Kane'ohe Canoe Club withstood a late-afternoon charge by Manu O Ke Kai's most experienced crews yesterday to win the Windward Kai Canoe Club Regatta at Kailua Beach.

Kane'ohe, undefeated through four Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a regattas this season, finished with 68 points in the AAA division (25 or more events entered). Manu O Ke Kai, who trailed by 30 points after 27 events, finished with 62, followed by Lokahi (48) and Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i (45).

Waikiki Beach Boys won the AA division (13-plus events) with 55 points, followed by Koa Kai (31) and Alapa Hoe (21). Kalihi Kai (24) was first in the A Division, while Windward Kai and North Shore Canoe Club tied for second with 10 points.

"We're happy to come out ahead because (Manu O Ke Kai) was knocking at the door," said Kane'ohe head coach Clint Anderson. "Uncle Randy (Sanborn, of Manu O Ke Kai) had a good day. You just do what you can do and try to make the best of it. I think this was a good thing. It keeps Hui Wa'a competitive."

Also raising the competitiveness yesterday was the regatta's provision for open steering, which enabled several clubs to benefit from more experienced steersmen.

"I think that helped a lot of clubs today," Anderson said. "It makes for a fun day and an exciting ending."

Kane'ohe led Manu O Ke Kai 60 to 30 in overall points heading into the final 12 events of the day, but Manu O Ke Kai rallied with wins in the Men's Senior, Womens Masters (40+), and Men's Masters (40+) races, and earned valuable points with top-4 finishes in the Women's Freshman, Men's Freshman, Women's Sophomore, Men's Sophomore, Women's Senior, Women's Open and Mix Master's events.

Manu O Ke Kai also benefitted from a few Kane'ohe miscues, including a lost paddle during the Boys 18-and-under race and an ineligible paddler in the Novice B Mix race.

Manu O Ke Kai had a few minor problems of its own to get through.

In the Men's Master 40 race, Manu O Ke Kai raced to an early one-boat lead and executed a quick, almost-clean turn.

"We set up high but as we were coming out, Lokahi was coming in and we collided," said Manu O Ke Kai paddler Richard Moore. "That probably cost us a second."

Yet, despite paddling upwind on the return leg, the crew quickly recovered to win by more than 10 seconds.

Manu O Ke Kai coach Randy Sanborn said he was happy with the way his crews responded yesterday, and he expects his club to perform even better as new paddlers find their niche.

"We have a lot of new members and it's just a matter of time until everything just blends," he said. "I've been trying different combinations and once we find the right ones, we'll start to peak."

Clubs had to contend with stiff winds and choppy surf throughout the day, which made turning especially difficult.

Lokahi took first place in the Mix Master 40 race in large part because of the way in which its crew adapted to the conditions.

With stroker Richard Viernes setting a strong, even pace, the crew sped to an early lead. At the quarter-mile mark, Viernes and Earl Cobb powered the nose of the canoe to a tight, efficient turn while other canoes slowed or even stalled.

"When the water is heavy and moving like it was today, it can really slow you down if you make a big turn," said steersman Iwa Bush. "Strength is what gets you through."

Lokahi's third-place finish overall was impressive given the club's relative lack of depth in their youth ranks.

"We've been weak ever since the Ala Wai Post-Poop period," said Bush, referring to the 2006 sewage spill that prompted many parents to pull their kids from paddling programs. "We would be stronger, but a lot of the kids are gone and haven't come back."

The closest race of the day came at the very end of the day as Waikiki Beach Boys beat Kane'ohe by less than half a second in the half-mile Mixed Open 6 event.

Kane'ohe started strong, but lost valuable seconds with a slow turn at the midway point.

"We turned high into a wave and the wind was too strong for us to make the turn," said Kane'ohe paddler Travis Hawkins. "We gave it everything we had, but we fell behind there. We made up a lot of ground coming back, but it wasn't enough."

Kane'ohe continued to get great production out of its undefeated girls 15-and-under crew, which beat Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i by more than two seconds in their half-mile event.

"Everyone just wants to be undefeated," said 15-year-old Aulani Saizon of her crew. "We're determined."

Said Anderson: "This is what it's all about: having fun and squeezing it out in the end."

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.