NAWILIWILI — Two first finishes and three third place finishes by the Lasers created an interesting scenario in the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Horse & Pony Series, Race No. 2. The return of the trades in the 15-20 knot range created
NAWILIWILI — Two first finishes and three third place finishes by the Lasers created an interesting scenario in the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Horse & Pony Series, Race No. 2.
The return of the trades in the 15-20 knot range created challenges for the smaller boats as spinnaker woes saw position changes as crews fought the wind and choppy seas to maintain control of their boats.
Add to that, a pair of red flags fluttering at the finish of the Horse leg provided material for talk at the post-race party.
Fast Company, one of the bunched leaders at the start, finished its Horse leg of the race in top position despite problems with its spinnaker heading inland.
The Olson 30 slipped across the line on an elapsed sail to 29:35 (29:38 PHRF), but then, its Pony was in the midst of the three-way tie for third place, stopping the clock at 13:23.
That third place finish could not topple the Jim Saylor crew from its top position.
Speedy, after being forced into a penalty turn at the start by the logjam of leaders, rebounded to a second place finish on an elapsed sail of 30:59 (31:02) seconds over Lelele (31:13 elapsed, 31:07 PHRF), and despite its Pony being another of the three-way tie for third, settled in second place with a combined 44:25 PHRF.
Lelele, finishing third in the Horse leg of the race, had its Pony snared in the three-way tie for third and finished fourth with a 44:30 PHRF combined time.
Papa‘au was able to capitalize on spinnaker woes by OZone and Bonjolea to finish fourth in the Horse leg on a 33:14 elapsed sail (31:49 PHRF), and coupled with a first finish in the Pony leg, edged out Lelele for third overall with a combined 44:27 PHRF. Its Pony crossed the line on a 12:38 elapsed sail.
Bonjolea, its spinnaker loudly protesting its bonds on the inland bound phase of the race, crossed the line fifth (33:35 elapsed, 32:18PHRF, 27:55 CLUB), but its Pony was tied with Papa‘au for first.
That give the X-342 a 44:56 PHRF combined time for fifth, but its 40:33 CLUB combined time gave her its second straight CLUB first finish in the three-race series.
OZone, getting first place in last week’s opener, took the brunt of spinnaker woes as its chute hour-glassed, flapped and finally broke free to flop in the water heading inland.
That cost her the second place lead she commanded behind Fast Company coming in from the Ninini Point lighthouse turnaround and once everything was shipshape, OZone finished sixth on a 32:50 elapsed sail (32:53 PHRF). Its spirit gone as a crew member fastened a red flag on its finish, OZone’s Pony rounded out the field on a 14;09 elapsed sail for a combined 47:02 PHRF.
Kalewa, the 50-foot catamaran, fared the best in the 20-knot winds and sliced through the chop for an overall first finish with a 28:36 elapsed sail (35:45 PHRF). But with only six lasers, Kalewa and Coyote (40:13 elapsed, 37:40 PHRF) were the two boats in the eight-boat field that had no Ponies and took a DNC.
The NYC Race Committee wraps up the Horse & Pony Series with Race No. 3 this Thursday.
The public is invited to view the races from the jetty wall when the first flags fly at 5 p.m.
