Bundaberg Dragon Boat Club is a growing club with a team of paddlers who train twice weekly. At the same time we have fun and aspire to get fit with the intent to bring home those trophies for Bundaberg.
Our aim is always to enjoy the sport of Dragon Boating, while encouraging and assisting our members to achieve their individual goals of fitness and competition. We have members who can't wait for the next training session and to compete in regattas and other members who come down on a Saturday afternoon just for the exercise .It doesn't matter if you're interested in the competition or the camaraderie, come down and experience the thrill of Dragon Boating
What is Dragon Boating?
Dragon boating is one of the oldest sports in the world today, originating over 2,000 years ago in the Southern Provinces of China. The modern sport of Dragon Boating consists of a long canoe (approx 12 metres) and narrow canoe style boat used in the team paddling sport.
The Crew
The standard crew of 22, comprising 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the boat, one drummer or caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers and one steerer or sweep at the rear of the boat
The Drummer and Drumming
The drummer or a caller leads the crew throughout a race with the
rhythmic beating of a drum to indicate the timing and frequency of
paddling strokes (that is, the cadence, picking up the pace, slowing
the rate, etc.)
The caller may issue commands to the crew, and generally exhorts the
crew to perform at their peak. A caller/drummer is mandatory during
racing events, but if he or she is not present during training, it is
typical for the steerer to direct the crew.
The Paddlers
The paddlers sit facing forwards, and use a specific type of paddle.
The leading pair of paddlers, called "strokes", set the
pace for the team.
It is critical that all paddlers are synchronized. Each paddler should
synchronize with the paddler diagonally in front of them. This ensures
that the paddling pace is balanced and all energy is spent on moving
the boat forward. The direction of the dragon boat is set by the helm,
not the paddlers. The lead paddlers are responsible for synchronizing
themselves.
The Sweep
The sweep, known also as the coxswain, helm, steersman,
steersperson, steerer, or tiller, controls the dragon boat with a
steering oar similar in function to a tiller, which is mounted at the
rear of the boat.
The steerer may work with the drummer to call out commands during a
race. The responses of the oar are opposite to the direction they take
- if the steerer pulls the oar right, or into the boat, the boat will
turn left, and if they push out, or left, the boat turns right.
During a race, an experienced steerer will be able to steer the dragon
boat effectively according to the wind, the wake of other boats, and
other factors to achieve optimum speed.
The steerer must constantly be aware of the boat's surroundings. The
steerer has the power to override the caller at any time during the
race (or the coach during practice) if the safety of the crew is
threatened in any way.
If you would like more information about the fastest growing sport in
the world please look up the Queensland Dragon Boat Federation site dbq.com.au
