While all Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association clubs pay extra attention to the final regular-season event leading up to the championship regatta, Hui Nalu’s paddlers tend to circle the Lukela “John D.” Kaupiko Regatta on the calendar due to its historical significance to the 108-year-old club.
Hui Nalu won one for “Old Man John D.” and claimed the OHCRA competition Sunday in the calm waters of Keehi Lagoon. The annual regatta is named after Kaupiko, an experienced waterman who coached Hui Nalu beginning in the 1930s. Kaupiko earned the nickname of John D. from Waikiki Beach Boys comparing him to John D. Rockefeller; in accounts provided by the club, it was explained that Kaupiko was always well dressed and drove a nice car.
Hui Nalu, the three-time defending OHCRA champion, captured the AAA Division (27-45 crews entered) and notched the overall regatta win with 183 points stemming from 11 race victories. Hui Nalu held off Lanikai (160 points thanks to 11 victories), Kailua (157 points including seven victories), Outrigger (151 points on nine wins) and Hui Lanakila (70 points) in the large division.
Hui Lanakila (70 points) claimed the AA division (14-26 crews entered) title by edging Keahiakahoe (67 points), while Waimanalo (18 points) secured the A division (1-13 crews entered) ahead of Waikiki Surf Club (16 points) and Keola O Ke Kai (13 points).
Hui Nalu’s men’s masters 65 crew continued its undefeated season with a victory on Sunday and posted a winning mark of 4 minutes and 9.2 seconds in the ½-mile event. The triumphant crew, which held off Keahiakahoe (4:14.22), included Kenny Bailey, Patrick Mulcahy, Robert Rocheleau, Jerry Yoshida, Bernie Paloma and Dennis Fern.
“It’s really special to win at your own regatta,” said Fern, the crew’s steersman. “It’s major. We had an excellent start with our youngsters and it’s been a great all-around effort. Everyone’s contributing.”
Through 19 races, Hui Nalu established a slim 83-69-64-63 advantage over Kailua, Outrigger and Lanikai. Fifteen races later, with 11 races to go for the day, Hui Nalu had increased its margin to 148-125-107-106 over Outrigger, Kailua and Lanikai.
With two races to go, Hui Nalu opened its lead to 179-152 over Kailua, and the 17-point edge clinched the victory for the host squad as the Windward Side rivals could have netted only a maximum of 14 points over the final events.
In recent years, this particular race had been held in Kaneohe Bay adjacent to Marine Corps Base Hawaii. However, the race was moved to Keehi Lagoon due to the ongoing Rim of the Pacific Exercise, the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise.
The waters of Kaneohe Bay are protected by the base’s peninsula, and allow for uniform calm conditions across all lanes of the race course, which is regarded by many paddlers as one of the fairest in the state; Keehi Lagoon tends to favor crews in the inside lanes, which are protected by a jetty from oncoming winds.
Paddlers braved humid, sticky conditions spelled by light breezes throughout the regatta as nearly 3,300 competitors ranging in age from 12-and-under to 70-and-above represented OHCRA’s 18 member clubs in 45 races spanning a quarter mile to 1.5 miles. Winning crews earned seven points toward the team standings, while second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place finishers were awarded five, four, three, two and one points, respectively.
In addition to battling for gold in individual races, crews continued to qualify for the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship regatta scheduled for Aug. 6 at Keehi Lagoon. The top five crews from each OHCRA event earn automatic berths in the state race based on cumulative point standings.
“We will do a lot of speed work,” said Fern of the week leading up to the OHCRA championships. “We have built our core base after going long (distances) in the beginning of the season, and now we need to improve at the start and coming out of the turn.”
OHCRA returns to action on Sunday at Keehi Lagoon for its championship regatta. Na ‘Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a also wraps up its regular season on Saturday with its championship regatta at Keehi Lagoon.
