NAWILIWILI — Fast Company slingshot past the mole and squeezed past the red can on a fast port tack at the start of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Eric Wing Series, Race No. 1.
Heading into winds blowing 10 knots out of the north-northeast, the Olson 30 placed ahead of the seven-boat fleet to stay out of traffic over the three laps that spanned 4.51 miles. Saylor’s extreme port tack also beat out Weatherly and Papa A‘u who performed more moderate tacks that put them in traffic.
“The first inside lap around the Kalapaki buoy had Fast Company leading, but Papa A‘u looked great behind them,” said Chris Jordan, skippering OZone who finished fourth, overall. “On the downwind leg to the G-11 buoy near the Coast Guard station, Weatherly, crewed by the junior sailors with Astrid Andersson on the helm, and OZone (with the old sailors) battled it out with OZone getting a little ahead.”
OZone even managed to get ahead of Bonjolea II following the rounding of the buoy.
But that did not last as Fast Company kept ahead of the fleet followed by Bonjolea II, Papa A‘u, Kato, OZone, Weatherly, and Iwa who carried NYC photographer Pam Zerker.
Fast Company commanded the lead, sounding the finish horn in 52 minutes, 8 seconds elapsed sail, and corrected to 52:27 PHRF for top honors in both first-to-finish, and in the PHRF class — and the race — nearly three-and-a-half minutes ahead of the next finisher, Papa A‘u who stopped the clocks on a 58:06 elapsed sail and corrected to 55:52 PHRF. Kato (56:00 elapsed sail, 56:37 PHRF) corrected to round out the PHRF leaders.
OZone sounded the finish horn on a 57:13 elapsed sail and corrected to 55:26 Club for top honors in that class followed by Bonjolea II (55:23 elapsed, 55:44 Club), and Weatherly (1:00:00 elapsed, 55:52 Club).
The next race in the Eric Wing Series will take place Thursday when the first flags fly at 5 p.m. at the Nawiliwili Harbor jetty parking area.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
