Kane'ohe Canoe Club paddled to perfection in winning its third consecutive Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a Championship yesterday at Ke'ehi Lagoon.

The regatta's favorite won 13 of 36 races and scored a season-high 96 points to easily defeat runner-up Lokahi, which finished with 63 points.

"I told them, the less mistakes we make, we can pull it off," Kane'ohe coach Clint Anderson said. "Everyone had to get that feeling that they were here to race."

More than 1,000 paddlers from 17 clubs around O'ahu participated. Koa Kai won the AA Division (13 or more crews), and Waikiki Beach Boys won the A Division (1-12 crews).

Kane'ohe's performance yesterday was its most dominant of its last three championships. It won the title by one point in 2004, and four in 2003. Kane'ohe has won five Hui Wa'a titles in its 32-year history.

The club received scoring from the majority of its crews yesterday. Kane'ohe entered 31 races and scored at least one point in 27.

"Like I always say, the only thing you can do is, 'try your best,' " said Anderson, who was selected the organization's Coach of the Year in the award ceremony after the regatta. "I guess everybody did their best."

Kane'ohe's reliable youth crews contributed big points, but it was the club's unsung masters paddlers who pulled the surprises of the day by winning four divisions — women's golden, men's golden, mixed golden and women's senior masters.

"Everything just clicked," said Pam Solow, a member of Kane'ohe's women's golden crew. "It was like everything was with us, the wind, the current."

"It was almost like there was mana in the boat," teammate Mel Deutsch said. "Something magical was happening. Our kids have always dominated, but today I feel the adults contributed equally."

It was the first time this season Kane'ohe swept the golden division. Until yesterday, Manu O Ke Kai was 6-0 this season in the men's and women's golden divisions.

"The golden masters did an awesome job," Anderson said. "After that, the spirit picked up and everyone started plugging in points."

Lokahi coach Robert Viernes called the four surprising victories by Kane'ohe's masters crews the turning point of the regatta.

"They scored 20 points in four races," Viernes said. "I knew at that point we didn't have a chance. That's usually where Manu O Ke Kai takes all the points away to keep (the regatta's score) close."

After the first 12 races, Kane'ohe held a 48-21 lead over Lokahi, and increased it to 83-31 after the youth races. Kane'ohe's youth paddlers scored 53 points in 13 races.

"I feel like we're holding up our end of the deal," said Bobby Pratt of Kane'ohe's undefeated boys 16s crew. "I remember Lokahi always being on the top of the standings. But we started training harder, getting better and now we're up there."

Kane'ohe then put itself out of reach when it led 93-41 after 28 races.

Waikiki Beach Boys won the prestigious women's senior race with its crew of Stacey Shepard, Kelsa Teeters, Pamela Kane, Dana Gorecki, Christina Hoggatt and Cherie Lee. They completed the 1 1/2-mile race in 13 minutes, 18.56 seconds.

Manu O Ke Kai won the men's senior race in 11:37.92 with a crew of Bonga Perkins, Charlie Tantog, Tomas Schlotman, Greg White, Bobo Tantog and Moku Sanborn.

Kane'ohe skipped last week's invitational Waikiki Beach Boys Regatta to prepare for yesterday's championship. The club used the extra week to practice, fundraise and build camaraderie, Anderson said.

"I think the key was bonding," he said.

Yesterday, the Hui Wa'a organization returned to Ke'ehi Lagoon for the first time since an invasion of tiny, stinging jellyfish-like creatures forced the cancellation of a June 12 regatta and the relocation of two following regattas. Hui Wa'a vice president Tambry Young said no paddler reported being stung yesterday.

"I think it was a good day," Young said.

Notes: The Waikiki Beach Boys were selected as Hui Wa'a's Club of the Year. Shanan Kaholokula and Raynette Kaneshiro were named Club Reps of the Year.