Throw in the fact that it was Hawaiian's own John M. and Kealoha Lake Regatta, and there was no question that the host club would be ready.

In blustery conditions at Kahului Harbor, HCC rolled to 145 points — one off its season high — with a season-best 23 wins in the 41-race slate. Kihei struggled with the conditions, but still squeezed past Kahana for second place, 75-74. Kahana suffered through what coach Kekai Keahi said to The Maui News was its "worst regatta in five years.''

It was a different story for HCC in its home waters.

"We accomplished what we set out to accomplish today,'' HCC coach Diane Ho said on a day the club moved from 28 crews in state-qualifying positions to 31.

Lae Ula O Kai scored a season-high 62 points to finish fourth. Hana also posted a season-high with 21 to win an interesting race for fifth. Wailea took sixth with 19, Na Kai Ewalu was seventh with 18, Napili had 15 and Lahaina had one.

Lanikai of O'ahu currently has 36 crews in state positions, making the midway day of the seven-regatta Maui County Hawaiian Canoe Association season crucial for the six-time defending state champions from HCC. The Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association state regatta is Aug. 4 at Hanalei Bay on Kaua'i.

After Kihei won seven races in a row last week — Nos. 25-31 — Hawaiian decided that wasn't going to happen again. The blue-and-white boats won 10 of 11 races from the boys 18 race, No. 19, to the women golden masters, No. 29.

That turned a relatively slow start for HCC — it led Kahana 27-26 after 10 races — into a blowout. Hawaiian led Kahana 58-43 through race 20, while Kihei was third with 30. By the time Kihei won the men's golden masters race, No. 30, Hawaiian had 101, Kahana 54 and Kihei 53.

With six races to go, Hawaiian had 120 points and needed wins in all of the remaining events to reach 150, something that has never been done in an MCHCA regatta.

HCC settled for four victories in the last six events and left the century-and-a-half mark for another day.

The high scores for Hawaiian came as no surprise to Kihei coach Kawika Williams.

"Oh my gosh, those guys are all over it, just all over it today,'' Williams said with a wry smile. "What are we going to do when they do this? Today is nothing like last week for us. We train in the morning all the time, so in the wind — from steersmen to stroker — it is kind of new for us. We have to start training in the afternoons.''

Williams said the conditions were tough, with an onshore wind and the current working together to push the canoes toward the beach.

"It has been significant for us because we get nice water in the morning, so we are able to work on our strokes and technique, but in these kind of waters everything changes,'' he said.

Williams added that much of the struggles were provided by the 22-time defending MCHCA champions. All most of the competition could do was wait for the post-regatta festivities — a dance and luau hosted by HCC — to begin.

"I really did expect them to come out ready because it is their regatta,'' Williams said. "I know there are some weeks that they stress everything and some weeks that they don't. Hopefully when they don't, we do. I knew they were going to come out strong today and they really did.''

The MCHCA will be off until the Naleieha Regatta at Hanakao'o Beach Park on July 7, the first of the final three regattas on the county slate.

"We are not focusing on the individual wins,'' said HCC keiki and masters women's coach Paul Lu'uwai, who tracks the club's state numbers. "We are really looking at the individual (state) seeds. It was real critical for us to do well in about three of four races today, bubble races. Our 13 girls, they won today and that was a bubble race. Our junior women, they won today and they weren't even seeded; now they are tied for the second seed. Our 55 men, they moved into a tie for second today and they weren't even seeded, so we went from 28 to 31 (state seeds) today. That is big because Lanikai has 36 crews right now, so we are down about 30-0 before we even go to state and that is huge.

"Today was critical, a do-or-die, back-against-the-wall type thing for certain crews.''

The Naleieha Regatta is Kahana's and the green-clad club will be looking to rebound.

"It is probably the worst regatta we have had in five years – the worst,'' Keahi said. "When it comes to having people not in the right places, to disqualifications, to getting hit out there in the ocean by other canoes, it was just like the worst day ever.''

And HCC is not a club that needs any help.

"Today was absolutely critical because in a lot of the races – there are only three regattas left – and if you are not in first place right now, it is mathematically very difficult,'' Ho said. "You don't know what it is going to happen in the last three regattas. There just isn't much wiggle room left. We like what we got done today.''