KATO WINS THE WAHINE RACE #5 AND TAKES THE SERIES

Emily Martin was steering the Olson 30 sailboat Kato again for the 5th race of the Wahine Series (although with her stellar performance in the previous 4 races she didn’t even need to race the final race to win the series). Thursday October 1st was a very light air day with 4-6 knot winds out of the Northeast and most of the boats had their large #1 headsails up. The race committee chose to do a shorter 5 mile course (C-A) in the light air with 2 laps out to the Ninini lighthouse buoy.

Fast Company tried a port tack start again at the race committee end like they did last week. Ozone started at the pin end on starboard but they had to kill some time so as not to be over early. Meanwhile, Kato started a little further down the line going full speed and they took the early lead. Fast Company on port tack had to duck Double Espresso on starboard. Ozone tacked towards the breakwater and Kato and Double Espresso in front tacked as well. Ozone might have been able to clear Bonjolea II coming down quickly on starboard but they ducked them instead to be safe. This let Double Espresso with Elizabeth Biuk-Aghai steering get further ahead of them. Fast Company now came back on port tack and they had to duck Bonjolea II and Ozone while Kato took a nice lead heading out of the harbor. At the Ninini lighthouse buoy it was Kato in the lead followed by Fast Company, Ozone, Weatherly, Double Espresso, Bonjolea II, Speedy, Iwa and Papa Au.

Speedy was late to the starting line by perhaps a minute and a half but they did a nice job recovering and at the Kalapaki buoy, working downwind under spinnaker in the light flukey air, they almost caught up to Double Espresso. Papa Au also appeared to have a very late start (did that have anything to do with Jim Saylor on the radio questioning their PHRF rating with the headsail they initially had up?) Fast Company almost caught up to Kato at the Kalapaki buoy with the crazy air patterns in there. And in the same location Bonjolea II was able to pass Weatherly. At the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station it was Kato in the lead followed by Fast Company and Ozone. Ozone tacked away early towards the breakwater on the upwind leg in a move to try to catch the leaders. But it didn’t pay off and Ozone fell further behind. Kato and Fast Company had a nice battle going on covering each other tack for tack. As they headed out of the harbor Kato was to weather of Fast Company. Kato decided to tack back towards the beach at the Timbers Resort which usually pays off with a lift in there. But not this time. The extra 2 tacks cost them some time and at the lighthouse buoy they had to duck Fast Company who was coming in on starboard and who now took the lead. But Kato had a nice spinnaker run downwind and they went above Fast Company which took their air and Kato now resumed their lead.

There was a similar battle going on between Double Espresso with Carl Andersson on the foredeck and Weatherly with his daughter Astrid Andersson steering. Double Espresso appeared to have a better start. However, when Bonjolea II passed them at the mouth of the harbor and took their air it allowed Weatherly to take the lead. Upwind towards the lighthouse Double Espresso was able to take the lead again for a short time. But Astrid and her teenage crew can get Weatherly to point (and to live up to her name) and they now passed Double Espresso to weather. Astrid rounded the lighthouse buoy in front of her dad on Double Espresso. But on the downwind spinnaker run from the Kalapaki buoy Double Espresso gained remarkably. And on the next downwind leg from the lighthouse buoy Double Espresso gained even more, passing Weatherly (in the end Double Espresso beat them by only 39 seconds). In the very light downwind air, under spinnaker and heading to the G-11 buoy, both Kato and Fast Company sailed low and slow but straight to the mark, the shortest distance. Ozone’s tactician Chris Jordan desperately tried reaching up for more apparent wind and boat speed to try to catch the leaders, but to no avail. With 2 gybes and sailing a longer distance Ozone fell even further behind.

At the finish line it was Kato with Emily Martin on the helm taking line honors, first place for the race, and first place for the series. Great job! Fast Company took second place for the race and for the series with Lydia Lintermans on the helm. Ozone took third place for the race and for the series with Alison Fornari steering. In the club class it was Speedy in first with Kristiina Chapman steering. Weatherly and her teenage crew was in second place with Astrid Andersson driving the boat. Bonjolea II with skipper Bonnie Tiffany took third. Papa Au and Iwa didn’t finish the race, probably because it was getting dark early. The bonus of the night was a full harvest moon arising from the ocean with a gorgeous orange glow.

The continuation of the Gene Wells Memorial Series of 7 races resumes on Thursday 10/8/20 with 3 more races to go. There is one throwout. At present Fast Company has a commanding lead (1,1,1,2) with Kato in second (2,2,2,DNC) and Weatherly in third (3,4,5,3).

The public is invited to watch the sailboat races from the Nawiliwili mole parking area on Thursday 10/8/20 with a 5 pm start.

-Chris

Click the link for access to complete results and the RaceQs replay on the racing page.