NAWILIWILI — A robust wind that worked in Bonjolea II’s favor and an over early infraction gave the race to Bonjolea II during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Wahine Series, Race No. 2 at Nawiliwili Harbor on Thursday, June 20.
Under the blowing of wind at 14 to 18 knots out of the northeast, the 4.51-mile race course was labelled D-A-D, the race being hosted a few days following the successful Father’s Day Keiki Fishing Contest.
“Who says the Race Committee doesn’t have a sense of humor?” said Chris Jordan aboard OZone, whose Alison Fornari managed the stick in accordance with the Wahine Series requirements.
“The start has OZone barging with Jordan doing tactics — he should have listened to his crew, Jordan said in afterthought. Speedy, with Kristina Chapman on the helm, pushed OZone with poor Alison Fornari steering and listening to Jordan, up and over the starting line, early.”
The costly infraction meant that OZone has to turn around and restart, costing them about 50 seconds on a supposed early lead.
Bonjolea II, with Bonnie Tiffany behind the big wheel, started about midway through the pack and slingshot into the lead at the first of two Ninini buoy turnarounds.
“At the first rounding of the Kalapaki Buoy, it was Bonjolea II in the lead followed by Speedy,” Jordan said. “But Fast Company and OZone were headed and both boats had to make two more tacks in order to get around the buoy. Those tacks put them further behind.”
Downwind, Fast Company did not have a foredeck crew, and so, they did not fly a spinnaker, Jordan said.
“OZone was using their small ‘chicken chute’ which had them gaining towards the G-7 buoy, and actually passing Fast Company and Speedy at the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard station,” the OZone crew said. “Bonjolea II was loving the heavier air as they rocketed out of the harbor towards the Ninini Lighthouse buoy for the second time.”
Bonjolea II picked up both line honors for crossing first, and corrected to take the race over the fleet of three Olson 30s that wrangled each other behind the Sydney 36. Bonnie sounded the finish horn on a 50.38-minute Elapsed Time, and corrected to 53:41, a solid 3-minute gap ahead of second finisher OZone that bounced back from its over early penalty and crossed on a 56:08 elapsed time.
The Fornari-skippered Olson 30 corrected to a 56:13, just little more than a minute ahead of Fast Company that posted a 57:21 for third place. Speedy rounded out the leaderboard on a 1:00.25 elapsed time and corrected to 1:00.36.
The public is invited to view the third race of the Wahine Series on Thursday, when the first flags fly at 5 p.m. with the Race Committee at the Nawiliwili Harbor jetty parking area.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
