Same Story, Race #3 – OZone scores another first place!

The race committee chose “A-D-E”, a 4.6 mile course that includes a long leg out to the Lighthouse buoy, followed by multiple shorter legs inside Nawiliwili harbor. Shorter legs in the harbor always means there are a lot of quick spinnaker sets and take-downs, congestion at the mark roundings, and close maneuvers as boats try to get around the course with the shortest time. With the northeast wind gusting from 10-15 knots, choppy seas, and a fleet of 7 boats the spectators on the Kalapaki Jetty thoroughly enjoyed the action.

The boats started in an orderly fashion from the outside pin and made their way out to Ninini Pt. Most of the boats chose to do one tack and sail to the layline, but Fast Company threw in a short tack to stay in the calmer water, and maybe get a lift off of the point. It was Bonjolea II, Ozone, and Fast Company in that order as they made the rounding and set their chutes for the long downwind leg to “G11”. It was a row of boats racing into the harbor with several boats surfing the swell right up to the stern wake of the boat in front of them. The race continued inside the harbor with boats playing the wind shifts on the windward legs, setting the chute as soon as making the buoy rounding, and delaying as long as possible to douse it.

It was Bonjolea II that crossed the finished line first but corrected out with a third place. Ozone crossed the line next 13 seconds later, and with her rating, corrected out at first place. Twenty seconds later it was Fast Company and they scored a second place corrected.

Trinity, the only multihull, scored a first place in Club Class, followed by Weatherly, and then Speedy with a third place.

After having participated in three races all the Juniors are well-seasoned sailors, and look forward the next and final race of the Junior Invitational Series.

Kevin Arndt

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