With just one race remaining in the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Junior Invitational Series, the race for the top spot is a three-way battle between OZone, Papa‘au and Fast Company. OZone, the winner of the Race No. 3 of four races,
With just one race remaining in the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Junior Invitational Series, the race for the top spot is a three-way battle between OZone, Papa‘au and Fast Company.
OZone, the winner of the Race No. 3 of four races, Thursday, holds the lead with 6 points followed a point back by Papa‘au, the runner-up in Thursday’s race.
Papa‘au holds seven points followed by Fast Company in third place overall with eight points.
Construction in the Nawiliwili area and light winds posed challenges to the NYC Race Committee who had to access the jetty race site by traversing through the Nawiliwili Tavern access road and the bumpy seawall route.
They were greeted by light winds in the 3-to 10-knot range out of the northeast to southeast resulting in a slow flotilla.
“The Race Committee originally set a two-lap course, but shortened it to just the one lap when we saw how long it was taking,” said Sharon Gibson, the NYC scorekeeper. “The winds were really light and it took more than an hour for the first boat to travel 2.4 miles.”
OZone, with Melissa Rapozo as its junior, was the first boat, crossing on an elapsed sail of 1:02:49 and correcting to 1:02:55 PHRF followed by Papa‘au, with Christine Nelson as its junior, crossing on a 1:07:01 elapsed sail and correcting to 1:04:09 PHRF.
Bonjolea, with Dylan St. Clair, Aleya Stearns and Sadie Stearns as its juniors, crossed the line on a 1:08:54 elapsed sail, correcting to 1:06:15 PHRF, just 32 seconds ahead of Fast Company.
Fast Company, with Taylor and Ashley Raymond as its juniors, crossed the line second overall on a 1:06:41 elapsed sail, but after correcting to 1:06:47 PHRF, settled for fourth place, having to be satisfied by its first finish in the Club class on the 1:05:23 Club correction.
Speedy, with Victoria Aiu as its junior, rounded out the fleet on a 1:13:33 elapsed sail, correcting to 1:13:40 PHRF and 1:06:00 Club for second place in that class.
The final race for the Junior Invitational Series is scheduled for Thursday and the public is invited to view the competition for the race and the series when the first flags fly at the jetty wall area at 5 p.m.
Visit www.nawiliwiliyachtclub.org for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
