The Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association’s regatta season starts June 6, and Hui Nalu Canoe Club is ready for another challenging summer.

With more than 200 registered paddlers and the ability to put crews in virtually every race, the club believes it can at least equal last year’s fourth-place finish at the OHCRA Championships and fifth-place finish in the AAAA division at the HCRA State Championships.

Individually, the Boys’ 15 crew paddled to a first-place finish at the state regatta last season and at the OHCRA Championship, the club paddled to victories in the Boys’ 12, Boys’ 16 and under, Men’s Junior, Women’s Masters 55, Women’s Masters 40 and Women’s Open-4 races.

It’s difficult to speculate on year-over-year performances, however, as kids “age up” and the adult crews aren’t always the same as the year before.

“I wish I could predict it all,” Hui Nalu head coach Gerry Yoshida said. “I think our kids will do pretty well, and there are some adult crews that will do pretty well.”

On the other hand, while it certainly is nice to win, that’s not the only objective of the club.

As assistant coach Denise Darval-Chang put it, “It’s a healthy summer alternative to land sports (for the school-aged kids). For the parents, it’s good Sunday family fellowship down at the beach. The parents support the kids (in the early races), and then the kids support the parents. There’s a lot of camaraderie.”

Yoshida, too, pointed to ohana building and cultural education as important aspects of the club.

Following is the regatta schedule for the summer:

 

• June 7: Clement D. Paaina regatta at Keehi Lagoon.
• June 14: King Kamehameha regatta at Kailua Beach Park.
• June 21: Leeward Kai Fathers Day regatta at Nanakuli Beach Park.
• June 28: Waimanalo Canoe Club regatta at Waimanalo Beach Park.
• July 4: Walter J. Macfarlane regatta at Waikiki Beach.
• July 12: John D. Kaupiko regatta (hosted by Hui Nalu) at Keehi Lagoon.
• July 19: OHCRA Championships at Keehi Lagoon.
• August 1: HRCA State Championships at Hilo Bay.