Bonjolea II was able to snake past Fast Company by just over a minute Thursday at the Nawiliwili Harbor. The finish, however, was not enough to usurp the Olson 30 from the top spot in the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Gene
Bonjolea II was able to snake past Fast Company by just over a minute Thursday at the Nawiliwili Harbor.
The finish, however, was not enough to usurp the Olson 30 from the top spot in the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Gene Wells Memorial Series, Race No. 2, where eight boats battled through three legs of racing.
Racing in the return of 10 to 15-knot winds out of the north northeast, Fast Company held the lead through two of the three legs in the 6.11-mile course.
Bonjolea II, in third through the first leg, was able to pass OZone, another Olson 30 piloted by Dr. Chris Jordan, and set sight on getting past Fast Company.
As Fast Company turned the final mark on the leeward side, the wind got the upper hand, sending the crew to regain control of its red spinnaker.
Bonjolea II took advantage of this to pass the Olson 30, crossing the finish line first overall on an elapsed sail of 1 hour, 10 minutes, 53 seconds.
Fast Company followed with a 1:11:45 elapsed sail and corrected to 1:11:52 PHRF for top honors, the correction relegating Bonjolea II to third place with a 1:15:32 PHRF.
OZone, staying in the heat of the battle for the lead, crossed third overall on a 1:13:34 elapsed sail, correcting to 1:13:41 PHRF for second place honors.
Weatherly, another of the four Olson 30s in the race, slipped across the line at 1:15:55 elapsed sail and corrected to 1:16:02 PHRF followed by Papaau, an Express 27, crossing on a 1:19:41 elapsed sail and correcting to 1:16:17 PHRF.
Speedy crossed the line on a 1:17:03 elapsed sail and corrected to 1:17:10 PHRF followed by Trinity, an F-28 trimaran, crossing at 1:13:17 elapsed sail and correcting to 1:23:25 PHRF.
Trinity, the only multi-hull in the race flotilla, also corrected to 1:04:27 Club for top honors in that class. Coyote rounded out the field on a 1:36:31 elapsed sail and corrected to 1:30:24 PHRF.
NYC Rear Commodore Doug Tiffany said the outcome of the protests filed following last week’s race had OZone withdrawing its protest and the Fast Company protest was disallowed resulting in OZone getting the second spot of last week’s Gene Wells series opener.
Bonjolea II filled in third place followed by Fast Company, Papaau, Trinity, Speedy, Weatherly and Coyote. Rebel, the only Gene Wells boat in the race, was tops on a 36:38 PHRF, less than a minute ahead of OZone.
The NYC Gene Wells Memorial Series, Race No. 3 unfurls Thursday with the first flags flying at 5 p.m. The public is invited to view the competition from the vantage point of the Nawiliwili Harbor jetty wall area.
