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Canoe racing: Wind, scratches and, of course, another victory for Kai Opua at Kekua regatta

Related Topics: Regatta, Hilo Bay, Puna, Hawaii

It was another windy Saturday at the second-to-last Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association regatta at Hilo Bay.

How windy was it?

Well, some guy was actually flying a kite at the end of the beach near the Wailoa river mouth, where the turn flags are stationed.

Kai Opua didn’t mind the wind and choppy waters and won the John Kekua Jr. regatta by a healthy margin, 212 points to runner-up Puna’s 184 points in Division A (15-40 events).

Big Blue stretched its regatta-winning streak to two but has its eyes trained on Puna, which heads into the 11th annual Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii championships as the underdog and defending champ.