The Dragon Boat Festival Regatta in Muizenburg

Watch or partake in this traditional, Asian boat race to the finish

Calling all water sport and watercraft enthusiasts! The Dragon Boat Festival Regatta, a boat race comprising of a selection of teams manning traditional, beautifully decorated dragon boats, will be making waves in the Zandvlei Inland Waterway in Muizenberg on Saturday, 27 October 2012. Watch from the sidelines or get some buddies together and compete, the choice is yours. The day begins at 8am, with the last race starting at approximately 4pm.

Steeped in rich history and tradition, dragon boat festivals have been enthralling spectators in China for thousands of years, but it’s only since Taiwan presented South Africa with two wooden, flag-catching dragon boats in 1992 that the elegant, artfully crafted vessels and the associated competitions have been making a splash (c’mon you know it had to be done) in our nation.

For those of you unsure of what to expect, dragon boats are human-powered watercrafts that vary in size and, thus, crew numbers. The smaller dragon boats are manned by a mere 12 people, but the larger vessels – boats particular to the Tian He District of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China - can hold more than 80.

The Muizenberg Dragon Boat Regatta pits boats of the former description, the team is made up of 10 paddlers, against each other. Aside from the paddlers, one drummer is on board, as well as one experienced helmsman, who steers the boat. The paddling should always happen in unison and in rhythm with the beat of a drum, which symbolises the “heartbeat” of the dragon boat, and makes watching the sport quite an entertaining experience. Participating, on the other hand, must feel like the real life version of a scene from ‘Troy’!

There are a number of clubs that centre around dragon boat racing and compete in dragon boat regattas throughout South Africa, and more specifically, in Cape Town. This event, however, is aimed at the novice, and no rowing, paddling or sailing experience is needed, simply a good attitude and some upper body strength.

This annual regatta is organised by The Cape of Good Hope Rotary Club and promises both competitors and spectators a day of excitement and fun. Furthermore, the money raised in hosting this affair is donated to charity and put back into the community.

There is no fee to come and watch the Dragon Boat Festival Regatta, but should you wish to participate, entry cost  is R4500 per boat.

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By Aisling Holmes