The Club Class of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Gene Wells Memorial Series is still up for grabs with one race remaining. “Fast Company has wrapped up first place and OZone gets the No. 2 spot in the PHRF Class, but
The Club Class of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Gene Wells Memorial Series is still up for grabs with one race remaining.
“Fast Company has wrapped up first place and OZone gets the No. 2 spot in the PHRF Class, but we still don’t know how the Club Class will shake out,” said Sharon Gibson, of the NYC Race Committee. “Only one more race left in the series Thursday. I hope we have some wind.”
There wasn’t wind to speak of when the Race Committee set up three inside laps for the Wells Series, Race No. 6 last Thursday.
“But just before the start, a light breeze blew in from the west and the eight boats managed to do all three laps before dark,” Gibson said.
Fast Company topped the field, crossing the 3.11-mile course in 41 minutes, 11 seconds in winds of three to seven knots.
She corrected to 41:15 PHRF for top honors in the sixth race of the seven-race series, effectively locking up the top berth for the PHRF Class.
OZone slipped across the finish line 21 seconds behind Fast Company, tripping the clocks at 41:32 and correcting to 41:36 PHRF for second place in the race, and in the standings.
Papaau, an Express 27, crossed fifth overall on a 46:29 elapsed sail, correcting to 44:30 PHRF for third place in the race.
Bonjolea II, in the hunt for third place, pulled out of the series, putting up third for grabs following the last race of the series, Thursday.
Weatherly, crossing the finish line with a 44:27 elapsed sail, corrected to 44:31 PHRF, just a minute back of Papaau, for fourth place in the PHRF Class. The Olson 30, one of four in the fleet, corrected to 41:38 Club for top honors in that class.
Speedy, the fourth Olson 30 in the fleet, crossed on a 46:09 elapsed sail and corrected to 46:13 PHRF and 41:47 Club for second place honors in the Club Class.
Mapuana, a Wells 35 and the only Gene Wells boat in the race, crossed on a 54:03 elapsed sail, correcting to 51:26 PHRF followed by Trinity, an F-28 trimaran, crossing on a 48:26 elapsed sail and correcting to 55:08 PHRF to round out the field.
With just one race in the series remaining on Thursday, the public is invited to join the NYC Race Committee in viewing the race from the jetty wall area of Nawiliwili Harbor.
This will be the final race of the 2013 calendar year, Gibson said. The only event remaining is the Halloween Costume Race and costume party scheduled for Nov. 1.
Visit www.nawiliwiliyachtclub.org for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
