Isle File
Husband, wife race to finish in sailing canoes
Advertiser Staff
Sailing canoe masters battled for the lead across the Ka'ie'iewaho Channel on Saturday in the 15th Na Holo Kai, and the lead boats surfed adjacent waves to the Kalapaki Bay finish in Kaua'i.
Steersman Marvin Otsuji, a Kaiola Canoe Club coach and owner of a watersports business, hit the beach aboard Kamakakoa 12 seconds before the boat steered by his wife, real estate appraiser and longtime canoe steerswoman, Katie Otsuji.
Kamakakoa completed the sail from Hale'iwa on O'ahu to Kaua'i in 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds.
"They came out of nowhere," said Marvin Otsuji, who had been dueling across most of the channel with Mike Kincaid, president of the Hawaiian Canoe Sailing Association.
The seas were small and winds were light, running 10-15 knots. About 15 miles out of Nawiliwili, the ocean became choppy. Kincaid's Kahiau fell back as Katie Otsuji's Tui Tonga, with an all-woman crew, moved up.
"They just walked by us," Kincaid said.
Kamakakoa and Tui Tonga passed Ninini Point together, and rounded Kuki'ii Point side-by-side to enter Kalapaki Bay and a final sprint after more than 70 miles of sailing and paddling.
Kamakakoa had a slight edge, caught the first wave as it crossed the reef and surged several boat lengths ahead. Tui Tonga was on the following wave.
Seven canoes started the race, and the light winds meant times were well off last year's numbers. In 2000, the lead boat finished in 7:41:37.
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FISHING — Wahine winner: Boomerang, thanks to a 441-pound blue marlin caught by Carol Holt, won the sixth annual Huggo's Na Pua O Ke Kai Wahine fishing tournament on Saturday.
A total of 310 women in 77 boats competed for $20,000 in cash and prizes in what is billed as the largest women's fishing tournament in the Pacific.
Boomerang caught the largest fish using International Game Fishing Association rules and therefore earned an entry in next month's Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament.
Malia VanderVoort, competing for Start Me Up Action, actually caught the biggest fish of the tournament — a 530-pound Pacific blue marlin. VanderVoort's first-place fish was worth $5,000 plus $3,150 in side pools for a total of $8,150.
Holt's fish was worth $5,700 in prize money, followed by Cathy Brodie, who caught a 330-pound blue marlin worth $2,500; Domonique Luke, who caught a 265-pound marlin worth $1,000; and Carol Choy, who caught a 241 1/2-pound marlin worth $500.
Susan Howson, who caught a 35-pound ono with the help of her mother, Jerry Olson, won the mother-daughter honors.
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SURFING — Desoto third: Duane DeSoto of Makaha placed third in the Saquarema Longboard International contest, which was completed in stormy 4- to 8-foot waves yesterday at Saquarema, Brazil.
DeSoto was eliminated in the semifinals by Australian Jye Byrnes. Jason Ribbink of South Africa defeated Byrnes in the final.
It was the second event on the inaugural World Longboard Tour.
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CORRECTION — Girls wrestling: Ashley Gasper, No. 6 at 165 pounds in national pre-season rankings, will be a senior at Nanakuli High. Another school was listed in a story posted Sunday.
