NAWILIWILI — Bonjolea II, with Bonnie Tiffany behind the big wheel, picked up her second win Thursday during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Invitational Series, Race No. 2 at the Nawiliwili Harbor.
“The Sydney 36 never looked back at the four Olson 30s that made up the rest of the fleet,” said Chris Jordan, the skipper aboard OZone that crossed the line in the runner up slot. “Bonjolea II now has two bullets for the first two Invitational Series races after taking the first race by more than seven minutes ahead of OZone.”
Racing in winds between 10 and 12 knots out of the northeast, the Sydney 30 negotiated the 6.03-mile three-leg race to sound the finish horn on an elapsed time of 1 hour, 11 minutes, 55 seconds, and corrected to 1:15:53 PHRF to claim her second victory in the Invitational Series.
OZone, overcoming the course that included two long hauls to the Ninini Point and an inland route, clipped across the finish on a 1:18:57 elapsed time and corrected to 1:19:04 PHRF for the second slot.
“Just before the start, Weatherly with Lily on the stick was coming in on starboard tack while port tack OZone planned to tack just below them,” Jordan said. “But Jordan, holding the tiller, had the tiller extension jam against the cockpit side preventing him from tacking until the last minute, missing Weatherly by inches.”
Bonjolea II had the best position off the clean start and was first rounding the Kalapaki buoy to starboard heading out of the harbord. OZone, Weatherly, Speedy, and Double Espresso followed.
The inland leg called for rounding the Kalapaki buoy to port.
“As the buoy approached, the winds suddenly became very light and fluky,” Jordan said. “Bonjolea II could be seen tacking multiple times to make it around the buoy, and the rest of the fleet thought they had a chance to catch them. But it was not to be as all the other boats hit the same light fluky wind conditions, and following multiple tacks, everyone ended bunched around the Kalapaki buoy.”
Bonjolea II continued to pull ahead of the fleet and took line honors and first place in the PHRF Class, followed by OZone a full seven minutes back of the Sydney 36.
“But now, there was a great battle going on for third place,” Jordan said. “Weatherly rounded the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station ahead of Speedy. Weatherly tacked early towards the breakwater while Speedy kept heading for the docked cruise ship. When Speedy finally tack back towards the finish line, they caught a tremendous lift and tacked just ahead of Weatherly to cross the finish line 15 seconds ahead of them for third place.”
In the Club class, the youngest Kaua‘i Sailing Association kids with 12-year-0ld Stella Fornari on the Double Espresso stick taking first place on a corrected 1:15:27 Club. Weatherly took second place on a corrected 1:15:39 Club.
The third race of the NYC Invitational Series takes place Thursday when the first flags fly at 5 p.m. from the NYC Race Committee.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
