A PADDLEforCANCER dragonboat team comprises:
- 16 amateur paddlers*
- 1 amateur drummer*
- Maximum 3 substitutes*
- 1 professional steersperson
(provided by Dragonboatevents.ch, Eglisau)
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© Yves Maurer
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Categories of teams |
CorporateSponsor Teams are corporates or organisations and are strictly mixed gender teams. See racingSponsor information page.
Open (or individual) Teams can be either mixed gender or all female.
* There must be at least 4 women paddlers in the boat for each race for all mixed gender teams. No previous experience or level of fitness is required and all age groups from 16 years of age upwards can enter the PADDLEforCANCER races.
A team can be a maximum of 20 members. |
As many as 40 dragonboat teams may be competing in heats each comprising four dragonboats. The four dragonboats will compete over a 250-300 metre marked course, with clear starting and finishing lines. Every team will have at least three opportunities to race and achieve the quickest time. The last race of the day will be between the teams achieving the fastest times, the winning team from the final race being declared the overall winner and the runners up being declared in second and third places in three categories: Corporate - Open Mixed - Open Female. |
On Arrival |
The team captains register, confirm the names of the team members and submit waivers signed by each competitor stating that they are able to swim and are fit to participate. Announcements will be made calling teams to the boating area for preparation to race. At this point each participant will be given a life jacket (which will be checked for suitability) plus a paddle. |
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Pre-Boarding Instructions |
Each crew will decide on which side each team member will paddle and they will then stand in two lines one behind the other, as if they were in position in a boat. Instructions will be given on technique and how to avoid accidents. The critical element is that each person must focus on their chosen side and not reach over to the opposite side. The drummer will be given tips on how to set a steady pace, increasing the tempo towards the finish of the race. |
Boarding |
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Next the teams will be directed to the landing stage to board their dragonboat. Each boat will have a professional steersperson. It is this person’s responsibility to direct the crew members and get the boat to the start. They will also offer advice during the race. Time permitting, on the first outing a practice start will be performed. |
Heats |
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The races will be carefully timed and the results recorded on a notice board for all to see. Through this mechanism the teams will see their progress.
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Final Race |
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The final race of the day will be based on the fastest times recorded throughout the day. There will be 3 categories of finals: Corporate, Open-mixed and All-female.
See the Race Timetable for 2010.
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Safety |
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The municipal fire brigade, the Centre Sportif and the Samaritans from the Lac de Joux will work together to ensure both lake and festival safety.
Safety is ensured by following carefully the instructions from the steersperson. The critical elements are :
- ensure that the life jacket is securely fastened
- keep the paddle on one side of the boat
- do not lift the paddle above the head as a victory salute (boat will become unstable) - the victory may be short-lived !
Dragonboats, although long and narrow, are stable if handled as instructed. The more people on board, the more stable they are. |
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