NZDBA National Dragon Boat Championships 2012

The New Zealand Dragon Boat Association returns to Ashburton for the National Championships. Here is a great opportunity to see who takes the prize of the top dragonboat team in the country. The grassy banks of Lake Hood provide a superb view of these elite dragon boat crews as they battle out for top honours.

Team haka, loud chants and the beating of the traditional drums create an electrifying atmosphere as adult crews and high schools battle it out on. Note, schools were due to race on a separate day (Sunday) but entry numbers allow us to race all teams on one day.

Venue for racing will be the fantastic Lake Hood, 10 minutes from Ashburton. Teams compete in 200m Sprints, the premium distance of 500m and the exciting 2,000m Turns Race, all to IDBF (International Dragon Boat Federation) standards.

Schedule: Formal proceedings start at about 9 am with a captains' briefing. Then racing starts shortly after, with each crew having at least six races in 200m, 500m or 2km distance (see below). Categories will be mixed schools, boys schools, girls schools, adult (Premier Mixed), BCS (Breast Cancer Survivors) and a new "women's" division.

Round 1: 500 m Heat 1
Round 2: 500 m Heat 2
Round 3: 500 m Finals (Race/lanes determined by combined Heat times. All teams race in a final)
Round 4: 200 m Heat 1
Round 5: 200 m Heat 2
Round 6: 200 m Finals. Race/lanes determined by combined Heat times. All teams race in a sprint final.
Note, immediately after the Breast Cancer 500m final, we remember those paddlers who have not made it to this season in an on-the-water flowers ceremony.
Round 7: 2,000 m finals (in "flights‟ of 8 to 10 boats, starting at 15 second intervals - watch for lots of screaming at the turning buoys!)

Races are run at about 10 minutes intervals, with four to six boats per race. Note, races include company-backed teams, sports club teams and BCS (Breast Cancer Survivor) teams in the same heats.

Food vendors near the tent area will sell coffee, gourmet pies and burgers, sandwiches, coffee, Dutch Ollie Bollen, hot dogs and fries, more coffee, ice cream, etc.

This NZDBA-controlled race is run in conjunction with Aoraki Dragon Boat Association Inc, the body who run the sport in the South Island.

Event listed by Noel Anderton

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