Dragon Boat Nationals

Race Day

The day dawned cold and cloudy but we were warm and bright with enthusiasm and high hopes.
We set up in our allotted tent then looked over the surrounding scene.The Blue Lake is a beautiful spot  but today a chill hung over the place making us shiver. After a lovely summer, the icy feel to the air came as a shock.  

My 'cool' team

Some of my favourite team names were there. 'Random Jaffas' and 'Fresh on the Boat' are two dragon boat team names I really love though they probably only carry significance to New Zealanders and their sense of humour. The breast cancer survivors division names I like are 'Boobops' and 'Simply the Breast' 

 I marvelled at the young high school girls as they prepared for their first race in shorts and singlets. About half an hour later an ambulance arrived and two were driven off suffering from hypothermia. Thermal clothing may do nothing for your looks but certainly help with the job of keeping wet bodies warm.

A lovely, if cold place to race

Our first three races were 500 metres. Fresh water is always heavier to shift and our first run seemed sluggish, though the start was well organised and the boats got off together with minimum fuss. Once back in the tent we felt the next one would go better. We added layers and grabbed quick snacks and drinks before once more warming up and heading out again after hearing our team called out on the loud speaker. 
Once in the line-up tent we sang, chanted and jogged to keep warm and inspired until we again climbed into the boats. 

Getting into the boats

Getting into position

A team heading up to the start as our heat gets ready to race

Lining up for a 500m heat - we are number 5.

The starting line was more difficult now as a wind had sprung up pushing the boats about. It is not an easy task getting six dragon boats in a line for a rolling start. We had had our win in Auckland removed from us as three boats were moving on the start line and one was static which the starter deemed unfair. As we jockeyed for position I was sure this was in our minds as we tried to comply with the starter's constant instructions of 'come forward - go back- stay in your lane - angle your boat into the wind - hold water - one stroke forward' and so on. I listened out for our sweep to interpret these instructions and call them out to us. 

BC 500m heat - start

500 metre heat

When the boats are all in position the start happens in a hurry. 'We have a line - paddles ready - attention' then a blast of the hooter sends us off. Five big strokes gets the nose of the boat up, twenty quick strokes gets us flying, then it is into a steady reach to propel the boat forward, hopefully everyone working in unison and sharing the load. Halfway down a power call rings out and we dig deeper and harder before settling back into the reach. Near the end the power call comes again and we use the last of our energy to get over the line. 
After cheering the other teams we paddled in to shore once more.
We were doing our best times ever - but so were the others in our division. Getting food and drink down and keeping warm became the priority before our next race which was the big one - the final of our division.

Our team's warm up is not as rigorous! 

We warmed up in plenty of time and set off to the line up tent. Once stationed there we sang our chants and listened to others while jogging on the spot to keep warm before heading once more up the course.

It was harder again to get lined up but we got away finally with no false starts. We paddled our guts out but it was not our day. Boobops came first easily and the rest of us finished within a second of each other. 

500 metre final finish - Boobops ahead by a boat length from the pack

BC 500m finals

Crossing the finish line

500 metres over and done for another year

Rafting up for the flower ceremony

The Flower ceremony

There was no time to fret however as we had to raft up for the flower ceremony to honour those paddlers that had lost their fight with breast cancer. A haka rang out from shore causing intense emotions within me as I thought of friends I had lost to this dreadful disease. 

Paddlers getting ready to haka

We threw our flowers on to the water and came into shore, walking through honour guards of people holding their paddles high. As I reached the end I joined in and lifted my paddle for the others still coming through, congratulating teams for their efforts.

Ready for when we come off the boats

Finally we got back to our tent to be told we were to be on the water again shortly for the 200 metre sprints. As the competition was not running to time one race was cut so it seemed no time at all before we were back racing in the final. The 200 metres is a mad dash - pretty much hard out all the way with no time for anything but paddling. Where we came at the end was a blur and it was only  back on the shore that I heard we were second. Pink Dragons were first - their first gold ever. They were over the moon and I stayed to congratulate them.

200 metre start

200 metre final - ready to start

200 metres

200 metre final

Keeping warm in the tent

Again the turnaround was quick and we found ourselves heading to start the 2 kilometre race. This is a completely different race. Each boat has a staggered start with 15 seconds between. You have to paddle up gently to hit the starting line then get up to speed. We managed this just fine then settled in to a long reach with steady paddling. We made ground on the boat ahead but never quite managed to catch them. The tricky part of this race is the fact you have three turns as you head up and down the lake. We managed our first two turns with aplomb - most of the team paddling hard while three paddlers at the back held water to help the sweep swing the boat round in a narrow arc. Our third turn alas was our undoing. As we came round once of the control boats called out to our sweep. She called back and by the time she could refocus our boat was heading off on a tiki tour all on its own and straight towards the control boat. We madly tried to get back on course with me paddling pretty much at right angles to help out, but we had to halt then start again. For the last four hundred we upped the rate and put in a good showing but we knew our time would not be good and     maybe we could even be disqualified.
Never mind, racing was over and we had no time to ponder our 'what ifs' as we had to get back to the hotel for food and a clean up before prize giving. The hot spa pool had never felt so good!
We also had had one of our paddlers affected by the cold. She and a support person had come back to the hotel early and it was good to find she had suffered no ill effects from becoming chilled.

We had won four silvers over the season and gold remained elusive but no doubt we will do our best next year to make it happen.

Yes, its silver

Boobops  - the team to beat next year!!