NAWILIWILI — The only thing certain in a horse-and-pony race is uncertainty. Excitement dominated the second race of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s Horse and Pony Series, Race No. 2, Thursday afternoon. Under easterly winds blowing in at 10 to 15
NAWILIWILI — The only thing certain in a horse-and-pony race is uncertainty.
Excitement dominated the second race of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s Horse and Pony Series, Race No. 2, Thursday afternoon.
Under easterly winds blowing in at 10 to 15 knots, the ocean was not a mirror, and coupled with at least six small boats containing akule fishermen, even the horses (big boats) had their hands full navigating the short course.
Malihini, a 35-foot catamaran, had no problem with the seas and was able to use the winds to best advantage, and hammered out an early lead heading out to the Ninini Point lighthouse turnaround.
While the sailors contended with the open ocean conditions, back at the corral, one pony (Laser) slipped its mooring and went astray, young fishermen and visitors getting excited about the wayward craft.
Add the wind element and the untended boat flipped on its side, all the while being pushed toward the anchored NCL Pride of America on the far docks.
That brought out the Coast Guard’s rigid hull inflatable to investigate.
But things were under control as the Malihini made its way back as the first to cross the line in 27:13, closely pursued by OZone, its spinnaker blossoming in the trades (27:58 elapsed).
The pony pilot aboard the Malihini splashed into the harbor, and once his Laser was underway, began to chase down the stray pony, which had drifted across the harbor to a point near the Young Brothers moorings.
Despite the unplanned activity, the standings for the bigger boats (horses) stood with Malihini topping the fleet at 27:54 PHRF corrected. OZone followed at 28:08 PHRF. Speedy (30:23 PHRF), Lelele (31:21 PHRF), Papa‘au (31:30 PHRF) and Fast Company (32:07 PHRF) rounded out the first half of the race.
Then the fun began as the fleet of Lasers darted off for its one-mile course. Dr. Lee Evslin took the early lead and leaned into the wind.
Coming around, Evslin, captaining for OZone was the first to sound the finish horn on a 20:15 elapsed time. Fast Company followed at 16:53 elapsed. The Malihini’s Laser, after chasing down the wayward pony, finished fourth below Lelele’s laser. Papa‘au’s pony and Speedy’s pony rounded out the field, the pony for Speedy limping down the final leg of the race, its sail showing signs of not being in its finest form.
But the race is based on the combined scores of both the horse and pony, and when all the calculations were done, OZone topped the race on a combined time of 48:23 followed by Fast Comany at 49:00.
Lelele (49:23 combined), Malihini (50:11), Papa‘au (51:04) and Speedy (54:20) rounded out the field.
Sharon Gibson said there was similar excitement on the opening race of this series last week when there were not enough lasers for all the boats that were entered, and excitement was churned up when people tried to figure out what to do.
The NYC Horse and Pony Series wraps up on Thursday with the first flag going up at 5 p.m.
The public is invited to experience the excitement and view the race from the jetty wall.
