I know / knew squat of a Dragon Boat or for that matter Dragon Boat races … that was until they held the “Philippine Dragon Boat Federation Annual Championship” in front of my place here on Manila Bay … still not a sport I would go out of my way to attend, though it was something to experience … nor did I have any idea as to the complexities of the sport … you got drummers, paddlers, five (5) different strokes to be had and a steerer … much to pull in, from the parade that began at 0500, yep, at 0500 to the warm ups and then the final races … so, enjoy the shots I pulled off and the streamlined “wiki” on the subject:

A dragon boat or “dragonboat” is a very long and narrow human-powered boat now used in the team paddling sport of dragon boat racing which originated in China in pre-Christian times. While competition has taken place annually for more than 20 centuries as part of folk ritual, it emerged in modern times as an international “sport” in Hong Kong in 1976. Like running, horse racing and marksmanship, the racing of dragon boats is among mankind’s oldest organized competitions.

The Crew

The standard crew complement of a contemporary dragon boat is around 22, comprising 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the boat, 1 drummer or caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers, and 1 steerer or tiller(helm) at the rear of the boat, although for races it is common to have just 18 paddlers. Dragon boats vary in length and crew size will vary accordingly, from small dragon boats with 10 paddlers, up to the massive traditional boats which have upwards of 50 paddlers, plus drummer and steerer.

The Drummer and Drumming

The drummer or callers may be considered the “heartbeat” of the dragon boat, and leads the crew throughout a race with the rhythmic beating of a drum to indicate the timing and frequency of paddling strokes (that is, the cadence, picking up the pace, slowing the rate, etc.) The caller may issue commands to the crew through a combination of hand signals and voice calls, and also generally exhorts the crew to perform at their peak. A caller/drummer is mandatory during racing events, but if he or she is not present during training, it is typical for the steerer to direct the crew.

The Paddlers and Paddling

The paddlers sit facing forwards (unlike aft-facing seated rowers), and use a specific type of paddle which (unlike a rowing oar or sculling scull) is not rigged to the racing watercraft in any way. Therefore, Dragon boaters are paddlers not rowers or Oarsmen/Women. Nor are they “canoeists” since canoes and dragon boats are distinctly different paddle craft, just as canoes and kayaks and inflatable whitewater rafts are distinctly different types of paddle craft. (Note that the helmsman or steerer is not a ‘coxswain’, which is a British-based naval and competitive rowing term (and a Canadian War Canoe racing term) for the person in charge of the boat. In dragon boating, the drummer is generally in charge, however if there is only a helmsman and no drummer, the helmsman generally takes charge.)

There are several components to a dragon boat stroke cycle:

The “reach and catch” begins the cycle and is preceded by a setup torso rotation; the blade angle of attack (angle of entry relative to the water plane) appears from the side to be raked aft, however this is an optical illusion since the boat is advancing forward. Inserting the blade perpendicular to the water amounts to ineffective “lily dipping” wherein the blade moves backwards in the water past the paddler’s hips simply because the boat is advancing forward.

The associated upper arm “drive” the instant the blade face is fully immersed and which is the key to powerful acceleration of the boat and the beginning of the pull; if the drive begins before the blade face is fully immersed, there is a significant decrease in stroke efficiency; this drive is initiated by an explosive de-rotation of the torso.

The associated, powerful “pull” stage sustains the forward momentum of the boat that was initiated by the “drive” impulse; paddlers are often coached to “pull the boat towards the paddle” (rather than pull the paddle backwards) however a bit of both is occurring (the paddle slips backwards while the boat is catapulted forward).

The “release” in which the blade is instantaneously drawn upwards (skywards) while it is even with NOT BEHIND the hips of the paddler; because the boat is moving forward, the optical illusion from outside the boat makes the blade seem like it is being withdrawn at an angle that is raked forward. The release coincides with the setup rotation or recoil of the torso.

The “recovery” is the final stage of the stroke and consists of the rotation of the torso with the ACTIVE forward repositioning of the blade thrust forward into the optimal catch. By decreasing the time it takes between the release and the catch, the percentage of time in the cycle when the boat is decelerating (due to drag friction among other slowing forces) is minimized; therefore it is possible to perform a greater number of catches and pulls over a given race distance. The reduction in swing time (the duration that the paddle swings forward through the air) is achieved through active rather than relaxed repositioning of the blade forward and by reducing the weight of the paddle.

The Steerer

The steerer, known also as the helmsman, steersman, or sweep controls the dragon boat with a sweep oar rigged at the rear of the boat, generally on the side and off centre, which is used both for ruddering as well as for sweeping the stern sidewards. The word “starboard” is Scandinavian in origin and refers to the wooden board for steer(ing), that is, the sweep oar. 

ENJOY!