After four "warm-up" races, Team Bradley is hot.

Team Bradley remained undefeated in 2006 by winning the E Lau Hoe women's long-distance canoe race yesterday.

Team Bradley completed the 33-mile course from Maunalua Bay to Nanakuli Beach in 4 hours, 32 minutes, 29 seconds. It was the last warm-up race for women leading to the Na Wahine O Ke Kai championship race on Sept. 24.

Team Bradley, which is the defending champion of the Na Wahine O Ke Kai, has won all four races it has entered so far this season.

"The pressure is always there," Team Bradley paddler Margie Kawaiaea said. "You just have to be prepared for anything."

Team Bradley entered yesterday's race as Hawaiian Canoe Club (teams were required to register as an official club), but the crew features paddlers from four different islands.

Lauren Bartlett, Theresa Felgate, Kawaiaea and Dane Ward are from Maui; Denise Darval-Chang, Kelly Fey and Mahealani Lum are from O'ahu; Darcie Gray and Nicole Pedersen are from Kaua'i; Cherisse Keli'i is from the Big Island.

Each team could use 10 paddlers, although only six could be in the canoe at a time.

Light winds and mild surf made for a grueling race, so the teams rotated all 10 paddlers frequently.

"It was a hard race," Kawaiaea said. "The current was tough, the water was hard."

Team Bradley led virtually from start to finish, holding off an early challenge from Waikiki Beach Boys and then a late surge from Hui Lanakila.

"We got the lead, and then we just covered who ever was close to us," said Darval-Chang, who steered the Team Bradley canoe.

Because of the relatively-calm conditions, Team Bradley took a safe course. Waikiki Beach Boys took the inside (closer to shore), and Hui Lanakila stayed outside.

"We were right in the middle where we could see both of them," Darval-Chang said.

Darval-Chang is one of three new paddlers on the Team Bradley roster this year. Noelani Auger, the usual steerswoman for Team Bradley, is on maternity leave this season.

"Denise has stepped into those shoes very nicely," Felgate said. "She's strong and she knows the water. She's doing a great job in place of Noelani."

Hui Lanakila finished in second place with a time of 4:34:33, and Waikiki Beach Boys was third at 4:38:23.

"Once (Team Bradley) gets into the lead, they're hard to catch," Hui Lanakila coach Raven Aipa said. "We had to take a chance by going outside and we found some good water. The gamble paid off a little bit because we made some ground."

Paddlers in the Hui Lanakila crew were Mikala Bradley, Jessie Eames, Seraphina Eames, Gail Grabowsky, Tina Handley, Arlene Holzman, Jamie Kinard, Jane McKee, Katie Slocumb and Sarah Van DeVanter.

Team Bradley and Hui Lanakila also finished 1-2 at last year's Na Wahine O Ke Kai.

Waikiki Beach Boys stayed near Team Bradley for the first half of yesterday's race, but got passed by Hui Lanakila late.

"We faded a little bit right around Barbers Point," Waikiki Beach Boys coach Sean Monahan said. "It shows how much more we need to work because we had a pretty good race and still finished behind two other teams."

Kailua Canoe Club won the masters 50 division with a time of 5:08:20, and was an impressive 12th overall (all the paddlers in the crew were 50 and older).

Lanikai placed first in the masters 40 division and was 24th overall at 5:36:59. A total of 35 crews completed the race.

FINAL RESULTS

1, Hawaiian/Team Bradley, 4:32:29. 2, Hui Lanakila-1, 4:34:33. 3, Waikiki Beach Boys-1, 4:38:23. 4, Outrigger-1, 4:46:00. 5, Na Molokama O Hanalei, 4:57:21. 6, Hui Nalu-2, 4:59:32. 7, Hui Lanakila-2, 5:01:45. 8, Outrigger-4, 5:03:21. 9, Niumalu, 5:06:08. 10, Waikiki Beach Boys-2, 5:06:52. 11, Lanikai-1, 5:07:20. 12, Kailua-1, 5:08:20. 13, Lokahi-1, 5:13:46. 14, Healani-1, 5:16:02. 15, Kailua-2, 5:18:31. 16, Outrigger-2, 5:21:54. 17, Waikiki Surf Club, 5:24:49. 18, Waikiki Beach Boys-3, 5:26:07. 19, Manu O Ke Kai, 5:29:51. 20, Hui Nalu-1, 5:31:10. 21, Healani-2, 5:32:24. 22, Ka Mamalahoe, 5:34:25. 23, Lanikai-2, 5:35:11. 24, Lanikai-3, 5:36:59. 25, Lokahi-2, 5:39:39. 26, New Hope-1, 5:43:06. 27, Healani-3, 5:43:18. 28, Outrigger-3, 5:46:06. 29, Keahiakahoe, 5:51:57. 30, Waikiki Yacht Club, 5:54:54. 31, Koa Kai, 6:04:15. 32, New Hope-3, 6:05:36. 33, Lanikai-4, 6:09:47. 34, Kane'ohe, 6:18:40. 35, New Hope-2, 6:26:55.

MASTERS

40-older: 1, Lanikai-3, 5:36:59. 50-older: 1, Kailua-1, 5:08:20. 2, Lanikai-4, 6:09:47.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.