HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii men’s team in the open division finished 23rd out of the 42 teams in the first day of the Hawaiki Nui Va’a championship. They finished 29 minutes behind winners, Team OPT who finished in 3 hours and 18 minutes. Taking second was Air Tahiti and in third place Shell Va’a, the 2024 Molokai Hoe champions, and Team Huahine in fourth.
There are two more stages to go with an 8 a.m. start tomorrow. Team Hawaii hopes to correct the errors of this first day as they were hung up at the start, their course strategy did not pay off either.
“What we hoped could not happened, happened,” Ryland Hart said.
Team Hawaii took a southerly course following Shell Va’a and Team Huahine. Both Tahitian teams came out of the Huahine lagoon first. Unfortunately, the southerly course was slower, running into a counter current as the northerly course paid dividends for those who followed it. Team OPT and Air Tahiti battled each other for most of the race north of the 28 mile rhumbline, while Team Huahine and Shell Va’a had their own battle south of the rhumbline.
Race day one’s Team Hawaii was composed of Alan Kahookele-Santos, Ryland Hart, Daniel Chun, Chase Van Nordeim, Nick Foti and Avan Makoa Bercera. Thursday, we will see Tristan Kahookele-Santos, Miles Orr, Moehau Paie, Aaron Norris and Jimmy Austen in action to take on the two-hour, 17-mile sprint from the island of Raiatea to Tahaa.
On the women’s side, it was pure dominance.
Right from the start, Team Hawaii took an early lead, sprinting in the lagoon out the pass of Faaroa, around an official boat and then it was all downwind from there.
Team Hawaii was lead by stroker Anela Borges, Kristin Foster in seat two, Monica Esquival in three, Coral Moriano in four, Lauren Spalding in seat five and steered by Lori Nakamura.
They were able to maintain their lead all the way to the finish line of the 10-mile course. Team Hawaii finished in first, another Hawaii team, Ka Lahui Kai took second and in third Tahiti’s Team Teva.
In the Canoe Sailing division, Hawaii’s Team Shine Like Sean, took first.