Leighton Look was smiling somewhere yesterday.

The Hui Lanakila Canoe Club won the E Lau Hoe women's race yesterday in a new canoe named in honor of the late Look.

"This one is really meaningful," Hui Lanakila paddler Michelle Arnold said. "Leighton showed up. He was with us. Every wave, every wind gust, came right when we needed it."

Hui Lanakila completed the 32-mile course from Maunalua Bay to Nanakuli Beach in 4 hours, 18 minutes, 9 seconds.

Members of the winning crew were Arnold, Mikala Bradley, Denise Darval-Chang, Jessie Eames, Arlene Holzman, Pauahi Ioane, Malia Kamisugi, Jaimie Kinard, Cheryl Skribe and Sarah Van De Vanter.

Each team was allowed to have 10 paddlers, but only six could be in the canoe at any given time.

Hui Lanakila unveiled a new Bradley fiberglass canoe yesterday named Lehuuila No Kalawai'a, which is Hawaiian for "A flash of lightning for the fisherman."

"Today was the first time we got to use it in the surf, so I wasn't sure what to expect," Hui Lanakila coach Raven Aipa said. "But everything went great. It would have been a special day no matter what, but to win it makes it even more special."

Look is a former president and coach of Hui Lanakila, and one of the club's original members. He died on Aug. 25.

Look was known as a crafty steersman, and yesterday's conditions would have been to his liking.

Darval-Chang, who steered the Hui Lanakila canoe, said: "I felt like Leighton was in my back pocket. Team Bradley would come up on us, and then this 100-yard wave would come up and push us back in front. It was perfect timing — too perfect — and it happened more than once."

Team Bradley placed second in 4:21:50.

"Hui Lanakila stepped up their game today," said Noelani Auger, who steered Team Bradley. "It was like Leighton was with them because we'd catch up to them, and then all of a sudden they'd be on a (wave) bump."

Team Bradley completed the race with nine paddlers because one of its paddlers got injured early in the course.

Team Bradley is the three-time defending champion of the Na Wahine O Ke Kai world championship race. This year's Na Wahine O Ke Kai is scheduled for Sept. 28.

"It's so hard to say what's going to happen because Team Bradley hasn't been at full strength yet," Arnold said. "We'll enjoy this one, but we know there's a lot more we have to work on to compete with the best at Moloka'i."

Waikiki Beach Boys placed third in 4:29:11, and an Outrigger masters crew was an impressive fourth in 4:29:55. Every paddler in the Outrigger crew was at least 40 years old.

A total of 40 crews participated. Kailua won the masters 50-older division and was 13th overall in 4:56:47. Lanikai won the koa canoe division and was 11th overall in 4:53:49.

The men's teams will compete on Sunday at the Henry Ayau Memorial Race.

FINAL RESULTS

OVERALL

1, Hui Lanakila-1 (Michelle Arnold, Mikala Bradley, Denise Darval-Chang, Jessie Eames, Arlene Holzman, Pauahi Ioane, Malia Kamisugi, Jaimie Kinard, Cheryl Skribe, Sarah Van De Vanter), 4:18:09. 2, Team Bradley, 4:21:50. 3, Waikiki Beach Boys-1, 4:29:11. 4, Outrigger 40s, 4:29:55. 5, Namolokama, 4:41:23. 6, Hui Lanakila-2, 4:44:12. 7, Niumalu, 4:49:57. 8, Hui Nalu-1, 4:52:23. 9, Healani-1, 4:52:31. 10, Waikiki Beach Boys-2, 4:53:04. 11, Lanikai-1, 4:53:49. 12, Kailua Team Maile, 4:55:35. 13, Kailua 50s, 4:56:47. 14, Outrigger, 5:00:59. 15, Hui Lanakila-3, 5:03:43. 16, Lokahi-1, 5:04:42. 17, Kailua, 5:04:59. 18, Lanikai-2, 5:10:24. 19, Niumalu 50s, 5:17:19. 20, Healani-2, 5:19:36. 21, Manu O Ke Kai, 5:22:10. 22, Waikiki Beach Boys-3, 5:24:11. 23, Lanikai-3, 5:24:42. 24, Leeward Kai, 5:25:21. 25, Keahiakahoe 40s, 5:27:34. 26, Waikiki Surf Club, 5:28:10. 27, Koa Kai, 5:28:39. 28, Waikiki Beach Boys-4, 5:31:57. 29, Lanikai-4, 5:32:55. 30, 'Anuenue, 5:32:59. 31, Hui Nalu-2, 5:34:04. 32, Lokahi-2, 5:34:08. 33, Kailua-novice, 5:41:51. 34, Kailua-youth, 5:42:30. 35, Honolulu Pearl, 5:44:33. 36, Waimanalo, 5:45:36. 37, New Hope, 5:49:35. 38, New Hope 40s, 5:54:09. 39, 'Alapa Hoe, 6:02:26. 40, Keahiakahoe, 6:02:23.

MASTERS 40-OLDER

1, Outrigger (Paula Crabb, Kisi Haine, Stephanie Megan Jones, Donna Kahakui, Traci Phillips, Lisa Livingston, Nicole Pedersen, Mary Smolenski, Jennifer Horner, Karin Hansen Delray), 4:29:55. 2, Keahiakahoe, 5:27:34. 3, New Hope, 5:54:09.

MASTERS 50-OLDER

1, Kailua (Vivian Griffin, Lois Wise, Patty Eames, Vanessa Weis, Patsy Vasquez, Carleen Ornellas, Donna Meyer, Kathy Erwin, Penny Martin, Terry Malterre, Crystal Egusa, Kim Markham), 4:56:47. 2, Niumalu, 5:17:19