Event Details
As a sport, Dragon Boat racing has something for everyone. New paddlers and visitors are always welcome. From the spectators' perspective, dragon boat racing is colourful and exciting. Dragon Boat racing is one of the few sports with a significant cultural element, originating over 2000 years ago in China.
The Dragon Boat competition for the Arafura Games 2005 will run races in Open, Mixed, Women's divisions, with crews of 10 or 20 paddlers. Races will be run over 250 metres and 500 metres subject to number of nominations.
Event Location
Racing will take place at the Stokes Hill Wharf, close to the city centre. Competition will commence on Thursday the 19th and continue on Friday the 20th May. Saturday morning of the 21st May also be required for further racing.
The best place to view the race is at the finishing line, as finishes can be very close and exciting, often with 100ths of a second between placegetters.
Event Rules
The event will be run under the Competition Regulations and Racing Rules adapted from the International Dragon Boat Federation.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How are boats steered?
Boats are steered with a sweep or steersman.
Which side is the sweep oar?
The boats are generally set up with the sweep oar on the port side.
What are the boats made of and what are the dimensions?
The boats are made of aluminium and are approximately 12 metres long and one metre wide with a minimum of 64cm between each seat. The bulkhead at the front of the boat is 73cm from the first seat. The bulkhead at the rear is 105cm after the last seat.
How big are the seats?
Each wooden seat is 18cm wide. There is a footrest under seats 1 and 2, but only under these seats due to the shape of the floor of the boat.
Contact
John Marsh
GPO Box 96
DARWIN NT
AUSTRALIA 0801
Phone: +61 8 8936 1107
Fax: +61 8 8981 8366
Email: rajo2@bigpond.com
or
Kenneth Dwyer:
Phone: +61 8 8922 3177
Email: kenneth.dwyer@nt.gov.au
or
Email: dragonboatnt@hotmail.com
Website: dragonboatnt.org.au