NAWILIWILI — OZone, captained by Chris Jordan, unintentionally found some dead air during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Gene Wells Memorial Series, Race No. 5 at Nawiliwili Harbor.
Sailing in the race blanketed by 11-knot winds blowing out of the north-northeast, the 30-foot Olson 30 got a little header and tacked toward the breakwater after being teased by Speedy, who was the first craft to tack to the breakwater off the start line.
Bonjolea II, the first boat out of the starting line of the 4.63-mile, three-lap course, appeared to take a lift that took them up to the Kalapaki Buoy and rounded it first, according to Jordan.
“OZone was wishing that they had followed Bonjolea II because Double Espresso rounded the buoy in front of them,” Jordan said. “And, OZone found a no-wind zone close to the Kukui Light rocks, watching the other boats zoom off.”
While OZone made up for that period of no movement, Bonjolea II rounded the Ninini Lighthouse buoy first, followed by Double Espresso, OZone, Speedy and Papa A‘u, which returned to the fleet with a new owner and just a crew of two.
“At the G-7 buoy, the boats gybed their spinnakers and headed off to the G-11 buoy near Coast Guard Kaua‘i, where the spinnakers were dropped and the jibs were hoisted for the upwind leg to the Kalapaki buoy,” Jordan said.
“Bonjolea II gained even more, here. On the downwind leg, OZone may have gained a little on Bonjolea II by sailing dead downwind under spinnaker with the pole way back that results in a shorter distance traveled compared to Bonjolea II that is usually in reaching mode, going fast but traveling a farther distance.”
That advantage saw Bonjolea II taking line honors, and first place in an elapsed time of 52 minutes, 32 seconds, and correcting to 55:42 PHRF.
OZone followed with a 56:12 elapsed time and corrected to 56:17 PHRF, just 35 seconds behind Bonjolea II.
Speedy filled in the No. 3 berth, and then Papa A‘u.
“It was a shame that Double Espresso had to retire due to some gear failure because they had been close behind Bonjolea II, and they were doing so well,” Jordan said.
With the win, Bonjolea II has placed first in four of the five races — OZone placed first in Race No. 3 — in the seven-race series with one throw-out.
The end of the Gene Wells Series also marks the end of the 2023 race calendar as traditionally, the NYC suspends racing for the winter season when ocean conditions create unsafe sailing conditions. The calendar resumes in February 2024.
