Come On Board!
Dragon boat racing is one of the world’s fastest-growing participation sports. It’s a whole-body workout that builds strength, stamina and endurance. Whether you’re looking to improve your strength and fitness, push your limits, meet new people or try something new, this could be the sport for you, writes Tracy Hargreaves
If you go down to the docks in Preston you may see dragon boats, paddlers and a drummer on the water. The marina is home to the Preston Dragons.
Founded in 2016, they are a full member of the British Dragon Boat Racing Association (BDA) and compete in the British national league every year at events all around the country.
I spoke with founder Sue Cameron about why the sport has taken off and why Preston is such a good location for dragon boating. “Preston Marina is our family business and we have been involved around the edges of many dragon boat events over the years. The dock here is perfect to host these events as there is plenty of sheltered water for the boats and great viewing space for the spectators,” says Sue.
“It was at one of these events almost four years ago that we were approached with a view to starting our own club in Preston. As I had never been in a dragon boat, I went along to Liverpool docks and had the pleasure of paddling with Amathus, the very successful club there. It was then that I completely fell in love with the sport and I could see the opportunity and potential for a club to be based here in Preston. Some people thought I was crazy, but it didn’t take too long to persuade a few good friends and acquaintances to get involved. Amathus helped us get started and loaned us some equipment and the BDA loaned us a boat. Since then we have been joined by some amazing people who have brought along their enthusiasm and skills and have catapulted us to a place that I didn’t even know existed when we started the club. It really is a complete team effort and an absolute honour to be a part of it.”
The club is a not for profit organisation and has grown rapidly in the three years since it was launched and now has 60 members all ranging from age of 10 up to 70. It’s also backed and supported by the University of Central Lancashire and Sport England. “It’s a great way of keeping fit,” says Sue. “But I would say if you want to compete, it really is hard work and not for the faint hearted.”
Now the club has three new 40ft racing boats, a German made one, Polish and Chinese, and all are made to the same specification, plus one 10-man boat. The full-sized boats have space for up to 20 paddlers, someone at the helm steering and someone on the drum, so the maximum is 22 people.
It is critical that all paddlers are synchronised. The direction of the dragon boat while racing is set by the helm, but for docking and other manoeuvres, individual paddlers may be asked to paddle (while others either stop the boat or rest) according to the commands given by the helm.
Members meet at The Beach Hut Coffee Shop in Preston’s marina main building. Any new paddlers are given a short safety briefing and kitted out with a buoyancy aid and paddle. They then undertake a quick warm up exercise before heading out to the water. Each session is led by a fully qualified BDA coach, one of which is an ex Great Britain paddler and typically includes a mixture of technique work, race practices and some endurance paddling.
The club trains every week, even in the winter, meeting at 6pm on Tuesday evenings and 10am on Saturdays, except on event days and training usually lasts around two hours.
When it comes to racing it is a real spectacle with multiple crews fighting hard to win each race. Teams at Preston are evenly split between men and women, so the club is represented as a mixed group. There is also a separate ladies team and the club are also hoping to start a youth team next year.
The race events are up and down the country and are usually 200m, 500m and a 2k which is an endurance race. The club has already progressed to the top of the standard division and is also competing internationally, winning several trophies to add to its bursting cabinet.
“We offer a free taster session for anyone who wants to have a go,” says Sue. “For ad hoc members it is £5 for every visit or for regular paddlers it is £10 a month or £100 a year. The ethos of the club is about the community and it is accessible to all in terms of funding and equipment. All you need when you turn up is some suitable sports clothing including trainers and a light windproof cagoule if it is wet or cold.
“We really are a success story we have gone from having nothing to owning our own race boats and all the equipment needed. The people who have joined are so passionate and dedicated, never wanting to miss a session, and there is a great social side to the club as well. We have achieved so much in such a short time. We now have a committee and a popular presence on social media which is building all the time. I am so excited for what the future holds for the club and we are always looking for new members to join in our success.”
To find out more visit: https://prestondragons.org/ or follow on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
