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University of Hawaii wins Harbor Cup

Published on March 12th, 2023

The University of Hawaii won the 2023 Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup, topping the field of 10 college teams on March 10-12 in San Pedro, CA.

Cold and gusty conditions characterized day one while the second day had a long period of drizzle and light air that postponed races for nearly four hours. The final day began with a light fog that cleared to a cool, brisk and breezy finale.

No one competitor dominated the 15the edition which is held in equally matched Catalina 37s for universities and academies across North America. Defending champion Cal Maritime led after Friday’s two races; overtaken by Maine Maritime on Day Two. But it was Hawaii that ultimately scrapped their way to the top in the final four races.

“It was definitely super-tight racing the whole time, and super nerve wracking,” said Hawaii skipper Owen Lahr. “We just tried to refresh after every race, take one race at a time.” He acknowledged the team’s hard work, noting the freshmen were on the bow and upperclassmen aft – including Kelsie Grant in pit: an LAYC prodigy who brought a little bit of local knowledge to the team. “It has been really awesome, it’s our favorite regatta of the year.”