The cool, crisp trade winds which propelled Bonjolea II to victory last week continued to blow good fortune across the water at Nawiliwili Harbor on Thursday night. The same 5 to 10 mph winds out of the north blew Bonjolea
The cool, crisp trade winds which propelled Bonjolea II to victory last week continued to blow good fortune across the water at Nawiliwili Harbor on Thursday night.
The same 5 to 10 mph winds out of the north blew Bonjolea II across the finish line with first-to-finish honors on an elapsed sail of 56 minutes, 42 seconds, and corrected to 1:00.25 PHRF for first place over the three-leg course that spanned 4.4 miles in the fifth of the seven-race Nawiliwili Yacht Club Gene Wells Memorial Series.
Fred Styer, the NYC rear commodore, said Bonjolea had to overcome an early lead set by Coyote off the start line viewed by nearly 20 spectators at the mole.
“Coyote had more than a full boat’s lead,” Styer said. “Artful tacking to get around the outer jetty and offshore to round the red Ninini Point buoy revealed true sailing skills.”
In a tight battle for second place between Fast Company and OZone, Papaau took advantage of the rivalry to slip past the pair of Olson 30s to take second place on an elapsed sail of 1:03:35, just nine seconds back of Fast Company, and corrected to 1:00:52 PHRF.
OZone, crossing the line on a 1:01:34 elapsed sail, claimed third place with her 1:10:40 PHRF correction followed by Fast Company (1:03:24 elapsed, 1:03:30 PHRF).
Other ships in the race saw Speedy (1:05:02 elapsed, 1:05:08 PHRF) settle in fourth place, but a Club correction of 56:25 Club gave the Olson 30 second-place honors in the class below Trinity, the only trimaran in the fleet who crossed on a 1:02:19 elapsed sail, corrected to 1:10:56 PHRF and class-leading 55:41 Club.
Weatherly, crossing at 1:08:07 elapsed, corrected to 1:08:13 PHRF and 1:01:28 Club for third place in the Club division.
Coyote rounded out the fleet on a 1:18:48 elapsed sail, corrected to 1:13:48 PHRF.
The public is invited to view the sixth race in the NYC Gene Wells Memorial Thursday with the NYC Race Committee at the Nawiliwili Harbor jetty wall area when the first flags fly at 5 p.m.
