Team New Zealand/Kailua turned a practice run into a victory run yesterday.

Team New Zealand/Kailua won the Kailua Bay Men's Iron Challenge, completing the 13 1/2-mile course off Windward O'ahu in 1 hour, 49 minutes, 4 seconds.

Each team could use only six paddlers during the race, meaning there were no relief changes.

Members of the winning crew were Kea Pa'iaina, Bill Pratt, Andrew Penny, Donovan Leandro, Raven Aipa and Heath Hemmings.

"Today would normally be a training day for us," said Hemmings, who steered the canoe. "But this turned out to be harder than a practice run. With the conditions and the competition, it was a great workout."

The ocean was relatively calm off Windward O'ahu, so the teams received very little assistance from the waves.

"There were some small (waves), but otherwise, it was really calm," Hemmings said. "You had to work for everything."

Team New Zealand/Kailua features paddlers from around the state, so they rarely get to practice together.

"It's basically about finding guys who are committed to the sport because we don't have the time to commit to practices every day like other clubs," Pratt said. "And we don't have a coach, so we really count on each guy doing his own homework and training on his own."

Lanikai raced in a koa canoe and placed second with a time of 1:49:37. All the other teams used fiberglass canoes.

"Lanikai was right there within a few (canoe) lengths for most of the way; I saw that koa boat right there," Hemmings said. "But we caught a nice wave coming through the Mokulua Islands and it gave us enough of a cushion."

Members of the Lanikai crew were Aaron Creps, Mike Judd, Ka'ai Bruhn, Dave Daniels, Keanu Kuna and Jim Foti.

A second Lanikai crew placed third overall with a time of 1:51:15. Leeward Kai was fourth at 1:52:12, and Hui Lanakila was fifth at 1:53:07.

Hui Nalu's 40-older masters crew was the first to finish along the 9 1/2-mile "short course" with a time of 1:09:21. Members of the Hui Nalu crew were Chris Baird, Bruce Blankenfeld, Matthew Beals, Roger Yokoyama, Giovanni Camuso and Nainoa Thompson.

Women's teams will compete today in the Dad Center Race. It will start at Kailua Beach at 8:30 a.m. and finish at the Outrigger Canoe Club around noon.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.