NAWILIWILI — OZone, with a three-point lead in the standings, had first place locked up Thursday. The battle was for second place as Papa‘au challenged Fast Company in the final race of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Jaunice Biederman Memorial Rum
NAWILIWILI — OZone, with a three-point lead in the standings, had first place locked up Thursday.
The battle was for second place as Papa‘au challenged Fast Company in the final race of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Jaunice Biederman Memorial Rum Series.
“We need Fast Company to finish fourth for Papa‘au to move into second,” said Roger Kable, who was relegated to spectator status due to an eye surgery.
But Fast Company was not about to let go of its second place spot, jumping out in the lead spot at the clean start in North-Northeast winds in the 10-15-knot range.
Racing conditions were enhanced by the wrap-around from the arrival of a south swell, which generated surf advisories for the South Shore Thursday through Saturday morning.
“It looks like Fast is going to take this,” Kable said, resigned to Papa‘au being in third place.
Coming in from the opening leg to the Ninini Point turnaround, Fast Company held off a strong OZone challenge in second while Speedy and Papa‘au stayed close in the chase.
Heading into the inland course, OZone made its move, overtaking Fast Company, only to have Fast Company come out first on the final turn.
A similar scenario played out between Speedy and Papa‘au in the battle for third place.
“All the racers enjoyed the race,” said Sharon Gibson, the NYC scorekeeper. “It was so close.”
The battle waged into the second leg until the final turn when Fast Company pulled a surprise tack, moving the Olson 30 to the mountainside of the harbor while OZone, with a compliment of rail meat hanging hard, stayed on the Pride of America side of the bay.
In the course shortened to five miles, Fast Company crossed first overall on a 57:03 elapsed and corrected to 57:08 PHRF, followed by OZone at 57:19 elapsed, correcting to 57:24 PHRF.
“If Papa‘au can make the turn before the boats cross the line, we still have a shot,” Kable said.
Unfortunately, the Express 27 was five seconds short, crossing the line on a 1:00:03 sail and correcting to 57:29 PHRF, five ticks shy of second.
Speedy followed on a 1:02:46 elapsed sail, correcting to 1:02:52 PHRF. She further corrected to 56:49 Club for top honors in that class.
Weatherly, with a nearly all-girl crew and no one able to float a spinnaker, stayed close to the other boats flying spinnakers until the end, crossing on a 1:04:31 elapsed and correcting to 1:04:37 PHRF.
Coyote, with its crew sporting new crew shirts, rounded out the field on a 1:14:32 elapsed, correcting to 1:09:48 PHRF.
Following the results of Thursday’s race, OZone finished tops in the PHRF Open Class and the PHRF Monohull class, settling at nine points overall after throwing out one of its second-place finishes.
Fast Company followed at 11 points with Papa‘au settling for third place at 15 points.
Weatherly finished a point ahead of Chaos in the Club class with 28 points followed by Chaos at 29 points and Speedy ending the series with 30 points.
With the completion of the Jaunice Biederman Shoreline series, the NYC fleet takes off for Hanalei on May 25, returning to Nawiliwili on May 27.
The four-race Junior Series, where at least one member of the sailing crew needs to be a junior, starts on May 30.
The public is invited to view the competition with the NYC Race Committee from the jetty wall area when the first flags fly at 5 p.m.
Visit www.nawiliwiliyachtclub.org for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
