LAHAINA — It has been a special week at Canoe Beach. On Wednesday, the paddling community welcomed a fleet of seven voyaging canoes, and it was incredible to see these vaka and to meet the crews from across the Pacific island nations as they stopped off on Maui as part of their 14-month Pacific voyage.

On Saturday at the Naleieha Regatta hosted by Kahana Canoe Club, six more very important figures were welcomed to Hanakao’o Beach Park; Moke Keahi, Daniel Palakiko, John Kuia, Herman Nae’ole, Philamore Sadang and Charlie Lindsay are six of the ten men who were responsible for starting outrigger canoe paddling on the West Side. and Kahana’s regatta was held in their honor. Normally known for their green team colors, Kahana paddlers are sporting red rash guards this season in tribute to the ten founders and the legacy they have created for current and future generations.

The day’s first point for the West Side’s clubs came for Napili, with a fourth-place finish for their Girls 12B. Lahaina Canoe Club’s Boys 12B took silver with a time of 2:15:13; Napili took third in the same race.

Napili’s Girls 12A (Tavi Viela, Andilyn Alavazo, Kiana Nakoa, Ana Lukela Kobatake, Lina Nolan-Criste and Noe Keahi) won the first of their club’s gold medals for the day with a first-place finish and a time of 2:15:54. NCC’s Boys 12A took third place in their quarter-mile sprint, with Lahaina scooping a point in fourth.

The team in black and yellow then took a massive 16 points from the following five races, beginning in Event Five where Lina Nolan-Criste, Ana Lukela Kobatake, Matini Perlas Kaai, Andilyn Alavazo, Ikaika Viela and Kila Vierra took first in the Mixed 12. Napili’s Girls 13 (Diamond Freitas, Hailani Keahi-Ng, Kehau Lani Brown, Courtney Ruidas, Christy Mae Ruidas and Carly Jaramillo) remained unbeaten with another first-place finish, and their Boys 13, Girls 14 and Boys 14 all registered third.

Kahana’s Novice B Women notched a point for their club with a fourth-place finish and a time of 2:15:56. Napili’s Mixed Novice B crew also won a point.

In the Girls 15, Napili was back onto the gold medals; Jordan Ruidas, Chelsey Erickson-Vierra, Kanoe Delatori, Aloha Kaaihue-Ah Puck, Tricia Kama and Kaliko Pasco-Dusenberry maintained their spot at the top of their division with a finishing time of 4:36:77. Lahaina’s Girls 15 won bronze and two points for their club, and Napili’s Boys 15 also scooped third with a time of 4:39:74.

The Men’s Novice B crews were up next, with Napili and Lahaina taking second and fourth place, respectively.

In the Girls 16 race, Napili took third, while Lahaina’s Boys 16 took fourth in their half-mile sprint. In the Girls 18, Napili’s crew came in third with Kahana finishing a close fourth. In the Mixed 18, KCC won three points and silver medals for finishing second and Napili’s Boys 18 took fourth in their race.

Kahana’s points started to roll in as their Women’s Novice A won third in their half-mile race and their Men’s Novice A finished fourth; Lahaina’s Novice A took third. KCC’s Men’s 60 were third, the Men’s 55 fourth, Men’s 50 won second in a time of 4:02:83 and the Mixed 55 came in fourth.

The Women’s Sophomore crew finished in fourth place, and Kahana also continued their domination of the Junior Women’s bracket with Kristina Dougherty, Dawnalyn Fujiwara, Danielle Kuck, Emily Janchevis, Lani Kane and Chistina Yorkey winning their race in 8:26:12 — 29 seconds ahead of second-place Hawaiian Canoe Club.

Napili’s Women’s 40 took third place in their mile-long course, and KCC’s Open Women came in second over their one-and-a-half-mile race with a time of 13:19:02. Their Men’s Open Four, Men’s Sophomore, Mixed 40 and Mixed 60 all notched fourth-place finishes. Napili’s Junior Men had a third-place finish in their race, and their Open Mixed crew took third in a time of 4:03:59. Kahana’s Men’s 40 placed second after a mile-long race with a time of 7:31:74, and Lahaina came in fourth at 7:40:08.

Saturday’s results saw Hawaiian Canoe Club topping the standings with 138 points (532 in total), Lae ‘ula O Kai with 85 (307), Kihei at 66 (232), Wailea in fourth with 49 (176), Napili with 48 (225), Kahana at 31 (138), Na Kai Ewalu registering 29 (136), Lahaina with 11 (70) and Hana with nine (37).

That leaves us at the end of regatta number four, with a bye week next weekend to refresh, regroup and train extra hard for our next race day in Kahului Harbor on July 9. I’ll be back next week with club news and a look ahead to the John Wilmington III Regatta. Many thanks to Kahana for an excellent regatta and Imua to Kahana, Lahaina and Napili!