Enter the dragon’s lair
Dragon boaters sound warning bell for Penang

By CMDR Brendan Byrne and LEUT Heather Walker

The Navy team celebrate their wins, including the 100m endurance event, at the Sydney International Dragon Boating festival.

The RAN dragon boat team left its southern Victorian lair recently to take out not only the NSW Corporate Games championships but later the ultimate endurance event at the Sydney International Dragon Boating Festival.

The NSW Corporate Games held in late March, provided an opportunity for the RAN mixed dragon boat team based at HMAS Cerberus (CAPT Bob Richards), to seek revenge over the 2003 Victorian Corporate Games victors, Caltex Australia.

The interstate rivalry was intense, as was the battle for dominance between the government and corporate teams - all in good fun of course!

In a fashion that is rapidly becoming the RAN team’s hallmark, the times posted on the scoreboard continued to improve with each race.

Each heat was won by more than a boat length. In the final, the Navy paddlers posted their best time of the day. They won the games in a photo finish, pulling ahead of the previous year’s winners with a gutsy last-ditch surge.

At the closing ceremony, the Games commentators announced to the assembled spectators and competitors that the RAN team symbolised what the corporate games is all about.

They praised our young sailors for their willingness to work together, for their obvious camaraderie and team spirit, for their fitness, and for their pride in the Navy.

The games organiser paid a further tribute when he observed that being a part of the Navy team obviously made you feel like a winner, regardless of placing.

So with precisely that attitude, the dragon boat team made a triumphant overnight road trip back to Cerberus, only to return a fortnight later to defend their new title at the 2004 Sydney International Dragon Boating Festival.

This competition was also held at the Sydney Regatta Centre, at Penrith, site of the 2000 Olympic Games rowing events.

The festival was held over two days and consisted of 200m sprint events, 500m standard races, and the gruelling 1000m Challenge Cup.

In the 200m sprint heats, the team laid down consistently strong times, winning a berth in the Agrade mixed final.

The finalists were very evenly matched, but Navy still ran out winners, with another strong surge at the line.

In the 500m events on the following day, the Navy team continued its habit of posting successively faster race times.

They again made the A-grade mixed final, but could only manage a close third against the champion NSW club crews.

However, given that the club teams have been training together for several years, and the Navy team has only been together for several months, it was still an impressive achievement.

Late that evening, in misty rain and fading light, a very tired, yet pumped team made its way to the starting line for the prestigious 1000m endurance race.

Our mixed team of male and female paddlers had spent countless hours slogging up and down Hahn’s Inlet in the cold and rain in preparation for this event.

There were two trophies up for grabs - one for mixed teams, and one for open teams. In a unanimous “no guts- no glory” decision, the Navy’s mixed team decided to compete in the open category, against several all-male club crews.

And with a powerhouse start and long, strong strokes that never faltered, this team of comparative beginners did the Navy proud.

They wore down the opposition one by one, lifting their rate and power at every call.

Their machine-like determination was magnificent and they eventually ran away with the race, surging across the line several boat-lengths ahead of their nearest competitor.

It was an inspiring moment - the team had faced the odds, punched far above their weight, and shown their opponents that Navy spirit and determination can triumph over strength and experience.

The 1000m event is the most challenging of dragon boat races and is the ultimate endurance event.

No Navy team has won this coveted title before, so it places them in very proud company.

And it sends a warning to all opponents planning to compete in the 25th Anniversary International Dragon Boat Festival in Penang in June.

Penang will be the last time that the Navy Dragon roars in 2004 - and our best is yet to come!

The RAN Dragon Boat Team wishes to thank its cheer squad, drivers, water carriers, motivators, managers, photographers, and BBQ chefs.

They also wish to acknowledge the support and encouragement offered by the Commanding Officer, Heads of Faculties, instructors and staff at HMAS Cerberus.

Without their assistance and encouragement, this team could not have achieved such spectacular success, in such a short time.

.