PAPA AU MAKES IT THEIR 3RD WIN IN A ROW AT THE GENE WELLS RACE #4

The day looked beautiful for the 4th race of the Gene Wells Memorial series as the 6 boats jockeyed for the start. The 6 mile course was E-A-C with an inside lap to the Kalapaki buoy and 2 outside laps to the Ninini Lighthouse buoy. The wind was 12-17 knots out of the East.

Fast Company could be seen at the race committee end of the starting line maneuvering for a port tack start. And indeed they had the best start. At the pin end of the line Ozone on starboard tack was next. And when the two boats met it was Fast Company able to clear Ozone and stay in the lead. Ozone later tacked onto the starboard lay line to the Kalapaki buoy. But Fast Company tacked right in front of Ozone and Ozone had to avoid hitting their stern by falling off below them. A chorus of at least 6 Ozone crew members could be heard yelling “Protest!” while on Fast Company skipper Jim Saylor responded that he could hear them all okay… Fast Company then did their 2 penalty turns that set them back after they had the lead.

Meanwhile, Papa Au came into the 3 boat length circle zone at the Kalapaki buoy on starboard tack but to make it around the buoy they had to tack onto port first before heading back on starboard. But Weatherly, with Nate steering, was coming down fast on starboard tack able to fetch the mark so they had rights. But Weatherly was afraid that they were going to hit Papa Au and so they dramatically altered course to go below Papa Au. The kids on Weatherly did not put up their protest flag and Papa Au sailed on. In the future I suspect the Weatherly crew will remember rule 18.3 that states “If a boat in the zone of a mark to be left to port passes head to wind from port to starboard and is then fetching the mark, she shall not cause a boat that has been on starboard tack since entering the zone to sail above close hauled to avoid contact and she shall give mark room if that boat becomes overlapped inside her.” Weatherly now had to slowly circle around to make it around the mark and they fell a long way back, essentially in 6th and last place when they otherwise would have rounded in second place behind Ozone. Sorry Nate!

Downwind from the Kalapaki buoy and under spinnaker Fast Company was able to reach up and they passed the youngest Kauai Sailing Association kids on Double Espresso. And at the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station they were able to get inside Speedy at the mark rounding and they passed them and continued to gain.

At the next upwind rounding at the Ninini Lighthouse buoy it was Ozone, Fast Company, Papa Au, Weatherly, Speedy and then Double Espresso followed. On the final leg out to the Ninini Lighthouse buoy Fast Company tacked VERY close to the end of the breakwater (scary close) but fortunately no crunching sound was heard. Most of the boats tacked about half way between the end of the breakwater and the Kukui Lighthouse rocks. But this move didn’t seem to slow Fast Company down any. And on the way out to the Ninini lighthouse buoy a big squall could be seen coming our way. But on the way back to the Kalapaki buoy the winds got light and fluky near the Kukui lighthouse and the boats in the back were catching up a lot. Ozone was looking over their shoulder nervously as Fast Company gained. But after rounding the Kalapaki buoy Ozone picked up some wind and they regained their lead on Fast Company. But then the squall hit with even more wind and the fleet got soaked. Double Espresso had been switching drivers between Yeva and Olivia and it was now Olivia who had the honor of taking the knockdown (not their first, but probably their biggest). As the halyard came down a little quickly the spinnaker blew way out over the side.

Fast Company is very good in heavy air and they were gaining on Ozone. But not enough as Ozone was able to take line honors over them by 41 seconds. As Papa Au and Weatherly came upwind side by side towards the finish line, both on starboard tack, it was Papa Au a little bit to leeward. Papa Au took it far in to the mole and some say they passed into the obstruction zone (look at RaceQ’s and draw a line parallel to the mole from the red 6 buoy which is about where both boats crossed the line and see what you think). But again no protest was heard from Weatherly. Papa Au now did a sharp tack and duck of Weatherly falling behind by 11 seconds as they both crossed the finish line. And with the handicap applied it was again Papa Au taking first place overall in the PHRF Class for the 3rd race in a row. Ozone took second place and they were wishing that Weatherly had protested Papa Au as that may have slowed them down enough that Ozone might have had first. Darn. And Fast Company was probably wishing they hadn’t tacked so close to Ozone as without having to do their 2 penalty turns I suspect that Fast Company would have been first overall instead of taking 3rd place. In the Club Class it was Speedy in first, Weatherly in second, and Double Espresso in third. With one throwout in the series, Papa Au is clearly in the lead to take it all.

The 5th race of the Gene Wells Memorial Series will be held on Thursday 9/30/21 with a 5 pm start. The public is invited to watch the races from the Nawiliwili mole parking area.

-Chris

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