Fast Company roared back from its third place in the Joel Ehrlich Memorial Rum Shoreline Series to lay claim to three first places in less than a week. Heading into last week, Fast Company soared to a first-place finish when
Fast Company roared back from its third place in the Joel Ehrlich Memorial Rum Shoreline Series to lay claim to three first places in less than a week.
Heading into last week, Fast Company soared to a first-place finish when the Nawiliwili Yacht Club launched its Nawiliwili-to-Hanalei offshore series, the first of two for the year, the Olson 30 making the 30-mile trip in 3:53:20, correcting to 3:53:42PHRF for first place.
“It was blowing hard for both of the races, but the Monday race home saw big wind and big seas,” said Sharon Gibson, the NYC scorekeeper, in an email. “Seven boats started Saturday, but two turned back.”
Fast Company made the 30-mile trip almost half an hour ahead of her closest rival, Tony and Susan LeHoven’s Mapuana, which will remain anchored in Hanalei for the summer.
Mapuana crossed the Hanalei line on a 4:27:05 elapsed sail, just 25 seconds ahead of Papa‘au (4:27:30) and corrected to 4:14:11 PHRF to Papa‘au’s 4:16:05 PHRF.
OZone, the Olson 30 that captured top honors in the Ehrlich series, crossed the line in 4:30:27 elapsed, just four seconds ahead of Speedy, another Olson 30, which crossed at 4:30:31 elapsed, OZone correcting to 4:30:52 PHRF over Speedy’s 4:30:56 PHRF.
Fast Company did an encore on the return trip from Hanalei to Nawiliwili, crossing on a 5:19:43 elapsed sail, about 20 minutes ahead of Papa‘au (5:39:59 elapsed) and correcting to 5:20:13 PHRF to Papa‘au’s 5:25:28 PHRF.
OZone, crossing just three seconds ahead of Papa‘au at 5:39:56 elapsed, corrected to 5:40:27 PHRF for third place.
Speedy, crossing at 5:48:00 elapsed, corrected to 5:48 PHRF to round out the fleet.
Armed with this momentum, Fast Company soared to the top of the Junior Invitational Series Race No. 1 Thursday with Chris Mangini, 12, Jim and Paula Saylor’s visiting grandson, as its junior.
Fast Company did the 6-mile three-leg loop on a 1:05:14 elapsed sail under 12 to 18-knot winds out of the northeast, correcting to 1:05:20 PHRF for top honors.
“Fast Company took an early lead and held on to it through the race so it was all about second and third places in this one,” Gibson said. “Bonjolea did a yeoman job of holding off OZone and was the second boat to finish. OZone finished third, but Papa‘au was in close pursuit and corrected ahead of her for third place in the PHRF class.”
Bonjolea, an X342 with Dillon St. Clair as its junior, crossed on a 1:09:03 elapsed sail, correcting to 1:06:24 PHRF for second followed by Papa‘au with Jackson Evans as its junior, 1:10:36 elapsed, 1:07:35 PHRF, and OZone with Tristan Temme as its junior, 1:09:51 elapsed, 1:09:57 PHRF.
Speedy, with Victoria Aiu as its junior, crossed on a 1:11:28 elapsed and corrected to 1:11:35 PHRF to round out the field. Speedy also corrected to 1:06:05 Club for top honors in that class, OZone correcting to 1:08:48 Club for runner-up honors.
“This was a fun race and we were glad to see the winds settle down from the Memorial weekend levels,” Gibson said.
The four-race Junior Series continues Thursday. The public is invited to view the competition from the jetty wall area when the first flags fly at 5 p.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
