If any crew is equipped to overcome a bad start, it would figure to be Puna Canoe Club’s Willie Viveiros, Jolene Hughes, Nalani Viveiros, Kevin Thompson, Brian Peterson and Miri Sumida.
Their mixed 55 canoe was drifting to the wrong side of the flag Saturday and headed for a disqualification at the outset of their half-mile race before crew members alertly pointed themselves in the right direction.
And once on the right course, they know how to finish. Those winning six each remained unbeaten on two crews, helping
two-time defending champion Puna coast to victory for the second consecutive Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association’s regatta at Hilo Bay
“We had a bad start, but we made up for it,” Thompson said. “This race was about the same. We’re not gaining any ground on the (competition), and they’re not losing any time on us.”
The regatta was hosted by Keaukaha, but Puna is starting to take ownership of the beach, outscoring Kai Opua by 40 points (225-185). Kai Opua was able to overtake
Kai Ehitu (172) to avoid a second third-place finish in a row.
Keauhou claimed B Division as one of its main rivals, Paddlers of Laka, competed in the upper division.
All eight Puna crews that started the day undefeated won their races, including four in senior races (women’s 50, 60 and men’s 55 were the other three).
“We paddle a lot together, that’s basically it,” Thompson said, “and we make sure to train hard. The coaching is good.”
The mixed 55s are the defending state champions, and Willie Viveiros and Peterson join Thompson on the men’s 55 crew.
“It felt good like it’s always been feeling,” Thompson said of a 55s race in which Puna bested runner-up Kai Ehitu by more than 10 seconds. “We got a good gap on second place.”
Nalani Viveiros also was on the women’s 60s crew that outdistanced Kai Opua by more than 12 seconds, while Hughes and Sumida helped paddle the women’s 50 canoe to a 20-second victory.
Puna won 14 of 41 races – men’s novice A, freshman, sophomore and junior also stayed unbeaten this season – and one of the club’s more satisfying wins came in men’s 50.
“We were undefeated last year and the year before, but this year Keauhou, with Bruce Ayau steering, they had been winning up until today,” Thompson said.
Beaten by almost 5 seconds last week, Puna edged Keauhou on Saturday by 21 one-hundredths of a second. Puna also snapped Kai Ehitu’s unbeaten run in the mixed men and women.
Also taking undefeated records into next Saturday’s Puna regatta at Hilo Bay are: Kai Ehitu boys 13; Kawaihae’s boys 14; Kai Opua boys 16, 18 and girls 18; and Keauhou’s men’s 40.
