Sunday, July 22, 2001
Adults carry The script for the season finale of the Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa 'a regatta association didn't vary much from any of the previous six regular-season episodes.
Lokahi
The club spots Kaneohe a
28-point lead before taking
the season finaleBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comKaneohe built an enormous 59-31 lead after the youth races, but Lokahi battled back with its adult crews to capture the Hui Wa 'a championship regatta 89-85. Manu O Ke Kai finished third with 36 points, while Waikiki Yacht Club was fourth with 14 points.
Only two points separated Lokahi and Kaneohe going into the Men's Masters 35, the final event of the day. Lokahi edged Kaneohe by three seconds to win the event and the regatta. Kaneohe finished second, a position it occupied four times this season. The strengths of both clubs were on full display as Kaneohe captured eight of the 13 youth races while Lokahi won ten of the adult races.
Lokahi took advantage of being able to move crews into upper divisions to score points in events it normally doesn't sponsor. Kaneohe felt the pressure as it was pushed out of first place in events that it normally wins.
"We made some adjustments," Lokahi coach Wayne Babineau said. "Our adults came through and finally put it together. The adults came back and started closing the gap. It's especially nice to win.
"It was tough and tighter this season but competition is good for the association."
Though Kaneohe finished second much of the season, coach Clint Anderson was pleased with the overall performance of the club.
"Our kids did real good," Anderson said. "(Lokahi) did their homework (today). They beefed up their crews.
"I know that we lost three regattas by disqualification. We did no DQ's today so Lokahi won outright. We're No. 2. We can't get any worse."
Though disqualification didn't affect the final standings of the regatta, a disqualification did keep one crew out of the state championships. Imua Canoe Club and Waikiki Beach Boys were tied with 14 points in the Men's Novice A race. Imua placed second in the race but lost the three points it earned after being disqualified for colliding with Kaneohe at the half-mile turn. Imua protested the ruling, but the race committee upheld it.
"It was very disappointing," Imua coach Garrett Awai said. "When you lose outright (that's one thing) ... but it's unfortunate that it was based on an official's ruling."
The regatta's final event also decided the winner of the single A division. Four clubs were separated by a single point. Kamehameha had a one-point lead over Na Keiki o Ka Mo'i and a two-point lead over Koa Kai.
But only Koa Kai and Ka Mo 'i raced the last event, with Koa Kai finishing third to earn two points and a first place tie with Kamehameha. Though the record books will post both Kamehameha and Koa Kai as winners, it was a coin flip that decided who would take home the championship trophy. Kamehameha won the coin toss to win its first regatta of the season after dropping down from the double A division.
The Hui Wa 'a racing association will have two lanes in the 14-lane state championships August 4 at Hanalei Bay on Kauai. Lane assignments are determined by the number of paddlers in each association.