The Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association has held Territorial (prior to Statehood in 1959) and State Championship Regattas since 1952. For the first few years the regatta was known as the Julian Yates Hawaiian Canoe Racing Championships and held in Kailua-Kona. In 1959 it became the 50th State Regatta, and from then on the HCRA State Championship Regatta. The Regatta is generally held on the first Saturday of August. Canoe clubs qualify for the race through a series of regattas in their individual associations. Each association is allotted a certain number of lanes in the State Regatta based on their percentage of registered paddlers in the previous year. There are a total of 14 lanes available for the State Regatta. Clubs meet about 10 days before the race to draw lanes for the event. Currently, the lanes are allotted as follows:
- Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association (Oahu), 5;
- Moku of Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association (Big Island), 3;
- Maui County Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association (Maui), 2;
- Na `Ohana O Na Hui Wa`a (Oahu), 2;
- Kauai Outrigger Racing Association (Kauai), 1; and
- Molokai Canoe Racing Association (Molokai), 1.
The race is held at the Ke`ehi Lagoon Canoe Racing Complex in Honolulu in even numbered years, and rotates to the Big Island, Maui and Kauai in odd numbered years.
There are four divisions in the State Championships based on the number of crews each club enters in the Regatta:
- AAAA, 21 or more crews;
- AAA, 13-20 crews;
- AA, 7-12 crews; and
- A, 1-6 crews.
Medals are awarded to the first three places in each of the 41 events. Each crew earns points based on its finish. First place canoes earn 15 points, with the second place crew earning 13 points, and so forth down to 1 point for the 14th place finisher. There are races for both men and women in divisions from 12 and under to Masters 65. Races vary from 1/4 mile to 1 1/2 miles.
To perpetuate the Hawaiian canoe, all clubs are required to use koa canoes that meet HCRA specifications in the Regatta.
The following clubs have won the HCRA regatta in past years.
Outrigger Canoe Club won the first Territorial Championship in 1952 and has won 23 state titles (and 1 tie) since, giving it more state canoe titles than any other club.
1953 Waikiki Surf Club
1954 Waikiki Surf Club
1955 Waikiki Surf Club
1956 Waikiki Surf Club
1957 Waikiki Surf Club
1958 Outrigger Canoe Club
1959 Outrigger Canoe Club
1960 Outrigger Canoe Club
1961 Waikiki Surf Club
1962 Outrigger Canoe Club
1963 Outrigger Canoe Club
1964 Healani Canoe Club
1965 Outrigger, Kailua, Healani Canoe Clubs (tie)
1966 Lanikai Canoe Club
1967 Outrigger Canoe Club
1968 Healani Canoe Club
1969 Waikiki Surf Club
1970 Outrigger Canoe Club
1971 Healani Canoe Club
1972 Healani Canoe Club
1973 Healani Canoe Club
1974 Healani Canoe Club
1975 Kailua Canoe Club
1976 Kailua Canoe Club
1977 Outrigger Canoe Club
1978 Hui Nalu Canoe Club
1979 Outrigger Canoe Club
1980 Hui Nalu Canoe Club
1981 Outrigger Canoe Club
1982 Hanalei Civic Canoe Club
1983 Hui Nalu Canoe Club
1984 Outrigger Canoe Club
1985 Outrigger Canoe Club
1986 Outrigger Canoe Club
1987 Outrigger Canoe Club
1988 Outrigger Canoe Club
1989 Outrigger Canoe Club
1990 Outrigger Canoe Club
1991 Outrigger Canoe Club
1992 Outrigger Canoe Club
1993 Hui Nalu Canoe Club
1994 Outrigger Canoe Club
1995 Outrigger Canoe Club
1996 Lanikai Canoe Club
1997 Outrigger Canoe Club
1998 Kailua Canoe Club
1999 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2000 Lanikai Canoe Club
2001 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2002 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2003 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2004 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2005 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2006 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2007 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2008 Lanikai Canoe Club
2009 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2010 Lanikai Canoe Club
2011 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2012 Lanikai Canoe Club
2013 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2014 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2015 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2016 Hawaiian Canoe Club**
2017 Hawaiian Canoe Club
2018 Lanikai Canoe Club
2019 Lanikai Canoe Club***
2020 Cancelled due to COVID 19
2021 Cancelled due to COVID 19
2022 Lanikai Canoe Club
2023 Lanikai Canoe Club
**Outrigger Canoe Club, two large OHCRA canoe clubs and four smaller clubs did not participate due to health and safety concerns about water pollution in Keehi Lagoon following Tropical Storm Darby.
***Outrigger Canoe Club, Hui Nalu, Healani, New Hope and other canoe clubs did not participate due to concerns for the Hanalei community which was recovering from damaging floods and landslides earlier in the year.