Going to regattas and competing against other clubs is a big part of Dragon Boating, and there are lots of opportunities to compete locally, regionally, nationally or internationally if you want to – but that’s completely up to you!
Depending on the regatta, races might be sprints (200m or 500m) or longer endurance races (5km, 8km or even 15km sometimes) – but the choice to compete or not is up to the individual.
Races are held over different categories and division, including:
Categories:
Open – Often this is an all male crew but there are no restrictions on crew composition so everyone get a chance to race.
Women – for all female crews. The drummer and sweep (the person steering the boat) are also female
Mixed – Standard 20’s crew can have a minimum 5 male paddlers to a maximum of 10 male paddlers (excludes drummer and sweep)
Divisions:
Junior – 12 -18 years
Youth – Over 17 to under 23
Premier – 12 years and up to any age group
Masters – 40 years and up
Grand Masters – 50 years and up
Great Grand Dragons Division – 60 years and up
As a Club we generally aim to compete in 6 – 10 regattas each year and these are at an additional cost.
Metro regatta are across Sydney, either at the Penrith Regatta Centre, Darling Harbour or Dobroyd. These are fast paced and tough competition, but great days of racing. Most are only one day of competition (except Luna New Year which is held at Darling Harbour over three days)
Regional regattas, often on the mid/north coast are great weekends away. Usually these are held over two days, which is an opportunity to get away and build camaraderie within the crew and make new friends from other Clubs. Don’t be mistaken, the competition is still tough and everyone is out to win, but there is always a relaxed atmosphere and lots of laughs.
There are also opportunities to compete nationally and internationally, representing the Club against other regional, state, national and international teams. Many members are Northern Region representative and NSW State representatives, with other competing internationally in Asia, North America and Europe at various regattas.
Whether to compete or not is entirely up to you!