NAWILIWILI — Bonnie Tiffany and the crew aboard Bonjolea II relished the trade winds, blowing from light to gusty from the north, Thursday during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Rum Series Race No. 4 that unfolded on a course longer than six miles at Nawiliwili Harbor.
Those winds, once described by spectator Sharon Gibson as “Bonjolea winds,” churned excitement into the race that covered two long courses punctuated by a short, in-harbor leg on waters peppered by afternoon boaters harvesting dinner.
“Bonjolea II had the best start, driving OZone over the starting line early,” said Chris Jordan, the stick man aboard OZone. “OZone did not realize the over-early until 35 seconds into the race after getting notice over the radio. The penalty cost a minute-and-a-half to restart, leaving them in last place.”
The Sydney 36 enjoyed its namesake wind off the line with Fast Company enjoying a good port tack near the race leader.
Tiffany piloted the big boat through the race in the lead position with its biggest problem being to build a lead stronger than its PCNC handicap.
Bonjolea II took line honors on an elapsed sail of 1 hour, 11 minutes, 9 seconds, but settled for overall third place after correcting to 1:16:34 PHRF following the race, where excitement poked through in the battle for second, third and fourth places in the eight-boat fleet that was reduced to seven boats after Kato broke one of its shrouds on a starboard tack just after the starting horn.
Jim Saylor and the crew aboard Fast Company became the thorn in Bonjolea II’s side as the Olson 30 was first out of the harbor on the start. But Bonjolea II enjoyed its namesake wind and regained the lead after rounding the Ninini Point Lighthouse buoy in first. Saylor sounded the finish horn following a 1:13:37 elapsed sail, and took the lead after correcting to 1:14:04 PHRF, followed by OZone, crossing on a 1:15:03 elapsed sail and correcting to 1:15:31 PHRF after pulling ahead of Weatherly and Speedy in the exciting finish for the third spot.
Rebounding from the penalty turn at the start, OZone and Weatherly, captained by Carl Andersson, had “a nice upwind battle side-by-side.”
A big wave outside the harbor nearly stopped OZone, and Weatherly surged ahead to set sights on Speedy, which was the third boat to round the outside buoy.
“On the straight downwind leg to the green-11 buoy near the Coast Guard station, three of the Olson 30s were competing side by side,” Jordan said. “Speedy with their beautiful, new, crispy-sounding blue spinnaker was in the middle with OZone on the breakwater side, and Weatherly on the cruise-ship-dock side.”
The skippering battle continued with OZone clearing traffic and stayed in position on the upwind return for a finish in the event the Race Committee called a “shorten-the-race” finish.
“On the final downwind leg after rounding the Kalapaki buoy, OZone’s gybe resulted in a very tight spinnaker wrap around the headstay,” Jordan said. “Struggling to get the sail down caused a rip in the sail. It was bagged and the No. 2 sail was used for the rest of the race.”
Weatherly, with its youth crew, finished with a 1:18:14 elapsed sail and corrected to first place in the Club class on a 1:11:25 Club correction. Iwa, an Oceanis 41 with Karen Cole on the wheel (1:36:09 elapsed), finished second at 1:14:45 Club, followed by Papa ‘Au (1:25:24 elapsed) getting third at 1:16:15 Club.
The fifth race of the seven-race Rum Series takes place Thursday, when first flags fly at 5 p.m. The public is invited to view the competitive series (especially if the wind is right) from the Nawiliwili mole parking area where the NYC Race Committee will be available for questions.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
