The women of the Waikiki Beachboys repeated a little bit of history yesterday by winning the E Lau Hoe women’s canoe race for the second consecutive year.

Now their goal is to make history.

"It always feels good to win races," Waikiki Beachboys coach Sean Monahan said. "But we know this is not the race we’re aiming for. We know we still have to put it together for Molokai."

Indeed, the Waikiki Beachboys are in search of an elusive maiden victory in the Na Wahine O Ke Kai — the women’s Molokai-to-Oahu championship race. This year’s Na Wahine O Ke Kai is scheduled for Sept. 26.

The E Lau Hoe drew more than 50 all-female crews from around the state yesterday, and many of them used the event as the last "warm-up" race before the Na Wahine O Ke Kai.

"This was a good positive for our crew," said Kaui Pelekane, who steered the Waikiki Beachboys canoe. "But, basically, we have to look at it as good training because our goal is still the (Kaiwi) Channel."

If yesterday was any indication, the Waikiki Beachboys certainly have to be considered one of the top contenders.

The "Beachgirls," as they are called, completed the 33-mile course from Maunalua Bay to Nanakuli Beach in 4 hours, 30 minutes, 16 seconds. They led basically from start to finish, but were chased closely the entire way by Team Bradley.

"We got on some nice rollers — small, but we were able to work it and get ahead," Pelekane said. "But Team Bradley can come up on you so quick, you just have to keep pushing the whole way."

Members of the victorious Beachgirls crew were Pelekane, Rachel Bruntsch, Violet Carillo, Dana Gorecki, Elizabeth Ama Keama, Eko Lapp, Frances Lichowski, Andrea Messer, Jen Polcer and Raye Powell.

Each crew could have 10 paddlers, and six could paddle in the canoe at any given time. The four relief paddlers followed in an escort boat and rotated in and out of the canoe throughout the course.

It was the first victory of the long-distance season for the Beachgirls, following runner-up finishes in the Dad Center and the Queen Liliuokalani races.

"We kind of needed this for our confidence," Gorecki said. "We realize this is just one step in the direction of Molokai, but it is nice to know we can win a race."

The Beachgirls also realize that they won the E Lau Hoe race last year, only to come up short against Team Bradley in the 2009 Na Wahine O Ke Kai.

"Yes, we are aware of what happened last year," Gorecki said. "So we can’t make too much out of this. We know how good Team Bradley is."

Team Bradley is the five-time defending champion of the Na Wahine O Ke Kai.

"We always use these races as warm-up to get the kinks out," Team Bradley paddler Lauren Bartlett said. "So we had a good race — we chased the Beachgirls hard the whole way."

Members of the Team Bradley crew yesterday were Bartlett, Noe Auger, Jackie Carswell, Kelly Fey, Kristin Foster, Alana Goo-Frazier, Cherisse Kelii, Lori Nakamura, Shelley Oates-Wilding and Dane Ward. They are expected to make at least one roster change before the Na Wahine O Ke Kai.

"We still have work to do — try and get our pants on straight before (Sept. 26), that’s the main thing," Bartlett said.

Team Bradley placed second yesterday with a time of 4:32:34. Hawaiian Kanaktion was third in 4:39:05.

The Keahiakahoe Masters crew was an impressive fourth overall in 4:42:16. The impressive part was that all the paddlers in the crew were 40 or older.

Kailua Canoe Club also had a good day, with three crews placing in the top 10. The top Kailua open crew was fifth overall, the Kailua-50s crew was eighth overall, and the second Kailua open crew placed 10th.

Hui Lanakila placed 12th overall and was first to finish with a koa canoe.