Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Race day for the preliminaries of the 2026 Flag Day Fautasi Race unfolded under near‑perfect conditions yesterday. A band of clouds shielded the rowers from the harsh sun, a light breeze drifted across the water, swells outside the harbor were minimal, and the tide was moving out — an ideal setup for fast, clean racing.

Inside Pago Pago Bay, the sea was smooth as oil. By 6 a.m., die‑hard fans were already lining the shoreline, proudly wearing their fautasi colors. Fautasi fiva was everywhere — flags, T‑shirts, caps, headbands, and homemade memorabilia bearing the names of their village boats. Family cars rolled in flying team flags, adding to the electric atmosphere.

HEAT 1

The first heat, featuring seven fautasi, got underway shortly after 8 a.m. The two government tugboats — the Iseula and Segaula — were positioned with a wide, clear gap between them to mark the starting line.

When the hooter sounded, Fuao, Alao, and Matasaua exploded off the line, breaking away from the fleet and angling toward the small swells rolling off Blunts Point. Matasaua seized the early lead with Alao close behind, Paepaeulupoo in third, and Fuao sitting in fourth on the western side. Refusing to be left behind, the Alao — captained by Satele Aliitai Liliʻo — sliced past Matasaua. On the outside, Fuao surged forward as well, overtaking both Matasaua and Alao to claim the lead.

As the boats rounded the Rainmaker Hotel Red Buoy, Alao trailed by about half a fautasi length, fighting to keep Fuao’s stern in sight. But once they reached the smooth waters inside the harbor, Fuao settled into a powerful rhythm. From there, Captain Gaoteote P. Tofau shifted into overdrive, driving his crew down the flat inner‑harbor stretch and holding the lead all the way to the finish line.

About four fautasi lengths behind the leaders, Paepaeulupoo, Aeto battled fiercely for fourth and fifth place, Iseula meanwhile had fallen back to sixth place while Manulele Tausala III trailed a long way behind.

These positions held to the end, determining the five boats advancing to today’s final: Fuao, Alao, Matasaua, Paepaeulupoo, and Aeto. Meanwhile, Iseula and Manulele Tausala III will race again in the consolation heat alongside the bottom two finishers from Heat 2.

HEAT 2

Six fautasi competed in the second heat, and all six blasted off the line the moment the hooter sounded. Fealofani Samoa III and Taema surged forward in an explosive start, but their early burst was short‑lived. The new Manulele Tausala- Low Rider II, under the leadership of seasoned captain Taufeteʻe T. Manutafea, quickly established control of the race. With steady acceleration and clean strokes, Low Rider II glided past Fealofani Samoa III, while Lupelele held third.

Behind them, Manulele Tausala Low Rider I (Le Toaina) sat in fourth, Taema in fifth, and Fale o Latia in sixth.

It became clear early on that Fealofani Samoa III would not be able to close the gap on Low Rider II. As Manutafea’s crew powered toward Blunts Point, they took full advantage of the waves and outgoing current to widen their lead. By the time they were adjacent to the Tank Farm at Gataivai, Fagaalu, commentators estimated the distance between first and second place to be the length of four rugby fields.

With no real contest for the remainder of the race, Captain Taufeteʻe settled his crew into a long‑stroke, energy‑conserving rhythm — what seasoned rowers call “fourth gear” — to preserve strength for today’s final. Drone footage captured Manutafea’s mastery of the course, showcasing his years of experience guiding a fautasi from start to finish. Manulele Tausala Low Rider II, Fealofani Samoa III, Manulele Tausala Low Rider- Le Toaina, and Lupelele have all secured spots in today’s final.

The bottom two finishers from Heat 2 — Taema and Fale o Latia — will move on to the consolation race, where they will face Iseula and Manulele Tausala III, the bottom two from Heat 1.

According to KVZK TV the schedule for today’s races are:

CONSOLATION RACE — to run at 8 am

1  Manulele Tausala III

2  Fale o Latia

3  Iseula

4  Taema

FINAL COMPETITION — to run at 9 am or when Consolation Race ends

1  Alao

2  Paepaeulupoo

3  Manulele Tausala- Low Rider Ii

4  Aeto

5  Matasaua

6  Fealofani Samoa III

7  Lupelele

8  Fuao

9  Manulele Tausala- Le Toaina