Paʻaina Regatta 6/1/2014:
Under sunny skies with light winds, the regatta season for 2014 began as paddlers got together with friends from different clubs and started sizing up the competition. Anuenue set up their tent on the grassy ridge above their usual spot at the end of the beach at Keʻehi Lagoon. Once again unfortunately, the club was without their own koa canoe but were able to race in one of Hui Naluʻs boats. Thanks, HN!! This yearʻs “A” division includes quite a few more clubs, and it will be a challenge to finish in the top three as the clubʻs 6th place finish told the story very well. The six crews competing came up with only 8 points with the best finish being a fourth by the 55+ ladies. 65+ men were in a battle for third, fourth and fifth but ended up fifth as did the 65+ women. Lot of room for improvement!
65+ women push toward the finish.
55+ ladies ready for action!
Looking good down the stretch for the 55+ crew.
Cʻmon ladies (50+) letʻs finish strong!
As always: More race photos at Dr. Pʻs Smug Mug Site: http://www.pekelo.smugmug.com. Look at Sports 2014 and the paddling galleries.
Kailua regatta 6/8/2014:
It was a beautiful classic long regatta day at Kailua Beach complete with some hulis as often happens there. Ānuenue entered 8 crews and ended up with 8 points again finishing seventh in the competitive “A” division. Still it was an enjoyable day with hopes as always for better results next week at Nanakuli Beach. Once again the womenʻs 55+ gang had the best placing with another fourth in their race. The freshman men paddled well finishing in the middle of the pack in their quarter mile sprint but unfortunately were hit by the DQ bug. Using Hui Naluʻs canoe resulted in most of the club hanging out in front of their tent leaving just a few people to guard a table laden with food and goodies!
Ānuenueʻs day at KB:
http://pekelo.smugmug.com/Other-1/Paddling.
Fatherʻs Day regatta: 6/15/2014:
Nanakuli Beach was at its best with a sunny mellow day for the annual Fatherʻs day event. Ānuenue entered seven crews, and thanks to a breakthrough win for the 65+ men finished the day with 15 points. The next best placing was the 55+ women with another fourth. Everyone enjoyed the day, polished off all the food, and the regatta wrapped up earlier than usual as frequently happens at this site. next week at Waimanalo will be diifferent!
Freshmen sprint for the flag in the quarter mile blast.
65+ ladies at the finish.
Pushing for gold!
Nappy raises his paddle just to be sure the officials know who was first!
Waimanalo Regatta: 6/22/2014
It was a typical long day at Waimanalo with some upside down boats but overall nice conditions with beautiful weather. Although the club wasnʻt able to do any better than fourth among the 8 crews entered, everyone paddled hard and gave it their best shot good for a total of 11 points and sixth in the “A” division. The freshman menʻs crew finished well again in the middle of the pack in the competitive quarter mile blast while 65s men and women plus the 55 women placed fourth in their races. On to MacFarlane with hopefully 5 crews entered. Be nice ocean and get us in a good lane!
Off the line in the freshmen event.
And pushing for the finish.
Novice Aʻs in action.
Carry boat!
Green ladies lookinʻ good.
Weʻre enjoying ourselves at Waimanalo!
Dayʻs end – Mahalos Hui Nalu!
MacFarlane 2014:
It was a beautiful Waikiki day but pretty down as far as surf went with no significant swell. Early on the ewa lanes had a couple of winners but as the tide rolled in lanes 1-4 had most of the medal winners.
Ānuenue had six crews with the the 50 wahines getting a medal with a third in their race. Nappy was a busy man steering all of our crews. For the day the club was credited with 12 points. As always, hopes were high for a favorable lane with help from the ocean
but not to be.
Off the line for the 65+ women. Recognize that head in the water?
Pushing hard in lane 1 for the 65+ gentlemen but to no avail.
Go 50+ ladies!
Following a weekend off, Kaneohe MCAS is next! Other MacFarlane photos: http://www.pekelo.smugmug.com. Look at Sports 2014 and the paddling galleries.
Kaneohe Regatta 7/13/2014:
Sunny day at Kaneohe MCAB but could have been sunnier for Ānuenue as good finishes were hard to find for the club with some crews having to scratch. A great venue from the standpoint of fair lanes on the smooth water of the bay and races go fairly quickly with close beach access. The one bright spot for the club was a second place by Nappyʻs crew, recovering from a slow start and coming close to catching winner OCC. We entered seven crews and ended up with 9 points good for sixth in the “A” division.
Down the stretch for the 65 men.
55 women: A perfect change?
Almost home 65 ladies!
Next week itʻs back to Keʻehi for the OHCRA championships.
OHCRA Championships 7/20/2014:
Strong gusty winds greeted paddlers at Keʻehi Lagoon and provided an extra challenge for the upwind leg on the half mile course. Ānuenue entered eight crews with the 65 men coming in fourth for the best finish for the club. For the day we ended up with a disappointing 7 points, and reflecting on the regular regatta season, we werenʻt able to show any significant improvement qualifying at best two crews for the State championships. From the competitive standpoint, we will have to look forward to the coming year with our own renovated koa canoe as well as our new unlimited boat. On the other hand, itʻs always enjoyable to paddle with friends and enjoy our Ānuenue ohana but we need to look for other ways to strengthen our club such as attracting new members and developing a youth program.
65 men chase the leaders.
55 women battle the relentless wind on the way back.
65 ladies hang in there.
Ānuenue gang: Always ready to pose!
State Championships 2014:
States are always a celebration of the regatta year with the bonus of seeing and paddling against outer island friends. The day started overcast along with some mauka showers but for the rest of the time, Ke’ehi was sunny with not much wind, i.e pretty ideal conditions.
Ānuenue had four crews entered with three via the buy in route. The good news for the 65s was getting to race early in the day again with smooth conditions and very little wind. The bad news was not beeing able to crack the top 5 with the men sixth and the ladies 7th.
The club ended up with 30 points, placing 12th in the single “A” division.
Although not being very competitive, itʻs always fun to paddle and look forward to next year when it will be time to head for Hilo Bay!
For a look at the day, go to: http://www.pekelo.smugmug.com. and click on Sports 2014/Paddling and the States gallery.