Manulele Tausala I from Nuuuli flies to its 3-peat championship

The Manulele Tausala I from Nuuuli has taken a 3-peat championship victory for the faigamea i le tai of the 2017 Flag Day Fautasi Regatta, despite once again a ‘bad’ start, which saw the Fagatogo fautasi, Iseula o le Moana begin the race without an official blare of the horn to start the race, which then began the domino affect, with the Fuao, Paepaeulupo’o, Taema II and the Fetu le Afiafi finally bringing up the rear, as the Manu’a boat, Matasaua followed the Nuuuli boat which began to row when it saw the Fagatogo boat rowing off.

From what was seen on the televised event, the 5-mile race was reduced to a little over 2 miles due to ocean tides and rough seas.

There were other problems at the beginning of the race, but the Fautasi Committee has made official Saturday’s results, following a meeting with fautasi captains and village representatives late Saturday morning. The Nuuuli fautasi takes first place, and the official results are as follows:

1— Manulele Tausala I; 2 — Iseula o le Moana; 3 — Fuao; 4 — Paepaeulupo’o II; 5 —Matasaua; 6 — Taema II; and 7 Fetu o le Afiafi.

However, the Manulele Tausala I flying to the finish line, overtaking the Iseula seat by seat, and the battle between the Fuao and Paepaeulupo’o II are the memorable highlights of the 2017 Flag Day Fautasi Championship Race — and showed the heart and soul of the sport of Tutuila & Manu’a’s villages — le faigamea i le tai.

For the Manulele Tausala I, it is celebrating its 3rd victory in a row, and the village celebrated with a rambunctious motorcade that backed up traffic in the village for an hour — with flags, beeping horns, fans hanging out of vehicles, calling out the great achievement by Captain Manutafea T. Taufete’e and his crew.

The Manulele Tausala I, known as the “Low Rider” is the older boat of the two that the Nuuuli village has, but Manutafea in an interview with Samoa News for Fautasi Fiva 2017, sponsored by GHC Reid Co. Ltd, “family of beverages”, said that what counted was the crew — that they must have the stamina, strength and unity to bring in the win, and that’s how they trained.

TOE LELE FO’I MANULELE TAUSALA I MA LE SIAMUPINI TUUGA FAUSTASI 2017

O le fa’aiuga aloaia e pei ona tu’uina mai e le Komiti o Tuuga Fautasi o le Fu’a o lenei tausaga i le fa’aiuga o le vaiaso na te’a nei, ua fa’amautuina ai le toe lele o le Manulele Tausaga I mai le afioaga i Nu’uuli ma le siamupini o Faigamea i le Tai o lenei tausaga, ina ua mua i le sailiga siamupini na tausinio ai Sa e 7 mai afioaga eseese i le atunu’u.

Na matua tele fa’asea mai le mamalu o le atunu’u atoa ai ni isi o ali’i va’a i le tulaga fa’aletonu sa i ai le fa’atautaiga o le tuuga, peita’i o le mae’a ai o se fonotaga sa faia i le va o le Komiti o le Tuuga Fautasi ma ali’i va’a, na tasi ai loa le fa’afitiga o aleaga atoa ai ma le fa’amuamua o le ‘ava fatafata’ i le va o ta’ita’i o le atunu’u ma ali’i va’a, o le a aloaia pea le fa’aiuga sa molimauina e le atunu’u i le taimi o le tuuga.

E pei ona tele ai fa’asea mai le atunu’u ma ni isi o ali’i va’a, o le tuuga sa fuafua e amata aloaia i le itula e 8:00 i le taeao o le aso To’ona’i na te’a nei mo le umi e 5 maila, peita’i o suiga e pei ona faia e le Komiti, e le gata na suia le taimi i le amata lea o le tuuga e lei ta le itula e 8:00 i le taeao, ae na fa’apuupuu mai fo’i i le 3 maila le mamao o le tuuga.

O le fa’aiuga o le tuuga ina ua tini i uta na mua ai le Manulele Tausala I; 2 - Iseula o le Moana; 3 - Fuao; 4 - Paepaeulupo’o II; 5 - Matasaua; 6 - Taema II; ma le tulaga 7 o le Fetu o le Afiafi.

Ae na taua e sui o le Komiti i tusitala e fa’apea, talu ai e lei usita’i le Iseula o le Moana i fa’atonuga sa tu’uina atu i le taimi o le tuuga, na latou faia ai loa le fa’aiuga ina ia suia le tulaga o le Iseula o le Moana mai le tulaga 2 i le tulaga 7.

Na valaau fa’atopetope le fonotaga a le Komiti ma ali’i va’a uma atoa ai ma sui o afioaga mo le talanoaina o le fa’aiuga o le tuuga e pei ona i ai, ma e umi se taimi o faia le fonotaga a le Komiti ma ali’i va’a e talanoaina ai le tulaga sa i ai le fa’aiuga o le tuuga, ma o le to’atele o ni isi o ali’i va’a e aofia ai ma le kapeteni o le Fuao mai Vatia, le afioga i le Peresetene o le Senate ia Gaoteote Palaie Tofau, sa o latou tu’uaia le Komiti i le le mulimulita’i i tulafono sa latou fa’atulaga mo le tuuga.

E pei ona fa’aiugafonoina i fonotaga a le Komiti ma ali’i va’a i le taimi ao lumana’i ai le amataina o tuuga, o le tuuga e amata sa’o mai lava i gatai o le malae va’alele pe afai ae tulaga lelei le tau, ae afai loa e tulaga fa’aletonu le tau, ona fa’apuupuu loa lea o le tuuga ma amata mai loa i tua o le uafu, peita’i o le suiga e pei ona faia e le Komiti, ua latou fa’aitiitia le tuuga i le mamao e 3 maila.

I le mae’a ai o fetufaaiga e ala i le aganu’u ma le ava fatafata fa’amatai, na tasi ai loa le fa’aiuga ina ia aloaia pea le fa’aiuga o le tuuga e pei ona molimauina e le atunu’u, ae o le a le toe faia se suiga e pei ona manatu le Komiti ina ia suia le tulaga o le Iseula o le Moana mai le tulaga 2 i le tulaga 7.

O le fa’aiuga o fa’afiafaiga fa’a Samoa i le aoauli nei ua fa’amoemoe e tufatufaina ai fa’ailoga o tuuga fautasi fa’apea ai ta’aloga kirikiti fa’a Samoa e pei ona fa’agasolo mai mo le Liki o le fu’a o lenei tausaga.