OZone held off Fast Company by just nine seconds to take the latest Nawiliwili Yacht Club Paul Pond Memorial Series, Race No. 6, and lock up the series on Thursday at Nawiliwili Harbor. Racing in brisk 15-knot to 18-knot winds
OZone held off Fast Company by just nine seconds to take the latest Nawiliwili Yacht Club Paul Pond Memorial Series, Race No. 6, and lock up the series on Thursday at Nawiliwili Harbor.
Racing in brisk 15-knot to 18-knot winds out of the northeast, OZone held a mere point lead over Fast Company in the series entering the water.
A win by Fast Company would have changed the standings, but Ozone prevailed, finishing the race on a 1:05:37 elapsed sail over the 6.23-mile course and corrected to 1:05:43 PHRF for her fourth first finish in the six-race series.
Fast Company, holding the lead on the water in Race No. 5, dropped to OZone at the end, and on Thursday finished just nine seconds back of OZone, crossing on a 1:05:46 elapsed sail and correcting to 1:05:52 PHRF for second place, her third in the six-race series to finish with two first finishes and two second finishes, throwing out one race for a total of eight points to OZone’s six points.
Papa‘au, one of the strong leader boats in the series, finished third on a 1:12:14 elapsed sail and corrected to 1:09:09 PHRF, setting up a battle between Bonjolea who crossed at 1:12:42 elapsed sail, less than 30 seconds back, and correcting to 1:09:54 PHRF for fourth place in the PHRF Open class.
Bonjolea corrected to 1:00:44 in the Club for top honors in that class, ending the series in first place for the Club class.
Mapuana, a Wells 35, crossed fifth on a 1:14:08 elapsed sail and corrected to 1:10:33 PHRF, ending the series in sixth place with 27 points, a tie with Speedy, which crossed Thursday’s race in seventh. Coyote finished seventh overall on a 1:21:47 elapsed sail, corrected to 1:16:36 PHRF, overtaking Speedy on the correction.
Malolo, a Hobie 33, rounded out the field with a 1:17:57 elapsed sail, correcting to 1:18:26 PHRF.
Sharon Gibson, the NYC scorekeeper, said the club will take a break before starting the Joel Ehrlich Memorial Rum Race Series on April 5 with a big bang at the clubhouse party following the race, which has the first flag flying at 5 p.m.
Visit www.nawiliwiliyachtclub.org for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
