NAWILIWILI — Fast Company, skippered by Jim Saylor on the stick, is hanging on as the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Race Committee readies for the final race of the NYC six-race Spring Shakedown Shoreline Series, Thursday.
“The race is crucial,” said Chris Jordan, the NYC communicator and pilot of OZone. “Following five races with one throw-out, and with just one more to go, Fast Company leads the series with one point ahead of Kato.”
Kato, moving under the guidance of Kevin Millett at the stick, set up the critical showdown following the Spring Series Race No. 5 by shaking the bag after winning the race that spanned three laps over a 4.7-mile course under 10-knot winds blowing out of the north-northeast.
OZone, one of six Olson 30s in the nine-boat flotilla, grabbed the lead off the start by taking a port tack, the sole boat to take advantage of the clear field.
But Kato, another of the Olson 30s, passed OZone on the upwind leg to the Ninini Lighthouse turnaround. That lead was short-lived as Bonjolea II with Bonnie Tiffany at the wheel moved the spinnaker-flying Sydney 36 past Fast Company and OZone on the downwind leg.
Fast Company lagged on the second leg following the addition of an extra tack to get around the Kalapaki buoy, the maneuver allowing OZone the window to catch up with the leaders while the Kato crew watched.
“Fast Company hoisted its spinnaker, but OZone opted to leave their jib up,” Jordan said. “This messed with Fast Company to slow them down much to Kato’s delight.”
During the final leg, Fast Company had to tack at the Green G5 buoy to stay inside and comply with race rules. This provided another window for OZone who was able to make it inside to the breakwater without tacking.
Kato sat on its lead, watching the seesaw battle between the Olson 30s unfold, moving past the finish horn on an elapsed sail of 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 7 seconds, correcting to 1:05.50 PHRF for top honors of the fifth race.
Papa a‘u, a smaller Express 27, grabbed the second place honor on a 1:11:01 elapsed sail and correcting to 1:08:17 — just 15 ticks ahead of OZone (1:08:07 elapsed, 1:08:32 PHRF), and Fast Company, the winner of Race No. 4 the week prior, who sounded the finish horn at 1:09:26 elapsed and correcting to 1:09:52 PHRF.
Despite the fourth finish, Fast Company corrected to 1:08:29 Club for top honors in that class followed by Weatherly, crewed by the junior sailors of Carl Andersson, correcting to 1:09:23 Club for runner-up category honors.
The NYC Race Committee invites the community to view the crucial final race of the Spring Series, Thursday
when the first flags fly at 5 p.m. at the mole, the designated Race Committee viewing area at the jetty parking lot at Nawiliwili Harbor.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
