Forza Dragon Boat Regatta, Bunbury, Western Australia

 Happy Chinese New Year and welcome to the Year of the Tiger.

I have blogged about Chinese New Year and dragon boat racing before: Chinese New Year 2021 and Chinese New Year 2018

In fact dragon boat racing has been my family's sport since 1990. And our club, the Forza Dragon Boat Club celebrated their 30th anniversary in September 2021. 

Whereas I don't dragon boat race anymore, my two sons still do. My eldest son is our current club coach. That's him in the first seat in this pic below. 

Last weekend our club hosted their annual regatta on the Leschenault Inlet in Bunbury in Western Australia. But first a little history about dragon boat racing. 

Traditionally celebrated on the 5^th day of the 5^th Chinese lunar month, the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival began over 2000 years ago to drive off evil spirits, ask the dragons to watch over their crops and worship the Dragon God.

The festival was later enriched by the legend of Qu (pronounced Chu) Yuan, a legendary scholar, poet and statesman, who was banished from the court when lies were told about him to the Emperor.  Despair caused Qu Yuan to throw himself from a cliff into the Mi Lo River in 278 BC.

Local fisherman raced out in their boats to recover his body, banging their drums and hitting their paddles on the water to scare the evil spirits away. They threw lumps of rice into the water as an offering to Qu Yuan’s spirit, and to prevent the fish from eating his body.

Before racing the eyes are painted onto the dragons to bring them life and give them sight.

Dragon boating is now an international competitive sport for men, women and families. It encourages good sportsmanship, maintains the cultural traditions, and encourages acceptance and respect of all involved.

It is also a great way to get fit, make new friends, improve physical and mental health, enjoy our waterways, and the opportunity to travel and compete at elite levels.

On Saturday two new dragon boats were named after two life members - The Kusin and the Barbera in recognition of their work for the club over many years. Grant and Pina Barbera were the founders of our club. And Mark Kusin has worked tirelessly for our club and association over many years. 

Dotting the eyes of the dragon

On Saturday my husband and I were on-water controllers at the regatta in our power boat, so it was a good opportunity for me to take some pics.

The races on Saturday were all two boat match races. There was some fast and furious competition. The boats sit 20 paddlers, with a drummer on the front, and the sweep (the steerer) at the back. It is a true team sport as timing is paramount for successful racing. 

It is a great sport for families, and men and women of all ages. I have always enjoyed that men and women and families can compete equally in the same boat. There are also many teams around the world for breast cancer survivors, including one in Bunbury, the Crewsaders. 

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this little look at dragon boat racing. Do you have a family sport? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comments. 

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
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