Kai Bartlett wants to make a lot of money during tomorrow's Rhino Kaiwi Channel Relay.

It has nothing to do with winning the race. Or earning money for himself.

Bartlett and partner Mike Judd are considered one of the top teams in the 40.2-mile race across the Kaiwi Channel, but Bartlett is more concerned about helping two other paddlers.

That's why he's putting a brand new one-person canoe (OC-1) up for raffle tomorrow.

Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to brothers Patrick and Ryan Dolan, who are members of the U.S. national kayak team.

"They have to fund their own way to Europe for a couple of big races this summer," said Bartlett, who met the Dolans through Lanikai Canoe Club. "So if we can raise even a little bit of money for them, it helps them fulfill a dream."

Bartlett has already fulfilled many of his dreams in canoe paddling, including a world solo championship two weeks ago.

With the world solo title secured, Bartlett is describing tomorrow's race as "a fun jaunt."

"My training was aimed for the solo (race)," he said. "So in retrospect, you could say my season is over. But that's not to say I'm going to take it easy (tomorrow). I'll give it everything I got, and we'll see where that lands us."

The Kaiwi Channel Relay is for one-person canoes, but each "team" features two paddlers. They take turns paddling the canoe, switching out every 10 to 20 minutes.

More than 100 teams are expected to participate.

"This race is so different from the solo," Bartlett said. "The solo, you have to kind of pace yourself because it's such a long race. In the relay, you have to go all out for that 20 minutes when it's your turn."

Bartlett and Judd have each won the Kaiwi Channel Relay in the past, just never with each other (Bartlett has won it four times, including with Patrick Dolan in 2005).

Bartlett and Judd are longtime teammates at Lanikai Canoe Club, but this is the first time they are partners for the relay race.

"We've traveled around the world for races, but we never did this one together for what ever reason," Judd said. "So, if anything, it's going to be a lot of fun."

Unlike two weeks ago, when conditions were brutal for the solo race, it should be a little more favorable tomorrow. "The forecast is for light to moderate easterly winds," race director Walter Guild said. "That should help push everybody across."

Other contenders in the men's division include Jimmy Austin/Simon Ke-Paloma, Mael Carey/Danny Ching, Manny Kulukulualani/Tapa Worthington, and Aaron Napoleon/Kea Pa'iaina.

"It really is up for grabs this year," Judd said.

The team of Karel Tresnak Jr. and Alfred Van Gieson won the relay race last year. However, Tresnak is not paddling this year. Van Gieson said he will team with longboard surfing world champion Bonga Perkins tomorrow.

"We're hoping to be top 10, but there's a lot of good teams," Van Gieson said.

Lauren Bartlett — Kai's wife — will team with Andrea Moller to form the top seed in the women's field. Bartlett and Moller set the women's course record of 5 hours, 20 minutes, 33 seconds, in 2007.

NOTES

Kai Bartlett said the winner of the raffle will have a choice of any OC-1 made by Kai Wa'a — which is his canoe-manufacturing company. "That way, it doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl, or big or small," he said. "You pick the one you want." Raffle tickets, which are $5, will be sold at Magic Island before the awards ceremony. To purchase raffle tickets online, or make a separate donation (tax deductible) to the Dolan brothers, visit www.dolanbros.com.

There will also be a division for two-person canoes (OC-2) tomorrow. Teams in the OC-2 division can have four paddlers, with two in the canoe at a time.