NAWILIWILI — A port tack at the start gave Tess Moeller her third straight victory during the third race of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s Wahine Series that contested Thursday under 10 to 14 knot winds blowing out of the northeast.
Moeller piloted Fast Company to a port tack with the wind coming over the left side of the boat at the start where all of the other boats started on the usual side.
“Although they had to duck, or go behind a couple of the other boats who had the right of way on starboard, Jim Saylor thought the port tack paid off,” said Chris Jordan, aboard OZone in the race. “Jim said they had trouble when their main sheet malfunctioned, slowing them down.”
Out of the start, heading to the lighthouse buoy, Bonjolea II with Bonnie Tiffany at the wheel, set the competition stage with keen competition being waged among the Olson 30s, Double Expresso and Kato challenging Fast Company, and Victoria Aiu at the helm of Papa A‘u right in the mix.
Following the six-mile course, Bonjolea II sounded the finish horn at 1 hour, 4 minutes, 51 seconds — a more than four-minute gap over Fast Company’s 1:09.14 elapsed sail, but not enough to wrestle the lead from the Olson 30 who claimed top honor on a 1:09.40 PHRF final. Bonjolea II settled for second place with a 1:09:47 PHRF finish.
Aiu claimed third place for Papa A‘au on a 1:15:00 elapsed sail, correcting to 1:12:07 PHRf, and Kato (1:12:07 elapsed, 1:12:54 PHRF) followed.
Karen Cole, skippering Iwa, a Beneteau Oceanis 41, topped the Club class on a 1:09:57 Club finish followed by Double Espresso (1:10:55 Club), and Kato (1:11:21 Club).
With three wins under her belt, Moeller and the Fast Company crew head to the final race of the four-race series, Thursday when the first flags fly at 5 p.m.
The public is invited to view the competition with the NYC Race Committee from the Nawiliwili mole parking area.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
