Flanked by an impressive array of military helicopters and fighter jets at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, undefeated Lanikai Canoe Club turned on the afterburners to claim the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association’s Lukela “John D.” Kaupiko Regatta.
The event was hosted by 115-year-old Hui Nalu Canoe Club on Sunday in the waters of Kaneohe Bay.
Three-time defending OHCRA champion and two-time reigning state champion Lanikai amassed 194 points and notched a regatta-high 16 victories to ground Hui Nalu (188 points), Outrigger (117 points) and Kailua (114 points) for the AAA division (31-45 crews entered) and overall titles.
Lanikai has won all five of OHCRA’s official regattas this summer and has its sights locked on an undefeated campaign. Through the first 30 races, Lanikai established a slim 133-128-97 lead over Hui Nalu and Outrigger, thanks in part to 11 victories during that span.
Hui Nalu kept the score close, though, and took a 161-160 lead over Lanikai with eight races to go. Lanikai answered by winning three straight events and established a seven-point lead going into the day’s final competition. Hui Nalu needed to win the open mixed-six race to end the day and have Lanikai finish without any points in the event to tie for the overall victory, but the host club came in sixth as Lanikai cemented its triumph.
“This is our regatta, and everyone pushed hard,” said Hui Nalu coach Denise Darval-Chang, who also paddled in her club’s winning mixed 55 crew that bested Lanikai in the ½-mile event. “We’re fortunate to be back here in Kaneohe Bay, it’s a super fair venue; we should have a state race here. We have a solid club from the kids all the way through, and we were strong today.”
Keahiakahoe (76 points) claimed the AA division (16-30 crews entered), which also included Leeward Kai (44 points) and New Hope (32 points).
Healani (47 points) took home the A division (1-15 crews entered) hardware, while Koa Kai and Waikiki Surf Club finished in a tie for second with 30 points apiece.
The regatta is named for the experienced waterman who coached Hui Nalu beginning in the 1930s. Kaupiko earned the nickname “John D.” from Waikiki Beach Boys who compared him to John D. Rockefeller as he was always well dressed and drove a nice car.
The Kaupiko Regatta returned to the windward side amid the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) – the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, which involves the base. Paddlers raced along a course running parallel to a pier used for offloading jet fuel and an active runway used by military aircraft.
In years past, the base was off limits due to RIMPAC and this particular regatta was moved to Keehi Lagoon. However, base leadership made the race site available in support of the paddling community and out of respect for the sport’s cultural significance.
The waters of Kaneohe Bay are protected by Mokapu Peninsula and allow for uniform conditions across all lanes of the racecourse, which is regarded by many paddlers as one of the fairest in the state; conversely, Keehi Lagoon tends to favor crews in the inside lanes, which are protected from oncoming winds by a jetty.
“We always look forward to this regatta, and we’re really fortunate that the military let us have the race here, especially after two years off (during the COVID-19 pandemic),” said Lanikai steersman Karel Tresnak Jr., who helped his club notch wins and remain undefeated in the men’s senior (1½ miles) and freshmen (1 mile) races. “Every now and then you get a little air show as the helicopters take off. It’s a pretty fair course and the water is really nice, so it was an unreal experience.”
More than 3,000 competitors ranging in age from 12-and-under to 70-and-above represented OHCRA’s 18-member clubs in 46 races, 44 of which counted for points, spanning a ¼ mile to 1½ mile. 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.
OHCRA squads return to action on Sunday at Keehi Lagoon for the OHCRA Championships. Na ‘Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a wraps up its season on Saturday with its championship regatta at Keehi Lagoon. The top four crews from each OHCRA event earn automatic berths in the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship regatta scheduled for Aug. 6 at Keehi Lagoon, while the top three Hui Wa‘a crews in each event qualify for states.
