PAPA AU WINS GENE WELLS #2

The wind was 8-10 knots out of the North-northeast for the second race in the 7 race Gene Wells Memorial Series. The 5.92 mile course was B-A-E with 2 laps out to the Ninini lighthouse buoy followed by one inside lap around the Kalapaki buoy. With the wind so far north Fast Company, Papa Au and Weatherly all started on port tack. Speedy and Ozone started on starboard tack and at the first crossing Papa Au and Fast Company were in front, clearing the starboard tackers. Speedy quickly tacked over on to port, heading towards the breakwater. At the Kalapaki buoy turn to head out to the lighthouse it was Papa Au in front followed by Fast Company, Ozone, Weatherly, Speedy and Double Espresso. Ozone stayed lower away from the Kukui lighthouse and appeared to get more wind than Papa Au and Fast Company. Ozone took the lead and rounded the Ninini lighthouse buoy first followed by Fast Company, Papa Au, Weatherly, Speedy and Double Espresso.

At the G-11 buoy by the Coast Guard Station Ozone rounded first but had their jib come 2/3 of the way out of their tuff luff headstay track. This slowed them down for the next lap. But Fast Company was right on Ozone’s stern in bad air and tacked away. This paid off as at the next crossing Ozone had to duck Fast Company’s stern. And then Fast Company tacked right on top of Ozone to cover them. Curse you Jim Saylor! Fast Company continued their lead around the lighthouse buoy and back to G-11. But upwind about half way between G-11 and the mole Fast Company tacked onto port (which had helped on the previous lap) but Ozone kept going straight on starboard. At the G-5 buoy Fast Company had to tack to stay inside the start-finish line as required by the rules. But this turned out to be a header and they ended up having to duck Ozone. When they were both approaching the Kalapaki buoy they were low of the lay line and Fast Company tacked away first but parked it. Ozone went a little further before they tacked and they were able to round the buoy while still maintaining some momentum. Were those loud voices we heard from Fast Company? To make matters worse, as Papa Au came into the buoy area upwind on starboard tack they messed with Fast Company coming downwind causing them to alter course to stay out of the way and to lose more ground. Ozone now went high towards the breakwater under spinnaker but they gave up distance to Fast Company and Papa Au who stayed low.

On rounding the G-11 buoy to head upwind for the last time it was Ozone in front with Fast Company right on their stern. But Fast Company was in Ozone’s bad air and so they again tacked away early. This time Ozone tacked earlier to cover and Ozone was able to get line honors crossing the finish line followed by Fast Company. But it was the smaller Papa Au on handicap who corrected to first place in the PHRF Class followed by Ozone in second and 25 seconds behind them in third place was Fast Company.

In the Club Class it was Speedy in first place, Weatherly (with Lily on the helm) in second and Double Espresso in third. The youngest Kauai Sailing Association sailors on Double Espresso keep getting better and better and in actual time they finished only 3 seconds behind Speedy (before applying the handicap).

The third race in the Gene Wells Memorial Series will be held on Thursday 9/16/21 with a 5 pm start. The public is invited to watch the races from the Nawiliwili mole parking area. The Kauai Sailing Association community
lectures and dinners are still on hold due to the Covid virus.

-Chris

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