Fast Company pulls off late victory

NAWILIWILI — It came down to forty seconds as Fast Company, buried in the pack at the start, pulled off a win on the final leg of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s Gene Wells Memorial Series, Race No. 2, Thursday.

“It was very exciting stuff,” said Sharon Gibson, the NYC scorekeeper. “Lelele had the lead throughout the whole race, right up to the last leg.”

That kind of excitement brought out the spectators who filled the jetty wall area of the harbor, mixing in with the afternoon anglers.

Following the final turn at the No. 2 can, both Lelele, a Wells 30, and Fast Company, an Olson 30, floated their spinnakers, Fast Company working the line to overtake Lelele for the win.

Fast Company finished the three-leg race in 5-15 knot winds in 56:18, correcting to a PHRF 56:23 for the whole shot. Lelele was on her tail with an elapsed sail of 56:58 which corrected to a PHRF 56:48 for second place.

Coyote, finishing more than a minute back of Papa‘au, corrected to a PHRF 57:59 for third place, relegating Papa‘au to fourth place on a PHRF 58:22.

OZone, another Olson 30, crossed the line ahead of Coyote (1:01:55) on an elapsed sail (1:00:15) and Papa‘au (1:00:58), but corrected to fill in fifth place at PHRF 58:43.

Papa‘au corrected to top the CLUB class on a CLUB 53:55.

Malihini, a 35-foot cat, was among the leaders at the clean start and finished third overall at 59:04 elapsed, but corrected out to sixth place at a PHRF 1:00.33 and a third in CLUB Class.

Speedy, the third Olson 30 in the race, and Sarina, a Wells boat painted in the same green as Lelele, rounded out the field with corrected finishes of PHRF 1:01:54 and PHRF 1:19:37, respectively.

The NYC Gene Wells Memorial Series continues Thursday with Race No. 3, and the NYC Race Committee invites people to view the competition from the jetty wall area.

First flags fly at 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.nawiliwiliyachtclub.org.