There are no official rankings or seedings for canoe paddling, but the Outrigger Canoe Club established itself as the top team in Hawai'i yesterday.

Outrigger won the Henry Ayau Memorial Race in convincing fashion, completing the 33-mile course from Maunalua Bay to Nanakuli Beach in 3 hours, 42 minutes, 42 seconds.

The runner-up, Hawaiian Canoe Club from Maui, finished in 3:48:55 — more than a mile behind Outrigger.

"There's so many good crews out there that you give anyone a window and they can catch up," Outrigger paddler Rob Harrison said. "So we worked hard to keep our intensity up the whole way."

It was the last "warm-up" race for men's teams before the Moloka'i Hoe championship race Oct. 7. Most of the state's top teams were among the field of 51 yesterday.

"This race is usually your top indicator of what things might look like (for the Moloka'i Hoe)," Lanikai steersman Jim Foti said. "So it would be hard to dispute that Outrigger is the top seed from Hawai'i right now. They were just on fire today."

Outrigger led from start to finish, and took advantage of some moderate swells in between.

Members of the winning crew were Harrison, Jimmy Austin, Kapono Brown, Ikaika Harbottle, Scott Hendricks, Mike Kane, Mark Rigg, Karel Tresnak Jr. and Tapa Worthington.

They used a new Mirage canoe that is designed to sit higher on the ocean.

"It seems to catch the (wave) bumps a lot easier," Austin said. "We were just surfing and surfing."

Tresnak steered the entire race, even though he said he was feeling the effects of the mid-day heat.

"Every year you do this race, every steersman will tell you this is the hardest race, even harder than Moloka'i," he said. "It's so hot. You start seeing stars by the time you get to Barbers (Point). I puked a couple of times today."

Although Outrigger may be the top team in Hawai'i, they realize they are not considered the team to beat for the Moloka'i Hoe.

Tahiti teams finished first, second and third at last year's Moloka'i Hoe, and Shell Va'a won it in record time.

"We know Tahiti's coming back," Austin said. "They won by 15 minutes last year, so that's 15 minutes, at least, that we have to make up."

Hawaiian's second-place showing came a day after it won the 26-mile Maui to Moloka'i Race. Yesterday, it held off perennial power Lanikai for second place.

"This was a big mileage weekend for us, so we're OK with second," Hawaiian's Rick Nu'u said. "We just have to figure out what Outrigger is doing because they kept disappearing in the distance."

Members of the Hawaiian crew were Nu'u, Jacob Abeytia, Kai Bartlett, Mael Carey, Kekoa Cramer, Felipe Gomes, Peter Konohia, Tyson Kubo and Chris Smith.

Lanikai placed third with a time of 3:50:24 in a koa canoe. All the other top teams used fiberglass canoes.

"We had a good race with Hawaiian," Foti said. "This was a good training run for Moloka'i."

Team New Zealand/Hawai'i was fourth in 3:53:19, and Tui Tonga from the Big Island was fifth in 3:55:03.

Waimanalo placed 19th overall and first in the masters 55-older division with a time of 4:23:36. Kailua won the masters 40-older division and placed 22nd overall in 4:25:55.

The women's Na Wahine O Ke Kai championship race is scheduled for Sunday.

TOP FINISHERS

OVERALL

1, Outrigger-1 (Jimmy Austin, Kapono Brown, Ikaika Harbottle, Rob Harrison, Scott Hendricks, Mike Kane, Mark Rigg, Karel Tresnak Jr., Tapa Worthington), 3:42:42. 2, Hawaiian, 3:48:55. 3, Lanikai-1, 3:50:24. 4, Team New Zealand/Hawai'i, 3:53:19. 5, Tui Tonga, 3:55:03. 6, Lanakila-Calif., 3:57:03. 7, Outrigger-3, 3:57:26. 8, Hui Lanakila-1, 3:59:36. 9, Leeward Kai, 4:01:09. 10, Kailua-1, 4:03:19. 11, Team West Hawai'i, 4:10:40. 12, Lanikai-2, 4:12:01. 13, Hui Nalu Yellow, 4:13:09. 14, Puakea Foundation, 4:14:47. 15, Hui Lanakila-2, 4:16:31. 16, Waikiki Beachboys, 4:19:57. 17, Outrigger-2, 4:22:39. 18, Kalihi Kai, 4:23:19. 19, Waimanalo, 4:23:36. 20, Lanikai-3, 4:24:30. 21, Koa Kai-1, 4:25:18. 22, Kailua White, 4:25:55. 23, Leeward, 4:29:14. 24, HFD Kailua-1, 4:30:38. 25, Kailua-2, 4:31:35.

MASTERS

40-older: 1, Kailua White (Michael Milne, Benny Quitevis, Bob Eheler, Lance Anderson, Walter Hamasaki, Paul Hewlett, Nyle Warriner, Steve Holbrook, Kamoa Kalama), 4:25:55. 2, Lokahi, 4:45:09. 3, Honolulu Pearl, 5:02:25.

55-older: 1, Waimanalo (Harold Akeo, Chris Crabb, Bill Bright, Jim Kincaid, Bob Rocheleau, Dennis Sallas, Mark Buck, Ken Bailey, Butch Ukishima, Charles Kalama, Bill Mowat, Curt Sumida), 4:23:36. 2, Team Big Island, 4:36:36. 3, Hawaiian Kanaktion, 4:45:39.

KOA CANOE

1, Lanikai-1 (Mike Judd, John Foti, Kekoa Bruhn, Aaron Creps, Dave Daniels, Matt Crowley, Kaai Bruhn, Justin Akana, Jim Foti), 3:50:24. 2, Outrigger-2, 4:22:39.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.