Led by its youth paddlers, the Kane'ohe Canoe Club capped a brilliant regular season by winning the Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i Regatta yesterday at Ma'ili Beach Park.

Kane'ohe won seven of 36 races, including five youth contests, and finished with 67 points in the Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a contest.

Runner-up Lokahi won five races and scored 58 points. Manu O Ke Kai took third with 56 points and Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i finished fourth with 50 points.

"The kids did well again," Kane'ohe assistant coach Roy Anderson said. "In the early part of this race, we used all of our first-year paddlers. They placed second and third, and brought in some points."

Kane'ohe — which has won five of six regattas this season — will skip Sunday's Waikiki Beach Boys invitational regatta to prepare for the Hui Wa'a Championships on July 23.

Kane'ohe is the two-time defending Hui Wa'a champion.

"We're not going to Waikiki next week," Anderson said. "Last year, we broke our boat and it cost us big dollars to fix. We'll be working harder for the O'ahu championship (Hui Wa'a Championships) and try to get more crews in for the state championship."

Yesterday, Kane'ohe's youth paddlers gave the club an early lead, and the adult crews chipped in with key points. Kane'ohe's youth crews scored 42 of its 67 points.

After 16 races, Lokahi held a 35-34 lead over Kane'ohe. But Lokahi's lead would be shortlived.

Kane'ohe won five of the next eight races and took a commanding 65-38 lead over Lokahi with 12 races remaining. During the surge, Kane'ohe won the girls 16s and 18s, boys 16s and 18s, and men's novice A divisions.

That 31-point surge was enough for Kane'ohe, which scored just two points in the final dozen races.

"Our adults have to step up a notch," Anderson said. "We need them for the O'ahu championship."

Kane'ohe and Lokahi were without several key paddlers yesterday because of injuries, work assignments or sickness.

"Truthfully, I thought we were going to get spanked today," Lokahi coach Robert Viernes said. "A lot of our paddlers were on trips or working, so I didn't think we would do that well today. But actually we did well."

Lokahi is the only team to defeat Kane'ohe this season, earning a 67-66 upset victory on June 26.

Yesterday, two Kane'ohe crews — the women's senior masters (50 and over) and boys 16 — each posted victories to remain undefeated on the season.

The women's team completed the half-mile course in 4 minutes, 39.76 seconds with the crew of Lois Lake, Jackie Graessle, Omi Higuchi, Cheryl Farias, Eileen Helmsetter and Rene Smith. Helmsetter was filling in for Tweetie Anderson who injured her ribs last week when she was struck by a canoe. Lake said Anderson is scheduled to return in time for the state championships, Aug. 6.

"I think the bonding that we have together helps," Farias said about the crew's success. "We never miss a practice. We're always together."

The Kane'ohe boys 16 team finished the half-mile course in 3:53.42 with the winning crew of Bob Pratt, Kanoa Chang, Keoni Anderson, Nainoa Hopkins, Kelsen Alimoot and Dane Kimokeo.

Waikiki Beach Boys won the prestigious women's senior race, completing the 1 1/2-mile course in 13:12.32 with the crew of Kelsa Teeters, Valerie Hershey, Pamela Kane, Dana Gorecki, Andrea Messer and Susan Brown.

Manu O Ke Kai captured the men's senior race in 11:55.68 behind Bobo Tantog, Charlie Tantog, Greg Wright, Bonga Perkins, Brian Amantiad and Moku Sanborn.

NOTES

Hui Wa'a vice president Tambry Young said officials will meet tomorrow to discuss the site of the Hui Wa'a Championships on June 23. Keehi Lagoon, the original site of the Hui Wa'a Championships, was declared unsafe by state officials last month because of an invasion of tiny, stinging jellyfish-like creatures. Keehi Lagoon is considered one of the best canoe venues on O'ahu because of its central location, calm water conditions and ample parking and restrooms.