NAWILIWILI — Fast Company, a 30-foot Olson 30 piloted by Jim Saylor, did not get line honors during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Jerry McKenna Memorial, Race No. 3, at Nawiliwili Harbor.
Instead, the hard-pushing Olson 30 overcame the PHRF handicap to take the third race over Bonjolea II, a Sydney 36 skippered by Bonnie Tiffany, that set the pace over the 4.71-mile course by tripping the clocks on an elapsed sail of 50 minutes, 23 seconds over Fast Company, who triggered the clock on an elapsed sail of 51:38.
But the PHRF correction gave the race honors to Fast Company on a 51:43 PHRF correction over Bonjolea II that corrected to 53:10 PHRF.
“This is only our second race since the Nawiliwili Yacht Club sailing calendar started,” said Jakki Nelson, a crew aboard Fast Company. “Two wins in a row. That’s not bad.”
Club class honors belonged to Speedy, who finished with a 51:32 club posting after battling Fast Company for the lead coming off the start line that claimed OZone as an Over Early casualty.
The Jerry McKenna Memorial, Race No. 3, held in strong winds of 15 knots and more, and wind-generated seas with high chops, is only the second race NYC presented due to less-than-ideal sailing conditions.
“The Opening Day races on Feb. 4 were canceled due to heavy rain, lightning, and thunder very close to the boats at the dock,” said Chris Jordan, the skipper aboard OZone, who finished third in the Jerry McKenna Memorial, Race No. 3.
“And then, the first race of the Jerry McKenna Memorial Series was canceled due to very heavy winds with gusts more than 30 knots. Dr. McKenna was a well-known, and highly respected psychiatrist on Kaua‘i. He owned the boat Windspan that he raced on occasion.”
With the weather-related cancellations, the actual first race of the season following more than three months of non-racing was the Jerry McKenna Race No. 2 that was a repeat of Race No. 3. Bonjolea II took line honors at the finish line, but after the handicap calculations were done, Fast Company took the race by just 3 seconds.
Racing continues Thursday, when the NYC Race Committee gets the NYC Jerry McKenna Memorial, Race No. 4, underway. The first flags fly at 5 p.m. from the Nawiliwili jetty area parking area.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
