Aug 2 - 2003 Round the Rock Alcatraz Challenge - San Francisco Bay, CA

[Photos] by Michael Nyberg
[Results]
Aloha! Sixty crews participated in He'e Nalu's Round the Rock Challenge for a warmly competitive day on the San Francisco Bay. Our club Kumu, Shawna Ke'elameleku'uleialoha Ngum started the morning with a spiritually stirring pule, calling on Kanaloa to keep our paddlers safe. With all the boats on the San Francisco Bay we needed it!

3-first time Keiki crews joined the 16 novice crews at the start of their 4 mile, three-turn course in calm waters and a mild ebb tide. The morning mists obscuring the tower tops of the Golden Gate Bridge overhead also masked the first buoy from the shore, but the chase boat and the tide lead them to it. To everyone's surprise the Keiki crew from Kilohana burned through the turn and nosed ahead of the top men's novice crew along the way to the top mark! Good thing the keikis ran a shorter course. Look out for those kids!
Following the third turn, Hui Waa and He'e nalu men stroked nose and nose, with Hui Wa'a working two seconds ahead at the line. The womens novice race was hotly contested with He'e Nalu women edging out two charging crews- from Ho'okahi Pu'uwai followed by a new club from Truckee CA. O'Kalani demonstrated themselves with a strong finish, followed by San Francisco and Kilohana in the novice co-ed.

By mid morning the sun had burned through the fog and the rock of Alcatraz loomed clear and ominous on the horizon. One could almost see Dirty Harry waiting in the guard tower, or was that Sean Connery? The women were too busy to notice. 24 women and coed crews struggled off the beach after a Le Mans style start with crews sprinting down the sand and leaping into their boats. Since the beach was tight and the fleet large, boats traded bumps heading out to the chase boat. One canoe lost control a hundred yards out and stacked up four boats in a fiberglass pretzel. Some boats craftily swung clear of the tangle and those hanging right had the advantage of a clear path to the island. The lead boats contended with a fleet of forty-foot yachts sailing hard on the wind out the straits to the open Pacific and not giving an inch to a forty five foot canoe. While this proved to be a fraction too much excitement for the race director, the spectators loved it. Confusion over right of way lead to some close calls (right answer- canoes do not have right of way over sail craft, all vessels must take action to avoid a collision). However, the crews came through unscathed and paddled the course around Alcatraz to the Bay Bridge with a fickle changing current. The ebb shifted to slack and pieces of fast and slow water appeared among the return course along the city front. Benecia lead the Open women from their early break away, with Hui o Hawaii and He'e nalu close behind at the gun. A sprint up the beach to touch the flag at the finish lead to a little more excitement for weary strokers and spectators alike. Our friends from So Cal- Marina del Rey -appearing in their second year, took the Co-ed open race, proving themselves quick learners as well as strong paddlers.

To eliminate the favored right-hand side, the men's race followed the chase boat after another Le Mans start, and rounded the boat offshore in a strong flood tide. This time there were no mishaps and the closely packed fleet were alongside the island in less than ten minutes. Then the tactics began. A sticky water boil on the backside of the rock pulled some boats and made amas fly, while others slid along outside. A tough piece of water to the bridge soon separated the seventeen boat open and master men's fleet. The tide at the bridge was ripping, so the chase boat used itself as a mark instead of the buoy close to the bridge. Those that turned tight briefly benefited from a back eddy, while those that dived to the City front benefited from less flood tide. Whistling ferry boats, cheering spectators on the Embarcadero, and cursing fishermen all looked on as the smart steersmen clung like barnacles to the calmer water alongside the piers, breakwalls and moored ships. Once outside the last marina the men had no refuge from the building wind and opposing 3.5 knot current. With cold spray flinging over the manu, Benecia, with an elite crew built an insurmountable 1.5 minute lead to the win, but Kai Elua, He'e Nalu, Kilohana, and SFOCC all mixed it up, trading places and finishing within two minutes of each other in that order. The Masters men were in the hunt with the Benecia crew winning the class and a top 6 overall time, followed by the He'e Nalu and O'Kalani men.
Full Results from the regatta are at http://www.heenaluocc.org/

Our medal-maker ran out of mettle (or something) so the awards will be mailed to the winning visitors and handed out to the local clubs at the Kilohana regatta in a week. All keiki crews received medals independent of placement. Following the race and a plate of Kailua pork, crews walked over to enjoy the Island music, food and dance of the Aloha Festival at the Presidio Fairgrounds a walk away.

We experienced a few pilikias that we promise to adjust in next years race- first weekend of August, again held in conjunction with PICA and the Aloha Festival. All crews are welcome so put in on your calenders!

Thanks again to the out of town crews. Visitors this year included crews from Marina del Ray, Kai Elua in San Diego, and NCA Outrigger in Washington, D.C. as well as nine of the 15 Northern Califoria teams. Two fledging northern California clubs, Truckee Outrigger and Mendocino OCC, were also represented by competitive crews. And, of course, we were treated to impressive performances by the keiki crews from Kilohana and Ho'okahi Pu'uwai.

We would like to thank the member clubs of the NCOCA for their strong participation and ohana. Clubs were gracious in loaning canoes, coaches were cooperative about combining paddlers into crews, paddlers were spontaneously pitching in to move canoes and help other teams. Indeed, the NCOCA presented itself very well. Thanks to the Golden Gate National Parks Recreation Association for the use of the beautiful Crissy Field, the Pacific Islanders Cultural Association, our sponsors Hawaiian Airlines and other supporters Clif Bar, the Marin Brew Co, and the Water Store.

Some photos are available at http://www.outriggercanoe.com/
and others will soon be on the He'e nalu web site.

We hope to see you next year!

David McGuire
He'e Nalu o Marin

[Photos] by Michael Nyberg
[Results]

Posted by keizo on Wed, 08/06/2003 - 9:37am