The Lanikai Canoe Club's reclamation project is under way.

Phase one resulted in an impressive victory in the Duke Kahanamoku Long Distance Race yesterday.

Lanikai led virtually from start to finish, and completed the 26-mile race from Kailua Beach to Duke Kahanamoku Beach in 2 hours, 58 minutes, 42 seconds.

It was the first major race of the long-distance paddling season, and a prelude to the Moloka'i Hoe world championship race on Oct. 12.

Tahiti teams have dominated the past two Moloka'i Hoe races, and Lanikai is on a mission this year to bring the title back to Hawai'i.

"Our goal is to do as best we can and represent Hawai'i well at Moloka'i," crew member Kai Bartlett said. "So today was a good start, but we obviously have a lot of work to do to catch Tahiti."

Outrigger placed second in 3:04:29, and Hui Lanakila was third in 3:06:18.

"Once we got to Rabbit Island, we had a 200-yard lead," Bartlett said. "Then we found some good surf off Hanauma Bay, and we tried to work the gap the rest of the way."

Members of the winning crew were Bartlett, Ka'ai Bruhn, Kekoa Bruhn, Aaron Creps, Dave Daniels, Patrick Dolan, Jim Foti, Mike Judd and Karel Tresnak Jr.

Each crew could have nine paddlers, but only six were allowed in the canoe at any given time.

Lanikai won the Moloka'i Hoe in 2004 and '05, but finished fifth in 2006, and seventh last year.

This year, several elite paddlers returned to the club, including Bartlett and Tresnak. Also, Dolan is paddling with Lanikai this season while on a break from training with the United States kayaking team.

"The core is still here — there's a bunch of us who never left — but it's cool to see these guys come back because nobody begged them to come back, they decided on their own," Judd said. "We just hope to make the best of it by representing the club and Hawai'i the best we can."

Lanikai won yesterday's race by a significant margin despite making its share of mistakes.

During one stretch off Diamond Head, the Lanikai canoe got caught in the surf zone, and wound up getting "barreled" by an 8-foot wave.

Judd got tossed out of the canoe by the wave, and the crew had to go with just five paddlers for a few minutes.

"It was kind of a freak set and I saw it coming right at us," Judd said. "I held on for dear life as we went up ... then I went flying. Fortunately, nobody got hurt and it didn't cost us."

Judd said it was part of a risky strategy to keep the canoe in position to catch waves.

"We were kind of walking a fine line there," he said. "We had some good rides, but there were a couple of times where we almost got cleaned out."

Lanikai has two superb steersmen in Foti and Tresnak, and they took turns at the helm yesterday.

Tresnak steered the first half; Foti did the second half. They each took the canoe on some thrilling rides.

"There was one bump off Portlock where everybody was just like 'Whoa!' We were moving," Bartlett said. "We had some real good moments in the surf, but like any race, we had our ups and downs."

Dolan said: "We were connecting the whole time, so the boat speed was up. It was a constant go."

Outrigger, which won the Duke Kahanamoku race last year, held off the rest of the pack to finish second.

Only two paddlers from last year's winning Outrigger crew were back this year. Steersman Jimmy Austin said yesterday's Outrigger crew even featured some novice paddlers.

"This is like a rebuilding year for us," Austin said. "For what we have, to finish second is unbelievable. We're stoked with this."

He added that Outrigger is one of the clubs cheering for Lanikai to catch the Tahiti crews at this year's Moloka'i Hoe.

"Lanikai is clearly the favorite here (in Hawai'i). Clearly," Austin said. "We're hoping they can do it. The rest of us are underdogs, and we'll see what happens."

The Hui Lanakila crew that placed third was actually a mix of paddlers from around the state. They went most of the race with eight paddlers because one got injured early in the course.

Kailua placed fourth in 3:07:25, and a second Lanikai crew was fifth at 3:08:28.

Some of the paddlers from the second Lanikai crew could still swap places with the first crew before the Moloka'i Hoe.

"It's like we have the frame work, and it's time to build the house," Dolan said. "There's a lot of work to do, but it'll be fun to see what we can come up with in two months."

The top O'ahu clubs entered the race, but crews from Kaua'i, Maui and the Big Island did not.

The next men's race on O'ahu is the Kailua Bay Men's Iron Challenge on Saturday.

Yesterday's race was one of the opening events of the Duke's OceanFest. Events will continue throughout this week. For information, visit dukefoundation.org.

WAIKIKI BEACH BOYS WIN WOMEN'S RACE

Prior to the men's race, an 8-mile women's race was staged off Kailua Beach.

Waikiki Beach Boys entered two crews, and placed first and second. The winning time was 52 minutes, 48 seconds; second place came in 19 seconds later.

Members of the winning crew were Dana Gorecki, Andrea Messer, Kim Ivey, Susannah Johnson, Jennifer Polcer and Kaui Pelekane.

The next women's race is the Dad Center Race on Sunday.

FINAL RESULTS

MEN (26 MILES)

OVERALL

1, Lanikai (Kai Bartlett, Ka'ai Bruhn, Kekoa Bruhn, Aaron Creps, Dave Daniels, Patrick Dolan, Jim Foti, Mike Judd and Karel Tresnak Jr.), 2:58:42. 2, Outrigger, 3:04:29. 3, Hui Lanakila, 3:06:18. 4, Kailua, 3:07:25. 5, Lanikai-2, 3:08:28. 6, Hui Lanakila-2, 3:13:16. 7, Outrigger-2, 3:13:19. 8, Keahiakahoe, 3:14:29. 9, Kailua-2, 3:18:56. 10, Waikiki Beach Boys, 3:19:33. 11, Lanikai 40s, 3:19:47. 12, Manu O Ke Kai, 3:20:25. 13, Healani, 3:20:37. 14, 'Anuenue, 3:22:45. 15, Hui Nalu 40s, 3:24:56. 16, Kailua 50s, 3:27:35. 17, Lanikai-3, 3:30:05. 18, Manu O Ke Kai-2, 3:31:48. 19, Waikiki Beach Boys-2, 3:32:06. 20, Hui Nalu 55s, 3:32:36. 21, Kailua 40s, 3:34:09. 22, Healani-2, 3:35:33. 23, Waimanalo, 3:37:21. 24, Outrigger-3, 3:37:22. 25, Lokahi, 3:37:43. 26, Lanikai-4, 3:42:26. 27, 'Anuenue-2, 3:44:42. 28, Outrigger 55s, 3:45:23. 29, Kailua-2, 3:45:27. 30, New Hope, 3:45:31. 31, Lokahi 40s, 3:48:46. 32, Ka Mamalahoe, 3:49:09. 33, Waikiki Beach Boys-3, 3:52:33. 34, I Mua, 3:57:14. 35, Honolulu Pearl, 4:02:01. 36, Kailua-3, 4:15:40. 37, Kai Oni, 4:25:46. 38, New Hope 55s, 4:26:32.

MASTERS 40-OLDER

1, Lanikai (Peter Abcarian, Thomas Cavaco, Eckhart Diestel, Mike Hall, Herb Nahinu, Mark Miller, Mike Smith, Bob Yoza), 3:19:47. 2, Hui Nalu, 3:24:56. 3, Kailua, 3:34:09. 4, Lokahi, 3:48:46.

MASTERS 50-OLDER

1, Kailua (Paul Hewlett, Steve Holbrook, Nyle Warriner, Walter Hanasaki, Bob Eheler, Benny Quitevis, Fred Delos Santos, Freddie Tautaha, Lance Anderson), 3:27:35.

MASTERS 55-OLDER

1, Hui Nalu (Harold Akeo, Curtis Sumida, Kenny Bailey, Mark Buck, Thomas Arnott, William Bright, James Kincaid, Chris Crabbe, William Mowat, Charles Kalama, Beenie Heen, Nathan Ukishima), 3:32:36. 2, Waimanalo, 3:37:21. 3, Outrigger, 3:45:23. 4, New Hope, 4:26:32.

WOMEN (8 MILES)

OVERALL

1, Waikiki Beach Boys (Dana Gorecki, Andrea Messer, Kim Ivey, Susannah Johnson, Jennifer Polcer, Kaui Pelekane), 52:48. 2, Waikiki Beach Boys-2, 53:07. 3, Kailua, 53:59. 4, Kailua-2, 55:03. 5, Lanikai, 55:06. 6, Lanikai-2, 55:48. 7, Kailua 50s, 55:51. 8, Lanikai 40s, 56:07. 9, Kailua-3, 58:05. 10, Lanikai-3, 58:49.

MASTERS 40-OLDER

1, Lanikai (Cynthia Bostick, Torrey Goodman, Lisa Bennett, Kelly Smith, Ann Dewey, Heidi Smith), 56:07. 2, Lanikai-4, 1:01:12.

MASTERS 50-OLDER

1, Kailua (Vivian Griffin, Lois Wise, Patsy Vasquez, Donna Meyer, Kathy Erwin, Carleen Ornellas), 55:51. 2, Hui Nalu, 1:03:50. 3, Lanikai, 1:04:46.