NAWILIWILI — Following two weeks of chasing the stern of Fast Company, Bonjolea II, skippered by Bonnie Tiffany, found the right wind during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s Doug Gibson Memorial Race Series, Race No. 3.
Racing the 6.23-mile course in 15-knot winds out of the north-northeast, the Sydney 36 relished the winds to cross on an elapsed sail of just over an hour at 1 hour, 42 seconds, and corrected to 1:04:03 PHRF, to edge out Fast Company by a minute and a half in the final accounting.
“Fast Company appeared to have the best start,” said Chris Jordan, the skipper aboard OZone, one of the six participating craft in the race devoted to the memory of Doug Gibson, who would spend countless days with the NYC Race Committee at the mole. “Weatherly was barging at the start, but OZone didn’t think to push them up and over, or into the buoy, so they had a good start, too. Speedy, Bonjolea II and Double Espresso all jibbed around just before the start, which usually slows you down, and they were all a little late for the start.”
Skippered by Jim Saylor, the Olson 30 Fast Company zipped through the wind-blown course on an elapsed sail of 1:05:31 and corrected to 1:05:37 PHRF for runner-up honors in the third race of the eight-race series that runs through May 19.
“OZone tacked back towards the breakwater early, but that cost them some time,” Jordan said. “Fast Company was able to point well and worked its way up from leeward to get directly in front of Weatherly, where it tacked early out towards the Ninini Lighthouse buoy.
“Bonjolea II took their boat in further towards the Kukui Lighthouse before tacking, and Weatherly went in even further, appearing as if this maneuver would pay off. But Fast Company was pointing remarkably well.”
Bonjolea II was able to catch Fast Company upwind, and was first to round the lighthouse buoy, chased by Fast Company, Weatherly, OZone, Speedy and Double Espresso.
“Downwind to the Kalapaki buoy, Double Espresso did very well under jib alone and were actually gaining on several boats,” Jordan said. “At this point Bonjolea II was pulling away from the fleet.”
With Bonjolea II in the lead, the battle in the pack continued.
“OZone slowly started to gain on Weatherly on the way out to the lighthouse,” Jordan said. “Eventually, they were side by side, with OZone to windward trying to give Weatherly some bad air. OZone finally passed Weatherly and were third rounding the Ninini Point buoy to starboard following Bonjolea II and Fast Company.”
The positioning held through the remainder of the race, with OZone sounding the finish horn on an elapsed time of 1:07:39 and correcting to 1:07:45 PHRF for third place.
Speedy, an Olson 30 with Dick Olsen at the stick, sounded the horn on a 1:10:51 elapsed sail and corrected to 1:02:56 Club for top honors in that class. Lexi Lane-Schwarze piloted Weatherly to a 1:10:15 elapsed sail and corrected to 1:06:05 Club for the runner-up berth.
Uncle Carl Andersson took the young Kaua‘i Sailing Association crew aboard Double Espresso for an elapsed sail of 1:13:53 and corrected to 1:07:10 Club to round out the leader board.
The next NYC Doug Gibson Series, Race No. 4, takes place Thursday when the first flags fly at 5 p.m. by the NYC Race Committee 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.
