Napu, MOC paddlers excel

Napu Outrigger Canoe Club and Mt. Carmel School paddlers steer their way to the finish line of the 500m preliminary race in the 2nd Annual Timmy Would Go Memorial Paddle Classic held in the waters off Kilili Beach over the weekend. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Napu Outrigger Canoe Club and Marianas Outrigger Club paddlers stood out in the 2nd Annual Timmy Would Go Memorial Paddle Classic held in the waters off Kilili Beach over the weekend.

Napu posted six first place finishes, while MOC swept the men’s open races of the two-day event.

Napu 1 topped both the junior boys and girls 1,500m and 500m races. In the junior boys 1,500m, Napu 1 timed in at 6:31 to beat Guatdan Tasi (6:35), Saipan Paddling Club (7:05), and Napu 2 (7:09). Napu 2 also had the fastest time in the preliminary with its 6:47, followed by SPC (6:56), Guatdan Tasi (6:57), and Napu 2 (7:33).

In the junior girls 1,500m, Napu 1’s 7:33 bested the 8:20 and 8:46 of SPC and Napu 2, respectively. The preliminary race also had the same ranking with Napu 1 coming in at first after submitting 7:43 and SPC (7:58) and Naou 2 (8:29) finishing second and third.

In the men’s open 1,500 MOC Red and Black took the Top 2 finish after logging 6:25 and 6:44 in the finals, respectively. Guatdan Tasi rounded out the Top 3 with its 6:56, while SPC missed the podium after completing the three-lap race in 7:10. MOC Red also ruled the preliminary race with its 6:35 and was followed by MOC Black (6:40), and SPC (6:53), Guatdan Tasi (7:93).

In the women’s open 1,500m, Taotao Galaide won the-way race against SPC after the Guam paddlers posted 7:54 against the latter’s 8:01. Taotao Galaide has a faster time in the finals as their preliminary mark read at 8:22, while SPC registered 7:53 in the earlier race.

In the junior open mix 1,500m, SPC got its first place finish after submitting 7:30, which was also its time in the preliminary race. Napu 1 and 2 completed the Top 3 after recording 8:00 and 8:96, while Napu 3 placed fourth with its 8:20.

In the open mix, Taotao Galaide defeated two SPC teams with the visiting club clocking in at 7:12 and SPC 1 and 2 timing inn at 7:19 and 7:39, respectively. In the preliminary, Taotao Galaide and SPC both broke the seven-minute mark with the former registering 6:52, four seconds ahead of the latter. SPC two crossed the finish line of the preliminary race at the 8:03 mark.

In the 500m sprint, Napu 1’s 1:57 and 2:15 topped the junior boys and junior girls field, while MOC Red (1:45), SPC (2:15), Napu 2 (2:14), and SPC 1 prevailed in the men’s open, women’s open, junior mix, and open mix, respectively.

Napu 1 defeated Guatdan Tasi (2:03), KOCC (2:05), SPC (2:07), and Napu 2 (2:10) in the junior boys. In the junior girls, Napu 1 turned the tables on SPC, which won the preliminary race against the former by just a second (2:14 to 2:15) but dropped to second after recording 2:20 in the finale. Napu 2 had 2:33 to place third.

In the men’s open, MOC Red had the fastest times both in the preliminary (1:50) and finals, while Guatdan Tasi foiled another 1-2 finish for MOC after checking in at 1:54 in the finals, two second ahead of MOC Black. SPC and Napu-Guafi were ranked fourth and fifth with their 1:58 and 2:06.

In the women’s open, SPC nosed out Taotao Galaide, 2:15 to 2:16. Taotao Galaide finished ahead of SPC in the preliminary, 2:02 to 2:13. In the junior open mix, Napu 2 had a seven-second lead against preliminary race winner SPC (2:21), while Napu 1 (2:24) and 2 (2:36) came in at third and fourth.

In the open mix, there was another down-to-the-wire finish with SPC 1 edging Taotao Galaide as the former clocked in at 2:08, just a second faster than the latter. Close behind at third was Napu with its 2:10, while SPC 2 placed fourth after timing in at 2:13.

Meanwhile, initial results in yesterday’s long-distance races had MOC Red and Napu 1 besting their rivals.

In the men’s open, MOC Red completed the long distance course (between 8 to 9 miles, according to race director Ed Johnson), timed in at 1:09:52 to finish ahead of MOC Black (1:10:39), SPC 1 (1:13:13), Guatdan Tasi (1:15:38), and SPC 2 (1:21:11). In the junior girls/women’s short distance (about 6 miles), Napu 1’s 1:01:56 defeated the 1:03:40 of SPC and 1:L05:23 and 1:09:10 of Taotao Galaide and Napu 2, respectively.

The men’s open long course had to be altered as paddlers were not allowed to go to Managaha for safety purposes, while the junior (short) course brought paddlers to as far as the Garapan Fishing Base in Garapan and back to Kilili Beach. Results in the junior boys short course of the Timmy Would Go are unavailable at press time

The Timmy Would Go Memorial Paddle Classic is held in memory of Timothy Lee Salas Wesley Jr., who was also called “Timmy Boy.” He died on Jan. 3, 2015 as he tried to rescue two young girls from drowning in the waters at Forbidden Island.

The annual competition was supported by the TSL Foundation, Imperial Pacific International, IT&E, Pacific Trading, Inc., Legends, Let’s Go Tour, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Bridge Capital, LLC, Marpac, KKMP, Saipan Apparel, and Pacific Islands Club.