the race.
Entering the final turn before the seaward leg of the course, “Fast Company” bobbed on the ocean, its bright red spinnaker gasping for every breath of wind in a pocket normally associated with dead air.
“OZone,” an Olson 30, followed with “Lelele,” the Wells 30 which won the Dick Becker series” in third place.
“Watching this race was like watching paint dry,” Sharon said. “It took FOREVER for the fleet to get back into the bay from the lighthouse buoy.”
“Fast Company” limped across the finish line on an elapsed time of 45.25, almost 15 minutes ahead of No. 2 finisher “Lelele” which stopped the clock at an elapsed 1:00.51.
“Somehow, ‘Fast Company’ found just the right spot where there was enough wind to keep her moving and the rest of the fleet just fell into a windless hole,” Sharon said.
With the PHRF correction, “Fast Company” claimed first on a 45:29 sale, a perfect birthday gift for her skipper. “Lelele” followed on a PHRF corrected time of 1:40.40 for second place.
“Papa‘au” was in third, but was passed by “OZone” (1:16.09 PHRF), “Bonjolea” (1:20.27 PHRF), “Speedy” (1:20.54 PHRF) before crossing in sixth place.
The Rum Series continues on Thursday with Race No. 3 setting up at 4:45 p.m.
The public is invited to view the races at no charge and join the crews at the NYC Clubhouse following the race.
