Fitting for an event called the Henry Ayau Memorial Race, Henry Ayau was the difference.

The Outrigger Canoe Club won the 32-mile race from Maunalua Bay to Nanakuli Beach with a late surge aboard its canoe named Henry Keawe Ayau.

"It's definitely special to win this race, especially for a lot of guys like me who knew Henry for so long," Outrigger paddler Byron Ho said. "I was thinking about him out there, and maybe he was the one who gave us that last push."

Henry Ayau was an expert waterman and Outrigger paddler and coach who died in 2002. The race and Outrigger canoe were named after him later that year.

Light winds and calm seas yesterday made for a relatively slow race. However, Outrigger and Lanikai staged a fierce paddle-battle for the lead throughout the second half of the course.

"As exciting as long-distance canoe racing gets," is how Lanikai steersman Jim Foti described it.

Outrigger's winning time was 3 hours, 55 minutes, 32 seconds. Lanikai was second at 3:56:24, followed by Team New Zealand at 4:03:21, and then Team Tui Tonga at 4:05:53.

Members of the Outrigger crew were Ho, Rob Harrison, Bret Chuckovich, Mike Kane, Jimmy Austin, Kapono Brown, Evan Rhodes, Kevin Allen and Karel Tresnak Jr.

Fifty-six teams entered the race, which was for men's crews only.

Lanikai got caught in a "log jam" with several other canoes off the start, allowing Outrigger to race to a quick lead.

"We just wanted to hold our ground and keep everybody behind us," said Tresnak, who steered the Outrigger canoe. "It worked for a little while, but then Lanikai just came flying by us a little before Barbers Point, and it was back and forth all the way after that."

Because the ocean was calm off Leeward O'ahu, both teams were making frequent relief changes to keep the paddlers in the canoe from fatiguing.

"It was hard, but it was also fun," Outrigger's Brown said. "When a race is that tight, you have to push yourself and see what you're made of."

From Barbers Point to Ko Olina, neither team got ahead by more than two canoe lengths.

"We were literally side by side for stretches of five to 10 minutes," Ho said. "We were almost touching hulls, it was that close."

Lanikai took its last lead off Ko Olina, but that's when Outrigger responded with its final charge.

"We made a change and got in a good rhythm," Tresnak said. "I was happy just to see us hang with them, let alone win it."

Several of the Outrigger paddlers said the canoe may have been the difference.

"Our coach was telling us, if the boat wants to go, just follow," Brown said. "At one point, we wanted to head out, but the canoe kept staying in, so we said if that's where Henry wants to take us, let's go."

Members of Lanikai's crew were Jim Foti, John Foti, Ikaika Harbottle, George Leslie, Kai Bartlett, Mike Judd, Peter Binney, Mike Pedersen and Patrick Dolan.

Six of those paddlers were on the Lanikai crew that won the Moloka'i Hoe last year.

Yesterday's race was the last "warm-up" event for the Oct. 9 Moloka'i Hoe, which is considered the world championship of long-distance canoe racing.

"You still have to consider Lanikai the big favorite for Moloka'i," Ho said. "They're still the world champs."

Jim Foti said: "Every race is its own race, and Moloka'i stands alone. But this one means that Outrigger is going to be up there, and you have to look at them as a favorite."

Team Tui Tonga, which finished fourth yesterday, won the Catalina Channel Crossing last weekend in Newport Beach, Calif. The 27-mile race is considered the biggest outrigger canoe race in California.

Tui Tonga, which features paddlers from the Kai E Hitu Canoe Club in Kailua, Kona, had a winning time of 3:59:23. California's Lanakila Canoe Club was second in 4:02:12.

FINAL RESULTS

OVERALL

1, Outrigger-1, 3:55:32. 2, Lanikai-1, 3:56:24. 3, New Zealand, 4:03:21. 4, Team Tui Tonga, 4:05:53. 5, Hui Lanakila-1, 4:07:33. 6, Lanikai-2, 4:07:53. 7, Healani-1, 4:08:07. 8, Lanakila-California, 4:08:57. 9, Hui Nalu-1, 4:09:14. 10, Kailua-1, 4:15:57. 11, Hawaiian, 4:16:46. 12, Lei Leis, 4:21:38. 13, Team West Hawai'i, 4:24:21. 14, Outrigger-2, 4:25:47. 15, Hui Lanakila-2, 4:26:17. 16, Hui Lanakila 40, 4:31:17. 17, 'Anuenue, 4:32:36. 18, Lanikai-3, 4:33:21. 19, Hui Nalu-2, 4:33:21. 20, Koa Kai-1, 4:33:52.

21, Leeward Kai, 4:37:01. 22, Kailua 40, 4:37:49. 23, Healani-2, 4:38:37. 24, Manu O Ke Kai, 4:43:57. 25, Lokahi-1, 4:45:01. 26, Newport Aquatic, 4:46:07. 27, Outrigger-3, 4:46:23. 28, New Hope-1, 4:47:47. 29, Waimanalo, 4:47:58. 30, Waikiki Yacht-Blue, 4:49:56. 31, Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i, 4:51:07. 32, Waikiki Surf, 4:53:16. 33, Waikiki Beach Boys-2, 4:54:24. 34, Honolulu Fire, 4:56:40. 35, Koa Kai-2, 4:57:18. 36, Waikiki Beach Boys-1, 5:00:35. 37, Healani-3, 5:01:43. 38, New Hope-2, 5:03:33. 39, Lokahi-2, 5:03:44. 40, Waikiki Yacht-Orange, 5:04:49.

41, Hui Lanakila-4, 5:07:31. 42, Honolulu Pearl-1, 5:13:16. 43, New Hope-3, 5:13:42. 44, New Hope-4, 5:15:24. 45, Koa Kai-3, 5:20:52. 46, North Shore, 5:21:24. 47, Lanikai 55, 5:23:09. 48, Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i, 5:24:38. 49, Honolulu Pearl-2, 5:25:52. 50, Alapa Hoe, 5:26:55. 51, Ka Mamala Hoe, 5:27:29. 52, Keola O Ke Kai, 5:28:49. 53, New Hope-6, 5:30:26. 54, Kalihi Kai, 5:45:35. 55, Honolulu Pearl 50, 5:56:30.

Masters 40-older: 1, Hui Lanakila, 4:31:17. 2, Kailua, 4:37:49. 3, New Hope, 5:03:33.

Masters 50-older: 1, Hui Lanakila, 5:07:31. 2, Honolulu Pearl, 5:56:30.

Masters 55-older: 1, Waimanalo, 4:47:58. 2, Lanikai, 5:23:09.

Koa canoe: 1, Kalihi Kai, 5:45:35.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.