Bermuda Proves No Triangle For Victorious Hawaii Kai Boaters

Meet the Hawaii Kai Boat Club Bermuda Team champions (from left) Kanoa Pick, J.P. Lattanzi, Kai Carle, Marcos Baez, Lars Von Sydow, Kona Joe Carle and Pearl Lattanzi. Photo from Todd Carle.

Though it took a day and a half for Hawaii Kai Boat Club’s young sailors to fly out to Bermuda for the O’Pen BIC North American Championships in April, they did not come home empty-handed. All seven performed well, and four placed in the top three in their divisions.

Their performance also led to a new line of boats that will arrive at the boat club this month for use by sailors of all ages.

In the O’Pen division (over age 13), Lars Von Sydow took third place, Pearl Lattanzi took 12th and Kai Carle took 13th. But it was in the Under 13 division that HKBC brought out the brooms, sweeping the top places: Kanoa Pick took first, J.P. Lattanzi second and Marcos Baez third. Kona Joe Carle came in fifth.

Club co-founder Todd Carle was “blown away” by their success, noting his surprise that the young club finished so strongly against decades-older and better-funded ones.

In fact, the 2014 O’Pen BIC coordinators asked Hawaii Kai to host the championships sometime in the next few years — possibly as soon as 2016.

Carle already is talking to Hawaii Kai Marina Community Association about logistics. “It’s like you’re accepting a very small version of the Olympics,” he explained.

A larger fleet is also on the horizon, to accommodate the young sailors as they grow older. Once they turn 16, they are too big to use the O’Pen BIC boats the club prefers. (O’Pen BIC is a brand of single-handed sailboat for younger sailors.) The RS Feva line ($30,000 worth of boats that Carle wrangled sponsorships for) was expected to arrive here Aug. 1.

For more information about the club, call 951-1111 or visit hawaiikaiboatclub.com.