HANALEI, Kaua'i — Maybe not tracking points is a way to track down a championship.

That's what Hui Lanakila and the Waikiki Beach Boys did at the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship Regatta at Hanalei Bay.

Hui Lanakila won the AAA division for clubs with 13 to 20 crews; Waikiki Beach Boys won the AA division for clubs with 7 to 12 crews; and Kawaihae won the A division for clubs with 6 crews or fewer.

"It's not the big clubs, but it still means a lot to our club," Hui Lanakila president Kim Martinez said.

Like Hawaiian Canoe Club in the AAAA division, Hui Lanakila won its title by overcoming a deficit in crews.

Hui Lanakila, which is from the O'ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association, entered 16 crews yesterday. Three other clubs in the AAA division had more crews.

Hui Lanakila's 16 crews scored 152 points to edge Big Island champion Puna by seven points.

"We overcame the numbers," Martinez said. "We just told everybody to paddle their best. We weren't even looking at the points. We didn't even know we won until the end of the day when they announced it."

Hui Lanakila's strength during the regular season was its women and yesterday was no exception. They won the freshman race, placed second in sophomore, fifth in junior and third in senior.

"Although they didn't win a lot of races, they placed high in all of them, so that was key," Martinez said.

If there was one women's program that overshadowed Hui Lanakila, it was the Waikiki Beach Boys.

They won the novice B, novice A, sophomore and senior races. Waikiki Beach Boys has won the women's novice B race five consecutive years — the longest active streak in any division for the state regatta.

"I'm so proud of those girls," said Sue Brown, who steered the winning senior crew and has been the coach for the novice crews during the five-year streak. "The pressure was on them and they came through."

Waikiki Beach Boys president Dana Gorecki — who paddled on the winning sophomore and senior crews — said it was the first state championship trophy for the club.

"It doesn't matter what division, it's still a first-place trophy to us," Gorecki said.

Waikiki Beach Boys, which is from the Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a organization, finished with 122 points. Keauhou from the Big Island placed second in the AA division with 112.

Interestingly, Waikiki Beach Boys borrowed Keauhou's koa canoe during yesterday's regatta. All clubs are required to race in koa canoes at the state regatta, and Waikiki Beach Boys does not own a koa canoe.

"We love that boat," Gorecki said. "We've used it the last two years and we want to keep using it."

Kawaihae won the mixed 55 race and scored 49 points to win the A division.

Fellow Big Island club Keaukaha was a close second with 46. The A division featured the most entries, with 27 clubs.

This was the first year that the state regatta featured four divisions for the clubs. In past years, there were three divisions.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.