COOL DOWN: LSPT McLeod from the Sydney Navy team, showers off after competing in one of the dragon boat heats.

Photo: ABPH Brenton Freind

The Navy’s dragon boat paddlers are all fired up. On both sides of the country in recent weeks the men and women of the RAN’s dragon boat fraternity have had some good wins and placings against very strong competition.

Three RAN bases now have dragon boat teams, HMAS Cerberus, HMAS Kuttabul and HMAS Stirling.

It is intended to introduce dragon boating to other establishments and commands as it is the objective of the Navy Sports Council to project this activity as an alternative to contact sport.

Dragon boating was introduced to the RAN in 1996. Since then RAN teams have successfully competed in state, national and international competitions.

A fortnight ago more than 60 paddlers, with 40 supporters converged on Cockle Bay , Darling Harbour for the Chinese New Year Festival’s dragon boat racing tournament. The NSW Dragon Boat Association staged the two-day event.

Competitors came from as far away as China. Cerberus entered a men’s and a mixed team in the events as did the Eastern Australia Area team (Kuttabul). Vying against 24 other craft the EAA men’s crew took third place in the principal event after earlier having heat wins.

The Cerberus team took fourth in the mixed event at Darling Harbour. Earlier, in Melbourne, Cerberus won the Corporate Games event in that city.

The paddlers from Stirling began competitive racing only last month and took a win at the Rockingham Regatta. They were scheduled to race a few weeks later at Bunbury.

Dragon boating requires high levels of fitness as specified in DIG Pers 14-2.

Additionally it is a team sport which is non contact and non gender specific. It provides opportunities for personnel to compete at state, national and international level.

As a result the Navy Sports Council, chaired by CDRE Kevin Taylor has endorsed dragon boating as a high profile sport and a team building activity in the RAN.

Dragon boating receives funding each year to help with training, attaining coaching qualifications and for travel support.

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