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5 boats on record pace in TransPac

Five boats remained on record pace as of yesterday's position report in the Centennial Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii.

Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory was still setting the pace, but only two miles ahead of led Roy Disney's Pyewacket. Both are watching Randall Pittman's Genuine Risk, which sailed about 50 miles farther south than Morning Glory and Pyewacket, hoping to come up on a strong reaching point of sail from below.

To beat the previous Pyewacket's record of 7 days 11 hours 41 minutes 27 seconds, a boat would have to cross the finish line off Diamond Head before 9:47:21 p.m. Sunday. Besides the lead three, Doug Baker's Magnitude 80 and Doug DeVos's Windquest are on pace to do that.

Morning Glory's current ETA is 6:33 a.m. Sunday, but there remained 1,319 nautical miles to go -- not quite halfway in the 2,225-mile race.

About 180 miles behind the leaders, Philippe Kahn's new Transpac 52 Pegasus had a 296-mile day, seizing the lead in Division II and the race for the King Kalakaua trophy for first overall on corrected handicap time.

For real-time race positions, go to www.transpacificyc.org.

UH picked to win WAC women's soccer crown

A vote of league coaches has Hawaii picked to win this season's Western Athletic Conference women's soccer championship.

The Rainbow Wahine return six starters and 15 letterwinners, including two-time WAC player of the year Natasha Kai.

The conference will introduce a points system for WAC standings this season, with three points for each win and one point per tie. The top six point totals will advance to the conference tournament.

UH received seven first-place votes, while the remaining top vote went to Fresno State. San Jose State was third in the projected standings, followed by Boise State, Nevada, Utah State, Idaho and Louisiana Tech. Former WAC soccer power SMU was among the teams jumping to Conference USA this season.

Hennessey's Paddleboard race Saturday

Australian lifeguard Jamie Mitchell goes for his fourth consecutive title of the season in Saturday's $10,000 Hennessey's International Paddleboard Championship, an 8-mile course from Hawaii Kai to Kaimana Beach.

This year's race is dedicated to the late Dale Velzy.

In the new stand-up division, competitors will use a paddle to propel the board while standing up.

The race starts at 11 a.m. with the first finishers expected around noon.

There is also a keiki race open to children under 16 at Kaimana Beach at 12:30 p.m. The event is free with soft boards provided by the North Shore Lifeguard Association.

Lee wins PGA Assistant Championship

Pearl Country Club's Regan Lee won the 2005 Aloha Section TaylorMade-adidas Golf PGA Assistant Championship yesterday at Honolulu Country Club.

With a fnal-round 68, Lee finished with a 36-hole total of 140 and earned a 5-stroke win over David Havens of Kapalua Village and Joey Tadeo of Mililani Golf Club. Lee and Havens, who won a playoff with Tadeo, will advance to the 2005 PGA Assistant Professional Championship Oct. 27-30 at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Lee also earned $9,000 of the $100,000 purse.