[PADDLING]

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Tammy Kaneaialeala and Maile Chong helped the junior women of Hui Nalu to a win in the 1-mile race yesterday.

Outrigger glides
to Kaupiko victory

Hui Nalu edges Kailua and Hui
Lanakila in a close fight for second place

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By Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.com

It was a simple message.

Outrigger Canoe Club coach Mike Mason had a few carefully chosen words for his club yesterday before the start of the John D. Kaupiko Race -- "don't get complacent."

Sandwiched between the Walter J. Macfarlane regatta and the Oahu championships was yesterday's race, an event that has sentimental value for Hui Nalu. For other Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association clubs, it was just an opportunity to earn more points to qualify for the state championship in Hilo in August.

Mason was worried that his paddlers might experience a letdown after winning the Macfarlane regatta on July 4. He need not have worried. Outrigger reacted to his words and rolled to its third straight OHCRA win.

Outrigger won six races, finished second in 10 races and compiled 75 points to easily capture the regatta.

The tightest battle was for second place, as host Hui Nalu (61), Kailua (60), and Hui Lanakila (59) were separated by only two points in the final standings. Lanikai came in fourth with 54 points.

Waikiki Surf won the A division for smaller clubs with 21 points.

The victory was especially sweet for Mason, who paddled eight years with Hui Nalu and holds the Kaupiko regatta close to his heart.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM The senior men of the Hui Lanakila won the 1 1/2-mile race yesterday at Keehi Lagoon.

"It's a little surprising because we were sky high for our race," Mason said. "We're very surprised.

"We're on a mini roll. A lot of people made moves today. Our junior men lost their first race of the year. Other clubs stacked their teams, so we got a clearer picture of what we have to do."

Mason said Outrigger raced its usual crews and didn't stack teams to qualify more people for the state races.

The Outrigger coach was worried during the middle stretch of the day when the club wasn't performing so well. The boys 18 crew was disqualified for interfering with Healani and the girls 16 finished fourth.

By the end of the day, however, Outrigger had the win locked up before the last two races with a 70-56 lead over Hui Nalu.

Hui Nalu was disappointed at not winning its own regatta, but the Hawaii Kai-based club has the bigger picture in mind.

"Obviously, we'd like to try to win our regatta, but more importantly than that, we have this opportunity and next week to gain points to qualify for Hilo," Hui Nalu coach Darryl Hara said. "And ultimately that's what we want to do. We want to take as many crews and people to the state championship as we can."

Clubs have one last chance to earn points at the Oahu championships next Sunday at Keehi Lagoon. OHCRA has four lanes in the state championship.

The Na Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a racing association did not compete yesterday. The Hui Wa'a championships are at Keehi Lagoon on Saturday.