Dragon Boat Racing In New South Wales
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With the weather in Sydney gearing up for summer, the official 2015 Dragon Boat season is now well and truly underway. Yesterday, 11 October 2015, the second New South Wales dragon boat regatta was held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in a very sunny Penrith.
Against some very fierce competition, the team I paddle with, CYL Dragon Boat, won 3 gold medals in the premier women's, mixed and open's categories. Very proud indeed!
What Is Dragon Boating?
Dragon boating is an intense water sport involving 20 people sitting in a long boat in 10 rows. At the back of the boat is a sweep whose very important job it is to steer the boat in the right direction and to stay away from other boats. At the front of the boat, but only at official races, sits a drummer who drums at the same pace as the paddlers paddle.
Dragon boat racing usually happens over 200 and 500 metre race courses, and sometimes 2 kilometres.
The dragon boat season in New South Wales usually starts in August and ends around May. The racing calendar typically consists of 5 official regattas, open to all clubs in New South Wales. One of the most popular races in Sydney is the Chinese New Year race in Darling Harbour, for both clubs and corporate teams.
When all regattas for the season are done and dusted, the dragon boat teams in NSW must prepare themselves for the official NSW State Championships, usually held in March or April. The season ends with the National Championships, held in a different state each year.
In 2016, the National Championships will be held in Adelaide. And if that's not exciting enough, Adelaide will also host the
Club Crew World Championships , straight after the National Championships. Several teams from NSW, including CYL Dragon Boat, have qualified to race at this renowned event.
As you can tell, the 2015/2016 season will be a very busy and exciting one.
Why Dragon Boating?
Of all sports, why should anyone try dragon boating?
It's fun!
You'll get very fit
It's outdoors
It's all about camaraderie and teamwork
You'll meet lots of people and make friends for life
So, if you're keen to give dragon boating a try, a good start would be to check out the website of
Dragon Boat NSW where you'll find lots of information and also a list of all dragon boat clubs in New South Wales.
There are no age restrictions for dragon boating and there are clubs spread out all over the state for pretty much everyone. So why not give this awesome sport a go!
#boating
#fun_things_to_do
#health_fitness
#outdoor
#sport
%wnsydney
148644 - 2023-06-14 01:59:54