The Outrigger Canoe Club had 100 reasons to celebrate the Fourth of July yesterday.

Outrigger scored 100 points to win the Walter J. Macfarlane Regatta at Waikiki Beach. It was the club's first victory of the 2009 O'ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association season.

It was a surprising victory in that Outrigger had never scored more than 66 points, or placed higher than third, in a regatta this season.

"Every year at this race, you see faces in the Outrigger tent that you haven't seen all year," veteran Outrigger paddler Donna Kahakui said. "This regatta has so much tradition, and so you always want to do well for the club. But you also want to pass it along to the next generation and show how much it means to Outrigger and the sport."

Lanikai, which had won three of the previous four regattas this season, placed second with 85 points.

The Macfarlane Regatta has been held every year since 1943, making it the longest-running canoe-paddling event in the state. Outrigger serves as the host club every year.

The best tradition is the opportunity to paddle in the waves off Waikiki. Wave-face heights were in the 3- to 5-foot range yesterday, making for challenging conditions.

In accordance with Macfarlane Regatta rules, each club is allowed to use open steersmen in each race.

"Right off the bat, I can tell you that we have some good young steersmen, and that makes a difference on a day like this," veteran steersman Walter Guild said.

Outrigger won 13 of the 39 races in the regatta.

Jimmy Austin and Billy Lawson tied for top steersmen honors with five victories each for Outrigger.

Guild scored the most exciting win, steering Outrigger to victory in the prestigious women's senior race. The other paddlers in the crew were Monica Salter, Traci Phillips, Mary Smolenski, Donna Kahakui and Jane Stevens.

They completed the 1 1/2-mile course in 12 minutes, 12.11 seconds. Hui Lanakila placed a close second in 12:13.60.

Hui Lanakila had been undefeated this season in the women's senior race, but Outrigger got it yesterday by milking everything out of a 2-foot wave to the finish line.

"Hui Lanakila has been a strong establishment for how many years now, and we have so much respect for them," Kahakui said. "Fortunately for us, Mother Nature kept us on the wave just a little longer than them."

Lanikai started the regatta in impressive fashion, winning five of the youth races.

"We were on the right track; looked like it was going to be a good day," Lanikai head coach Jimmy Bruhn said. "That part is disappointing because we were there at the start. We just fell off after that."

While Outrigger came on strong in the adult races, Lanikai got disqualified in three races for various miscues.

Due to the wave conditions, several canoes flipped, or ran off course.

"The hardest part is getting out," Guild said. "But coming back, it was perfect size for this race. And all the lanes were good at any given time. It was just a matter of when and where the sets broke. That's where the luck of the draw came in."

Kailua placed third overall with 57 points, and scored an upset victory in the prestigious men's senior race.

The crew of Spencer York, Donovan Leandro, Cana Day, Justin Watts, Chris Tanaka and Bradley Wong completed the 1 1/2-mile course with a blazing time of 9:56.17 to beat Outrigger by an impressive 32 seconds.

"I can't explain it, it's unreal," Leandro said. "Every year we come so close and something happens. But that's the nature of this race. It's luck of the draw and we got lucky today — finally. We got the wave at the end."

It was the first time since 1986 that Kailua was able to win the men's senior race at the Macfarlane Regatta.

"I've been chasing this for 20 years," said Leandro, 38. "I can retire now."

In keeping with Macfarlane tradition, Kailua's men and Outrigger's women got to drink champagne out of a trophy to celebrate their senior victories.

Last year, Kailua placed second in the men's senior race but still got invited to drink champagne on the victory stand.

"It tastes a little bit sour when you get second," Leandro said. "This one will be sweet, guarantee."

Hui Nalu placed fourth with 47 points, and got an impressive win from its boys 18 crew of Nathan Loyola, Alex Loomis, Noa Chung, Christian Dye, Ridge Souza and Kai Chong.

The crew did not use an open steersman, opting to stick with Chong, its usual steersman.

"It's actually the first year I got to steer at Macfarlane," Chong said. "It was fun. We got a nice wave at the end. Just happy to win."

Hui Lanakila won the AA division for medium-sized clubs with 34 points. Hui Lanakila is usually a force in the women's races, but its only wins yesterday came in the youth races.

'Anuenue won the A division for small clubs with 12 points.

The next OHCRA regatta is scheduled for July 12 at Ke'ehi Lagoon.

The Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a organization is scheduled to run a regatta today at Ke'ehi Lagoon.