Wellington’s Dragon Boat Festival is the largest of its type in New Zealand which started in 1985.
With teams from New Zealand, Australia as well as teams from schools and business.The event occurs over one weekend in March.
It started as a corporate event but it did not take long for it to expand to its current format.Teams are allowed 8 training seasons beginning in Dec and end before the event.
There are over 80 teams taking place over the weekend and there are many grades ensuring that many will walk away with a prize.
The course is situated in front of Frank Kitts Park. It is 320 metres in length and 50 metres out from the shore.All the teams enter the boats in Aotea Lagoon which is located behind the Boat Shed and then they enter the harbour underneath the foot bridge.
As part of the activities a number of land based activities take place including stalls and entertainments for the expected crowd of thousands and those teams waiting to take part.
Saturdays racing are for the corporate and sport teams as well as the adult teams whilst Sunday is for the school teams.
Each boat has 20 paddlers one person who stands at the back-called a sweep-and a drummer who sits at the front.
Dragon Boating involves 20 paddlers in one boat, a sweep who stands at the back to steer the boat and a drummer who sits on the front
Wellington held the Club Crew Championships in 1992
A Brief History:
According to legend the Chinese Statesman Chy’n Yuan drowned himself in the Mi Lo river in protest over the corrupt regime of the Ch’u Dynasty back in 400BC.
The local fishermen went out in their boats to save him but were too late. They started to beat their paddles onto the water to prevent his body being eaten by fish.Also rice was thrown into the water as a sacrifice to his spirit.
Local fishermen raced out in their boats to save him, but were too late. To prevent his body being eaten by fish they beat their paddles furiously on the water and threw rice as a sacrifice to his spirit.
Today we commemorate his death each year by racing at the spectacular Dragon Boat Festivals that happen around the world.
*Information taken from Dragonboat.org.nz
Wellington Dragon Boat Facebook Page
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