Highlights for the 2009 Ottawa Dragon Boat Race Festival (June 19th-21st, Mooney’s Bay Park):

· Top three teams will receive prize money (1st place =$5,000, 2nd place = $3,000, 3rd place = $2,000).

· Early bird rate - $1,260 ($1,200 +GST) - first 75 teams to register AND pay in full by January 31, 2009.

· Registration available online at www.dragonboat.net.

· Extra race added to Sunday’s schedule – in addition to the two 500m Saturday races, teams advancing to Sunday will compete in three additional races - one 500m and two 200m races (overall winners will be determined based on a combined total of their Sunday 500m race and their best 200m race).

· Register early to ensure you get the Team Area site you want during festival weekend. This is the area where all 190 teams are allocated a 12x20 space to set-up a tent, etc. These sites may only be selected once a team has PAID IN FULL, based on availability.

· Improved Spectator Area with more bleachers and closer racecourse.

· On-site entertainment and beer garden.

Please visit our Team Info Page for more details. Registration begins at 12:00am on November 1st, 2008.

Questions? Contact the Team Services Manager at (613)238-7711, x.226 or by email at team@dragonboat.net.

Prize money and extra races are always welcome. But overall placement by 500m time and the best of two 200m times... that's just not a good format.

What happened to head-to-head racing for placement? I've had a lot of positive things to say about Ottawa in the past, but this I really don't get.

Ottawa has not been a good race for sport crews in the past - this "time placement" just makes things worse. Prize money is welcome, but with it you will need held starts so Events Alive doesn't start over the line, with time penalties when Events Alive goes before the gun, and then a good finish line with video finishes, so that organizers can demonstrate fair judging at the finish.

It would also be nice if they go with Dragon Boat Canada ID's and roster rules, so that crews will know who they are racing and they don't have to race continually changing/ upgraded Events Alive crews over the 2 days.

Flame away - I am a bitter Quebec paddler who watched the fiasco in 2007. In fairness, maybe it was better in 2008 - but if you want a truly good crew like the Beasts or Mayfair to show up, you will need the stuff listed above.

What's the big deal about the combined times deciding the winner? IMO it makes for a more well-rounded champion of the weekend. You have to be good at 2 race distances to win, and you get two shots at putting down a good 200m time...They use combined points over varying distances to determine the Nations Cup at the World's do they not?

As for the held starts, yeah, that'd be good, but it's just not feasible for most events, particularly this one, where a good chunk of your Saturday teams are corporate or community teams and I could just imagine how long it would take to back all of those boats in with rookie steerspeople!

I'll save my flaming for later, I've got work to do...

Actually, held starts make things go way quicker. Races run every 8 minutes in Montreal.

Something to think about for Ottawa, they have everything but one to two details for hosting a high level event.

Yes, my experience is held starts makes things go much more smoothly for less experienced crews.

If Ottawa went with Sport racing rules for the A finals, they would have a tremendous event. Most of the top sport crews - Chiro, Beasts, Verdun, etc are DBC registered already.

prize money- love it.

Combined time - very stupid

Held starts- would be great

DBC santioned event- Would give huge boost and credibility.

Price- still a bit steep

Been there twice. Vowed not to go back (some very bad rules and bad organizers) but have heard they cleaned it up.

Considering it.

Well maybe I lack faith in inexperienced steerspeople...maybe it does make things go faster? I guess there would be less time spent trying to line everyone up...

Still, how do get a held start system on an open waterway? It's not like Mooney's Bay is the Montreal basin. It's very easy for Montreal to have held starts, the equipment has been there for over 30 years, the venue was built for racing.

Now that I've got some flaming time...

Quit your whining about losing to Events Alive in 2007! The Beasts lost too, and they didn't have an issue, Albert even said as much on this very forum (if I recall correctly). And as for the video finish, there is one, you just have to ask...I think that's been said on this forum too.

You're likely bitter because you lose too often. Hit the gym already will you?

I think he is trying to tell you:

YOU'RE NOT AS GOOD AS YOU THINK YA ARE!!!

"They use combined points over varying distances to determine the Nations Cup at the World's do they not?"

And those points are earned based on.... placement!!!

Off topic but does the Events Alive crew race normally as a club? I don't hear their name very often except for the Ottawa race. What's the lowdown on this crew?

A held start does not have to be one big dock. It can be what GWN does whereby you anchor smaller docks.

Held starts in Ottawa, not the easiest.

Could do held starts by anchoring ropes (really well) and make the cox hold onto it before the race starts.

Could use boats or docks which hold the tale of the Dragon.

Could change the race course to head the other direction down the day and have volenteers wade it to hold the boat in the shallows.

The prize money is only top 3, with Events and Chiro usually there (Events is not a "club crew") and pretty hard to beat. It will be interesting to see if Mayfair is enticed, or the Beasts make another appearance.

Unfortunately, Ottawa and Toronto Island have scheduled themselves on the same weekend in 2009 yet again. With Mayfair, Hydros, Hanalei, Canadian Seniors Piranhas and Hammerheads winning $'s and credit for this years Island race I doubt that you will see any of these crews switch over to Ottawa. Mayfair will be free, and Hanalei and Hydros will only have to pay about $700 each to compete. I would imagine that the 2 regattas will have very similiar crews in attendance next year as they were this year. Too bad I would love to see some of the top crews from each event race against each other. Just have to wait for the Nationals in Montreal for that in August.

Don't assume any of those crews will be in Montreal.
Any crew with Prague commitments will likely be a no show.

See other threads - Mayfair, Beasts, FCRCC won't be at Nationals due to Prague.

What top teams would be available for Ottawa?

Umm thats BS, from what I hear Mayfair, Beasts and FCRCC will be sending crews to Montreal for Nationals. Remember is only effects paddlers going to Prague not everyone on all of these teams is going only a handful.

Almost every one on the Beasts is over 40 and they are sending at least 15 of them to Prague. They are not going to Nationals. Same with Mayfair.
FCRCC is flyng to Prague direct from Vancouver and also aren't going.

That's not completly true nor accurate. We are talking club crews here not National teams. Yes, Mayfair, Beasts, FCRCC, Chiros, Canadian Seniors maybe 1 or 2 more will have members on the various National teams but certainly not their full crews. So we will still see many of these crews at Nationals, as well as crews such as Hydros, Chiros, Verdun, Gorging etc.

Mayfair has 2 crews, False Creek has 2 crews, Beasts have 2 crews.

I realize that DBC has pinned its hopes and future on a money making national championships but I wouldn't count on the above GTA crews to attend. Count on mostly Montreal area crews. To think that this will become some big ass annual event is delusional.

I'm guessing you're right unless they throw out prize money or other incentives to attend. Montreal might be OK but next year out west will be a bust. Kinda like the IDBF getting into the Corp Comm game with limited success. Miami is hosting that in April '09. Anyone going? I didn't think so.

I agree DBC will have a tough time making this an annual success.

Elite racing is much more difficult to service than community based festivals.

The price they charge doesn't help!

Nationals are still cheaper than most big festivals.

but its a low budget no frills race so it should not be any more expensive than other sport races

That's the thing, it's no frills at a full frill price.

Too expensive!

I can race 3 distances and 7 time at nationals vs 3 times at TIDBRF with a mixed crew. And it's cheaper...

now you're comparing a fledgling nationals with a 20 year established festival with prizes, entertainment and more.

If value for money is your reason for attending Nationals, please stay at home.

Money is a deciding factor for %98 of paddlers. There is no way that nationals should charge anything near what the Isalnd, Vancouver, Ottawa, or Montreal charge. Those are huge, established, and well attended festivals. They offer a ton of atmosphere and history.

Any new festival on the scene must pay it's dues and prove itself before asking for big bucks.

I was at Nationals last summer. It was good, not great. There was a defenite lack of volunteers and atmosphere, looked more like a CKC event than a dragon boat festival. I guess that's what happens when you run a race based on elite crews.

I would only go to Nationals if I wanted to qualify for Macau. Dealing with the million DBC roster rules and registration process is a frustrating experience and then having to pay tiop dollar was too much.

Festivals are just that...festivals. They are targeted at average paddlers/crews who want to compete with others of their caliber, which drives a higher level of participation.

The Nationals are a championship race event. The expectation is very different as those in attendance are aspiring to higher levels of competition - That's why the only award top-3 for the event. At this time, the critical mass of paddlers at taht level doesn't exist.

Can we ever expect to have a festival atmosphere at a championship event...only when we get sufficient participation to make the economics work.

"At this time, the critical mass of paddlers at taht level doesn't exist."

There were about 17 top flight crews at this past years national championships. That was enough and plenty for a very competitive regatta.

Of course no one was watching the races in terms of "fans" or spectators, but it was a ROTTEN weekend of weather, and no one really watches rowing/canoeing/dragon boat races anyhow.

BY the athletes FOR the athletes, works for me.

Who seriously goes to a nation race off for the hotdog venders?

I want top teams, well run races, and the basic amnemities.

I agree with the post above, however if I get no frills, I want a no frills price.

If it really was by athletes for athletes then it would not cost me close to $100 to just race.

Yes it would.

Athletes do need an organization to bind and look after the federation. Given the relative few they are compared to the community masses there is no cheap way to do this.

You cannot run a top event like nationals on no budget. If 100+ crews took part you could drop the price, but if 100+ crews took part you wouldn't fit everything in.

Or go to a well run festival that offers something for everyone including a few competitive races. We are not professional athletes or Olympic athletes. We are weekend warriors taking ourselves way too seriously. Dragon boating is for fun and maybe it is time us fellow competitive whiners woke up that fact. Yes, we can compete at it's highest level but at the end of the day we go home to our families and head off to work on Monday. Maybe it is time to find another sport as this is getting way too much for what it really is.

The Nationals are for the elite teams. Therefore, no reasons for the average crews to attend. It appears DBC wants the average teams to pay for the top teams with nothing worth competing for. This is an event for top crews, then let the top crews pay for it. But, don't go and complain because "C"; "D" and lower division teams don't attend, there is nothing for them.

8:48 - I disagree completely.

The crews that attended this year's nationals are not weekend warriors. During the racing season, these crews log at least 4 hours a week on the water (as teams), and most individuals commit at least another 2-4 hours of cross-training (running, OC, erg, etc.) a week. During the off-season, most teams relax from Oct-Dec, but the individuals are expected to hit the gym and work on their strength training. In January team activity rekindles with organized activities like team runs, circuit training, and pool practices that start the gearing up process for the following season. In addition, many teams have strict guidelines around weight control and body-fat measures throughout the year. As with most things, there are diminishing returns associated with increasing your abilities. The team dynamics on many of these crews dictate that if you don't put in the time, you won't be on the crew for long.

So I would suggest that just because they don't race professionally, doesn't make the paddlers on these crews slobs. Irrespective of the trash talk you read on this forum, most of these folks are committed athletes.

anon 8:48

If that is truly the case, all athletics and sports fits into your response.
aside from pro sports, amateur athletics dosen't pay the bills, you get no health or retirement benefits, etc. So unless you're a pro athlete (there is none in paddling as far as we know) you're just a weekend bum like the rest of us, except you probably have been bumming around longer and more often than most of us. A higher level weekend bum the way I look at it.

So if you're going to degrade this sport, in which you probably took part of it seriously probably at one time, you better take a look in the mirror and look at the whole picture.

"So unless you're a pro athlete (there is none in paddling as far as we know) you're just a weekend bum like the rest of us, except you probably have been bumming around longer and more often than most of us. A higher level weekend bum the way I look at it.

So if you're going to degrade this sport, in which you probably took part of it seriously probably at one time, you better take a look in the mirror and look at the whole picture."


God! I find a brilliant mind so sexy. Please post more, I think I am falling in love.