KATO WINS WAHINE RACE #2 (WITH NEW BRIDE EMILY MARTIN STEERING)

Thursday September 10th was a beautiful day for sailboat racing. The wind was a moderate 8-12 knots out of the Northeast. Double Expresso and Ozone used their medium sized #2 sails while Fast Company raced with their smaller and newer #3 that they have come to love. Nine boats raced the 6.12 mile course B-C-E with 2 laps out to the Ninini lighthouse buoy and one inside lap around the Kalapaki Buoy. Ozone had a great start at the pin end thanks to foredeck Thor Temme who called it. Most of the other boats started shortly behind and Kato started about midway down the starting line. As they all headed to the Kalapaki buoy for a starboard rounding, it was Fast Company who tacked back early towards the breakwater and all of the other boats followed to get the lift in there. Ozone rounded the Kalapaki buoy first, followed by Bonjolea II, Kato and Fast Company. The all teenage crew on Weatherly were right there in the mix too (Don’t any of those kids know how to use RaceQ’s???). At the Ninini lighthouse buoy it was essentially the same order of rounding. Speedy however was able to catch up to Papa Au and rounded ahead of them.

On the second lap Kato tacked to get out of the harbor. But Fast Company was there on starboard with rights and so Kato tacked back, allowing Fast Company to pass them. At the second lighthouse buoy rounding it was Ozone continuing its lead, followed by Bonjolea II, Fast Company and Kato. On the downwind leg at the Kalapaki buoy Bonjolea II was able to pass Ozone. Battling with Bonjolea II slowed Ozone down and Fast Company and Kato were gaining. Between the G-7 and G-11 buoy Fast Company was able to pass Ozone by getting above and inside Ozone at the mark, which took the air out of Ozone’s spinnaker. Kato however had fallen a little further behind. On the upwind leg towards the race committee Ozone was behind in Fast Company’s bad air and so they tacked away towards the breakwater. Fast Company immediately tacked to cover them. However, this gave Kato an opportunity to keep sailing the lift towards the race committee and by the next meeting of the boats, Kato had caught up.

For the next leg to the Kalapaki buoy Kato tacked earlier than the other boats and it looked like they wouldn’t make it. But by some miracle they now rounded the buoy in front of Fast Company and Ozone. Kato and Fast Company now sailed higher while Ozone was trying to catch up (after leading for 2/3 of the race) by sailing lower a shorter distance, even by the lee, to go straight to the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station. But it didn’t pay off. Kato got inside Fast Company at this final mark which gave them rights and they gained on the upwind leg.

At the finish line it was Kato steered by new bride Emily Martin taking first place and line honors in the PHRF Class with Fast Company steered by Lydia Lintermans in second and Ozone steered by Alison Fornari in third. In the Club Class it was Weatherly steered by Astrid Andersson in first, Iwa steered by Karen Cole in second and Papa Au steered by Victoria Aiu in third. Double Espresso was steered by Elizabeth Biuk-Aghai, Bonjolea II by Bonnie Tiffany and Speedy by Kristiina Chapman.

The 3rd race of the Wahine series will be sailed on Thursday 9/17/20 with a 5pm start.

The public is invited to watch the races from the Nawiliwili mole parking area.

-Chris

Click here for complete results and the RaceQs replay on the racing page.