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| ROW
YOUR BOAT: The Canberra-based NAVMAT team compete in the Chinese New Year Festival
on Sydney Harbour recently.. |
Volume
49, No. 4, March 23, 2006
It was all hands on deck when the Dragon Boaters hit the
water last month for the Chinese New Year Festival races on Sydney Harbour.
The
Canberra-based NAVMAT team, made up of members from the ADF, Defence civilian
community and other government departments, raced well to finish 23rd overall
and fifth in the minor finals.
From the Navy, CPO Dan Freeman joined the NAVMAT
team to participate in the sports category of the CNY Festival Regatta on February
11.
The team which competed in Sydney was a new team, with a number of
members competing in a major regatta for the first time.
NAVMAT competed
in the mixed racing class, the ratio of male to female equal, over a distance
of approximately 200m.
With 46 teams competing, NAVMAT needed to place
in the top 24 in the heats to compete in the final, a big ask for a new group.
“We
placed fourth in the first heat and from a study of the team results we knew we
had to place one better to get into a final,” coach Alf Pawlicki said.
“By
some miracle we managed to squeak in by 0.28 of a second. Even then we had to
wait for the outcomes of the other races to see if we made it.”
When
the results were posted NAVMAT had secured the last spot in a minor final, the
only Canberra Dragon Boat team to reach a mixed team final that day.
“In
the minor finals we were placed fifth [23rd overall] but for our team we felt
like winners just getting to a final,” coach Pawlicki said.
The NAVMAT
Dragon Boat Racing Club is looking for Canberra-based men and women to be part
of the team planning to travel to Penang, Malaysia, in late May this year. The
team will participate in the 27th Penang International Dragon Boat Festival.
Applicants
must be prepared to train three times per week.
For more information contact
Alf Pawlicki on 6266 4777 or alf.pawlicki@defence.gov.au or visit http://www.navmat.asn.au
