NAWILIWILI — Paula Saylor said Fast Company skipper Jim Saylor was feeling pretty good when the Nawiliwili Yacht Club unfurled its Roger Cable Memorial Series, Race No. 5 at the Nawiliwili Harbor.
“Ten-for-ten,” Paula Saylor, who comes to watch Fast Company, said. “Jim is feeling pretty good. Ten races, and 10 wins.”
And when the finish horn sounded on Race No. 5, Fast Company made it No. 11 after beating out OZone by a mere three ticks.
“Fast Company was in the eight-boat fleet with everyone trying to knock them off their pedestal after 10 wins in a row,” said Chris Jordan, the skipper aboard OZone.
Racing in winds out of the north at 8 to 9 knots, Fast Company took care of the challenges from as early as the start when Speedy with Jeremy Burns at the stick was over early and had to circle back for a restart.
“The port tack was favored and OZone took the lead with Fast Company very close by,” Jordan said. “Fast Company tacked early out of the harbor and OZone went further and over stood.”
This gave Fast Company the lead at the Ninini Point buoy with OZone and Bonjolea II, returning from racing in the Lipton Cup on O‘ahu.
“Jim’s not worried about Bonjolea II,” Paula said. “It’s OZone!”
Coming in from the Ninini Point Lighthouse, Bonjolea II was overtaking Fast Company at the entrance to the harbor and threatened to take their wind. Fast Company answered by sailing higher up to prevent the move.
“OZone had sailed low, more directly to the mark at G-11, and they now regained the lead — we owe you one, Bonnie Tiffany,” Jordan said. “On the way to the Ninini Lighthouse buoy on the second lap, Bonjolea II took over the lead.”
In the final lap of the 5.8-mile course, OZone again overstood and Fast Company was nipping at their heels.
“While Fast Company gained under spinnaker, OZone went wing-on-wing with main and job opposite sides dead downwind and barely stayed in front of Fast Company at the G-11 buoy near the Coast Guard station,” Jordan said. “OZone was still ahead for the final leg to the finish line, and giving Fast Company, directly behind OZone, bad air.”
Fast Company tacked away, while OZone kept going.
“What are the three most important tactics in sailboat racing?” Jordan said. “Cover, cover, and cover. But OZone’s skipper didn’t listen as his crewman Thor Temme told him he should tack and cover. As a result, Fast Company beat OZone by three seconds — three lousy seconds!”
Bonjolea II took line honors in the race where Papa Au made an appearance by sounding the finish horn on an elapsed time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 48 seconds, but corrected to 1:07:39 PHRF for third place in the race. Fast Company tripped the clocks at 1:06:08 elapsed time and corrected to 1:06:14 PHRF, followed by OZone sounding the horn with a 1:06:11 elapsed time and correcting to 1:06:17 PHRF.
“As the Fast Company crew celebrated with cheers and high fives, OZone’s crew headed for the beer,” Jordan said.
The sixth of eight races in the Roger Cable series takes place on Thursday when the first flags fly at 5 p.m.
