Dr. John Myhre and the crew aboard Locomotion 2, a Transpac 52, topped a field of 12 boats in the 22nd Annual Kauai Channel Race from Kaneohe Bay, Oahu to Nawiliwili Harbor on Friday afternoon. “The boats enjoyed optimum conditions
Dr. John Myhre and the crew aboard Locomotion 2, a Transpac 52, topped a field of 12 boats in the 22nd Annual Kauai Channel Race from Kaneohe Bay, Oahu to Nawiliwili Harbor on Friday afternoon.
“The boats enjoyed optimum conditions with the prevailing trades of 20 knots filling in as the day progressed under partly cloudy skies and whitecaps,” said Nawiliwili Yacht Club Rear Commodore Kevin Arndt. “Locomotion 2 was in its element, surfing the quartering seas and speeding ahead of the fleet, clearing the Ninini Point Lighthouse and sailing through the finish line on an elapsed sail of 8 hours, 2 minutes, 12 seconds. She corrected to 9:58:05 PHRF for the First to Finish perpetual trophy.”
Arndt said on Sept. 2, the lease held by the Nawiliwili Yacht Club for its clubhouse parcel reverts to a Revocable Permit.
“Possibly, soon after that date, the lease could go to public auction,” Arndt said. “This threatens the long-standing existence of the only yacht club on Kauai, and its affiliated youth sailing organization, the Kauai Sailing Association. Without a future, this could very well be the last Kauai Channel Race, and more importantly, the end of a nonprofit that teaches our youth the science and skills of sailing and marine awareness.”
Heartbeat, skippered by Rich McCreedy and the 2016 First to Finish winner, made the crossing on 9:35:11, correcting to 9:23:38 PHRF for top honors in the PHRF A class. Twelve minutes later, Kahuna (9:48:18 elapsed, 9:23:38 PHRF), settled into the No. 2 spot followed by Wasabi (10:06:04 elapsed, 9:40:05 PHRF) skippered by James Maynard, rounding out the leaderboard for that class.
Jim Saylor, skippering Fast Company, the only boat entered by the Nawiliwili Yacht Club, finished second in the PHRF B class, crossing the channel on an elapsed sail of 11:09:10 and correcting to 9:38:44 PHRF. The sail was nearly an hour back to Steve Eder who skippered Mayhem (9:55:30 elapsed, 8:44:29 PHRF) to a first finish in the PHRF B class. Mayhem’s sail also earned the First Overall Corrected perpetual trophy. Cowabunga, skippered by Mark Denzer, settled into the third spot on an elapsed sail of 12:11:02 and correcting to 9:46:47 PHRF,
Bella Marina, skippered by Octavia Petrovici captured the first place in the Class Aloha with a 15:28:30 elapsed sail and correcting to 12:30:18 PHRF.
With the excitement of the Kauai Channel Race wrapping up over the weekend, the NYC next hosts the second race of the Wahine Race Series, Thursday with the first flags flying at 5 p.m.
