VIDEO: Down windward side of Molokai

Michael Pacholski reports on the 75th Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race:

I put together a team of college sailors and borrowed a J/80 and signed up for the race from Honolua Bay, Maui to Ala Wai Boat Harbor, Oahu. I reached out to the community in Hawaii and we were able to borrow all the necessary gear for the trip.

We delivered the boat to Lahaina overnight in big breeze and beam reached across the Molokai channel. We took 17 hours to get to Lahaina and anchored near town. We raced the Lahaina Lights Buoy race on Saturday and had a great time. On Sunday we sailed to Honolua Bay and spent the night there. Great sunset and views of the Milky Way all night!

The 70nm Lahaina to Honolulu Race started on Labor Day Monday. We won the boat for the start and sailed along with a pod of dolphins in the morning. We made our way down the windward side of Molokai and the video starts there.

The wind built and we started surfing and by the time we made it to the channel it was full on! We had a great time and everyone took 30 minute shifts on the helm all the way to Oahu! Elapsed time of 9:32:00. Mahalo…