12:00a.m. 14th October 2008

| By Peter Gardiner

With the best part of the Molokai Hoe 66km outrigger channel race across 1.8m Hawaiian seas all but beaten yesterday, the Mooloolaba masters team skippered by Ron Grabbe thought they just might have made race history.

As they reached Diamond Head they were told their main rivals Outrigger Hawaii – the team going all out to deny the outfit a record 10th Molokai title – was well behind them. But when they reached the finish line a cruel reality was there to greet them in a victorious Livestrong team who had paddled in five minutes ahead.

The fact that the Mooloolaba side, the defending champions, never saw the coming or going was hardly surprising. On such a large expanse of water with tactics as important as crew strength, Grabbe’s outfit set a northerly course and the winning crew from the Hawaiian main island made for southern passage.

“We received quite a shock because the outrigger Hawaii had been our major competition for the past 10 or 12 years,” Grabbe said. “They are a younger over-40s crew with the members closer to 40 whereas we are more the other way.

“They have been together quite a while and have been winning open events.”

The Mooloolaba crew was kicking back yesterday, having a few consolation drinks, unsure of whether they will be back for another crack at an unprecedented half score of wins.

“We can’t be too disappointed – we couldn’t have tried any harder than we did,” Grabbe said.

The seas were quite large with some tricky sections despite the following tide and winds.