What is Dragon Boat Racing? 

Teams race along a straight course, varying from 250 to 1,000 metres (500 metres being a standard distance in many international festival races), with an average time of three to six minutes. Typically, a seasoned Dragon Boat crew will have a rate of 70 to 80 strokes per minute and can travel over the water at 3 to 4 meters per second.

Modern dragon boat racing is organised at an international level by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF), and divided into two categories:

• sport racing, as practised by IDBF member organisations; and

• festival racing, which are the more traditional and informal types of races, organised around the world, where racing rules vary from event to event.

Today, dragon boat racing (sport and festival) is among the fastest growing of team water sports, with tens of thousands of participants in various organisations and clubs in around 60 countries - most of which are IDBF members. The sport is recognised for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered amongst participants, and it has also become a very popular corporate and charitable sport.

The IDBF is accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). It has organised the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships (WDBRC) every two years since 1995; and in between world championship years, the IDBF Club Crew World Championships (CCWC).

World 'Nations' Dragon Boat Racing Championships (for national representative teams)

• Yueyang, Hunan province, China, 1995

• Hong Kong, 1997 (2 weeks before Hong Kong was returned to Chinese sovereignty)

• Nottingham, United Kingdom, 1999

• Philadelphia, USA, 2001

• Poznan, Poland, 2003 (World Nations Dragon Boat Championships - proxy event for SARS-cancelled Shanghai World Championships)

• Shanghai, China, 2004 (Re-awarded to Shanghai post-SARS)

• Berlin, Germany, 2005

• Sydney, Australia, 2007

• Prague, Czech Republic, 2009

Club Crew World Dragon Boat Championships (for the world's top club-based crews)

• Vancouver, Canada, 1996

• Wellington, New Zealand, 1998

• Rome, Italy, 2002

• Cape Town South Africa, 2004

• Toronto, Canada, 2006

• Penang, Malaysia, 2008

What is the Origins of Dragon Boat Racing?

Chinese dragon boat races will always be a symbol of Chinese culture and spirit. As one of the three largest Chinese festivals of the year, this mythical celebration can now be witnessed around the world.

Dragon boat racing began more than 2000 years ago on the banks of the life-sustaining rivers in the valleys of southern China as a fertility rite to ensure plentiful crops.

The first participants were superstitious and held their own celebration on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (summer solstice).

The race was held to avert misfortune and encourage the rains needed for prosperity - and the object of their worship was the dragon.

The most venerated of Chinese zodiac deities, the dragon of Asia has traditionally been a symbol of water. It is said to rule the rivers and seas and dominate the clouds and rains.

The first races were meant to mock dragon battles staged in order to awaken the hibernating Heavenly Dragon.

Over the years a second story was integrated to give the festival a dual meaning - the touching saga of Qu Yuan.

Chinese history describes the fourth century B.C. as the Warring States period; a time of shifting alliances and much treachery.

In a kingdom called Chu, there lived a great patriot and poet by that name of Qu Yuan. He championed political reform and truth as essential to a healthy state. The King, who had fallen under the influence of corrupt ministers banished his most loyal counsellor, Qu Yuan, from the kingdom. Left to wander the countryside, Qu Yuan composed some of China's greatest poetry expressing his fervent love for his country, his deep concern for his country and its future. Upon learning of Chu's devastation at the hands of a rival kingdom, he leaped into the Mi Lo river holding a great rock in a display of his heartfelt sorrow. The people loved Qu Yuan very much and raced out in their fishing boats to the middle of the river in a vain attempt to save him. They beat on drums and splashed their oars in the water, trying to keep the fish and water dragons away from his body. To honour his soul and to ensure it didn't go hungry, they scattered rice into the water. However, late one night, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared before his friends and told them that the rice that was meant for him was being intercepted by a huge river dragon. He asked his friends to wrap the rice into three-cornered silk packages and to tie five colours of string about it to ward off the dragon. This tradition is continued today, although now the dumplings are wrapped in leaves rather than silk.

For many centuries, dragon boat racing was a violent clash known as the "To Fight and Cross Over" ceremony. Often, the race resembled a naval battle, with crew members of competing boats throwing stones and striking at one another with cane sticks.

Today, teams no longer throw stones at rival boats or strike one another with cane sticks. Nevertheless, there are some original rituals that are still practised today, like the "Awakening of the Dragon" by dotting the eyes of the dragon's head on each boat. This ceremony is conducted to cleanse and bless the area of the competition, the competitors, and their boats. It also gives the boats and their crew the strength of the Dragon and the blessing of the Goddess of the Sea.

Dragon Boat Awakening Ceremony

Dragon boats are awakened, or given life, during the traditional "dotting of the eye" ceremony. Bright red ribbons are draped over the dragon heads (red is the Chinese colour for good luck). A priest blesses the head, tail and drum with his sword.

An official of the community is given the honour of dotting the dragon's eyes to give sight. The official asks the dragon to awaken and to protect all who ride within, as well as, the relatives, friends and spectators. Finally, a handful of buckwheat is thrown into the boat to give it speed and good luck.

Hosting dragon boat races is thought to bring health, happiness and prosperity, as well as offering protection from the unfriendly spirits of the sea.

It is not hard to imagine why many of the thousands who flock to witness this ancient sport, come away with a renewed appreciation for life.

The standard crew of a dragonboat consists of 22 paddlers; 20 paddlers, a drummer (otherwise known as caller) at the bow of the boat, facing towards the 20 paddlers, and 1 steerer (sweep or coxswain) who sits at the back of the boat.

The drummer is the dragonboat’s heartbeat; its rhythmic beat leading the crew through the race. A good drummer is capable of synchronizing the cadence of his drum with the strokes of the front pair of paddlers, setting the timing and frequency of paddling strokes. A skilled caller can not only beat his drum, but also directs the crew through hand signals and voice calls. The drummer is an essential part of the crew and it is mandatory that every dragonboat have one, at every racing event.

It is also the drummer (or caller), who is in charge of keeping track of what position they are in, in relation to all the other racers, as well as to the finish line. The drummer decides when the dragonboat must suddenly surge ahead or when the crew should hold steady. Able to feel the power of the paddler group through their feet and the muscles of the gluteus maximus, an expert caller seems to be one with the boat. They are the directors, anticipating each and every move of the crew, and then changing the paddlers to compensate.

The majority of the dragonboat crew is comprised of paddlers. Most paddlers rely upon the front two paddlers (often known as ‘strokes’), to synchronize their own paddling with. It is this leading pair that sets the pace and determines the strengths and weaknesses of the team.

The final participant in a dragonboat’s crew is the steerer. Also known as a helm, tiller, sweep or coxswain, the steerer controls what direction that the dragonboat will travel in. Using a large wooden sweep oar. the steerer is situated at the rear of the boat and serves much like a tiller. Often making calls back and forth with the drummer, the steerer is in a wonderful position to work as the team’s own cheering section, encouraging them on.

Commanding the strength, endurance and skill that are important amongst dragon boat racers, this sport is also prized for the camaraderie that it bolsters. Very popular as a corporate and charity sport, dragonboating instils drive and pride, but also teaches substantially-sized groups to work together, co-operate and form a team in order to get the job done. Dragon boat racing instils one with a feeling of harmony and a sense of purpose.