On Sunday 8 May, a Dragon Boat Race – a free community regatta aimed at watersports beginners – took place in Newham and an additional one for newbies is happening on Saturday 21 May.

One of our reporters spoke to Paul Coster from Windy Pandas Dragon Boat Club, based in the Royal Docks, to tell us more about the sport and why residents should get involved.

According to Paul, Dragon Boat Racing is one of the most exciting competitive team sports anyone can take part in on water. It is a totally inclusive adventure and features mixed gender, adaptive, Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS) and open crews, all competing against one another.

“We have featured mixed gender crews for years, something that other sports are only just cottoning on to,” Paul said.

The Dragon has a very symbolic meaning for the Chinese. A classic dragon has the head of an ox, a deer’s antlers, the mane of a horse, the body and scales of a snake, the claws of an eagle, and the tail of a fish.

With its strength and power, the Dragon rides the clouds in the sky and commands the wind, mist and rain.

The Dragon Boat is deeply embedded in China’s ‘Dragon’ culture, with each boat having an ornately carved dragon’s head at the bow and a tail in the stern. The hull is painted with the Dragon’s scales. The paddles symbolically represent the claws.

In International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) sport racing, there are generally 18 to 20 paddlers per standard size Dragon Boat, and 8 to 10 paddlers in the small boat, plus a drummer and a helm (steerer).

In traditional festivals, the boat designs and crew numbers can vary from 10 up to 50 or more paddlers, plus of course the drummer and helm.

The races are a colourful spectacle, with at least two boats competing against each other over distances from 200 to 2,000 metres and above. Not only are strength, endurance and skill important, but teamwork and harmony of purpose are required.

The legend

In ancient China, the Dragon Boat was used for religious purposes as a way of appeasing the rain gods. Qu Yuan, the great warrior poet, committed suicide in the river Mi Lo as a protest against the political corruption of the day.

To commemorate this sacrifice, the people began to organise Dragon Boat races in his memory. Since that time over 2,000 years ago, Dragon Boat racing has become a major part of Chinese culture, representing patriotism and group integrity.

Today, Dragon Boat racing involves teams of up to 20 paddlers in a 40-foot boat with a drummer and helm, paddling frantically to beat the other teams down the course. The drums, shouting and colourful boats all make it an impressive and exciting sport both to watch and to compete in.

Wider community involvement

Windy Pandas Dragonboat Club pride themselves on promoting Dragon Boat racing to the wider community and encouraging the young and mature to come and try it.

In turn, participants enjoy not only taking part in a very popular team sport and getting fit, but also benefit from the social side that enables people to make new friends.

Cancer

Windy Pandas supports a BCS team called Wave Walkers. Scientific studies have proven the benefits of Dragon Boating as regular exercise for those diagnosed with cancer.

At least 20 studies of people with breast, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancer have suggested that being physically active lowers the risk of cancer recurrence and improves survival. It also helps in faster recovery from chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Wave Walkers are now expanding their offer to everyone directly or indirectly affected by cancer. Their ethos is based on caring for one another and not dwelling on circumstances but acknowledging the journey each person is taking.

Sisters United

Windy Pandas have this year welcomed a ladies team called Sisters United. It is a group of Muslim women who aim to bring Muslim girls and women together through sports, education, and social events.

Through this, they hope to strengthen, guide, and boost mental wellbeing within the ethos of their religious beliefs. They want to become a serious Dragon Boat team and take part in real competitions.

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