McLube Harken International Moth
Pacific Rim Championships
March 27-29, 2009
Kaneohe, Hawaii

(by Bates McKee)

Over three days of near perfect racing conditions, Bora Gulari of Detroit, Michigan bested a dozen boat fleet to win the McLube Harken Pacific Rim Championship in a 15 race series.  Hosted by Kaneohe Yacht Club, the regatta was sailed in 15-24 knot tropical trade wind conditions on flat green water.

Gulari, the US National Champion, who finished second to Charlie McKee just 3 weeks earlier in the Pacific Coast Championships in Coronado, turned the tables completely in the challenging conditions, winning 11 of the first 14 races, with no need to sail the final race.  McKee (Coronado, California) finished 2nd, 9 points back, edging out Kevin Hall (New Zealand) by one point, with Morgan Larson (Lyle, Washington) and Dalton Bergan (Seattle, Washington) rounding out the top five.

Strong trade wind conditions greeted the fleet, with well developed high pressure northeast of the Hawaiian Islands.  The boats handled the conditions well, with few control problems and little breakage despite the challenging conditions.  Racing was tactical and close in the shifty and blustery breeze.  Coral around the edges of the course provided an additional obstacle, as did a variety of other craft on Kaneohe Bay.  Port tack starts were sometimes favored, providing some thrills and entertainment as boats converged on the line at rapid closing speeds from both sides.

Most competitors carried Velocitek GPS units, with all boats attaining frequent downwind speeds in the 23-25 knot range, and upwind speeds in the 13-15 knot range.  While little damage was done, one 25-knot run ended in a cartwheel by Hans Henken, causing a leg gash and quick trip to the emergency room for stitches.  Spectator interest was high, expedited by KYC and by a television news spot the day before the regatta.  Everyone involved had a cooperative spirit, with daily debriefs first including the sharing of technical information, strategy and ideas between the competitors, all over KYC-supplied pitchers of Mai Tais.  After the regatta the fleet packed the boats in a container for shipment to Seattle for unpacking in preparation for the CST Moth Worlds in the Columbia River Gorge in August, 2009.