2024 Chinese Dragon Boat Festival Programme

BASICS OF UK CHINESE DRAGON BOAT RACE

Dragon boat race is a team paddling sport of dragon boat racing. It is not competition-oriented; anyone can enter the race, with no experience required.

Dragon Boat Crew Each team has ten paddlers, one drummer and one steersman, who is assigned by the event organizer. The pulsation of the drum beats produced by the drummer may be considered the “heartbeat” of the dragon boat. The drummer leads the paddlers throughout a race using the rhythmic drum beat to indicate the frequency and synchronisation of all the paddlers’ strokes (that is, the cadence, picking up or

Steersman Also known as the sweep, the steersman steers the dragon boat with a sweep oar that is rigged at the rear of the boat, typically on the left side. This is done by using the oar as a rudder, while the boat is moving, or by sweeping the stern of the boat sideways by pulling or pushing water with the oar as the boat is moving slowly or stationary.

Paddlers

The paddlers sit facing forward in the boat and use a specific type of paddle, which, unlike a rowing sweep or scull, is not rigged to the racing watercraft in any way. Therefore, Dragon boaters are paddlers not rowers or oarsmen/women.

accelerating the pace, slowing the rate, etc.)