NAWILIWILI — With one Sydney 36, Bonjolea II, and five nimble Olson 30 craft, the yacht racing (no engines allowed during race) action can be very competitive during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Shakedown Series, Race No. 2, which took place on Thursday under light 9-knot winds blowing out of the east.
Bonjolea II, captained by Bonnie Tiffany, took the opening race of the Shakedown Series by a margin of nearly three minutes over the field that included four Olson 30s. Bonjolea II posted a corrected time of 51 minutes and 26 seconds over the 2.45-mile course. Fiasco followed her at a corrected time of 54:12 PHRF and OZone with a 56:05 PHRF.
But the series is not called the Shakedown Series for naught, as the Thursday Race No. 2 saw a shakeup in the order. OZone rose from its previous third-place finish to take the race on a corrected time of 57:52—less than a minute ahead of Fiasco, who corrected to 5832 PHRF.
Bonjolea II captured line honors (first to finish) on a 57:45 sail — just two seconds ahead of OZone, who sounded the finish horn at 57:47, but the correction handicap put the Sydney 36 in third place with a corrected time of 1:01:14 PHRF.
“Speedy and Bonjolea II hit the starting line simultaneously while Fiasco and OZone were about four seconds back,” said Chris Jordan, the skipper aboard OZone. “Bonjolea II was the first boat around the Kalapaki buoy, followed by OZone, Fiasco, Kato, Speedy, and Double Espresso with its all-wahine crew.”
Coming downwind off the Ninini Point turnaround, there were no changes in the boat positions.
“That is, until Kato, racing for the first time this season, and Speedy met up near the G-11 buoy with Speedy having rights,” Jordan said. “And following the ‘Roundin’ Ruckus’ that ensued, according to Hu Mast, Speedy was seen to have their protest flag up, saying that they were inside the boat at G-11 and entitled to room.”
Kato retired following the finish, and no protest meeting was needed.
On the final leg of the 4.4-mile course, both Fiasco and OZone were sailing almost directly downwind under spinnaker to the G-11 buoy while Bonjolea II was reaching up and then reaching back, Jordan said. Allowing OZone to round the G-11 buoy ahead of Bonjolea II.
“Heading upwind towards the mole, Bonjolea II was in OZone’s bad air and tacked away towards the breakwater and the finish line at the G-7 buoy,” the OZone skipper said. “OZone probably should have tacked to cover them but waited until Fiasco tacked towards the finish line before tacking back. When the faster Bonjolea II tacked back onto starboard, OZone on port tack had to duck them. It was a horse race to the finish line with Bonjolea II finishing two seconds ahead of OZone.”
The NYC Shakedown Series continues on Thursday when the first flags fly at 5 p.m. at the Nawiliwili Harbor jetty area parking.
