Hello All,

I wanted to send along an update for Ottawa's Festival and hope not to get slammed by annonymous posters.

We have worked really hard this year to ensure a top notch event for all. We have ten spots left to fill bringing us to 190 teams. We have made some changes bringing more teams over to Sunday for finals, added 10K in prize money, moved the course closer to the beach, added bleachers for a better view and created a system to pre assign team spaces making the move in easier for all.

We have doubled our entertainment component thanks to Tourism Ontario (Money in money out)and have headliners including Shanneyganock for a Friday night kick off party, King Sunshine, African Guitar Summit, JW Jones and Ashley MacIsaac. We have added over 20 roving site entertainers, increased the beer garden and added 30% more exhibitors. The Tim Hortons Childrens area which has been a huge success will there again this year giving a place for the kids to have some fun. We also have a childrens stage for kids entertainment.

GWN is providing the boats and we have covered the team staging area to keep the weather off the paddlers while waiting. Race results will be displayed on five 50" plasmas making it easier for paddlers to to get the results. Lastly, the Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation hopes to raise over 300K for seven great charities. It is our hope that we have provided something for everyone, competitive and community teams in addition to the public at large. Tonight is our official launch and we look forward to seeing everyone there.

We look forward to seeing those of you who are coming, and for those who are not, wish you the very best of luck in your Dragon Boating season.

John
www.dragonboat.net

Wow

Can we move the Ottawa regatta to Toronto?

I haven't been to Ottawa in a few years. I feel kind of sad that I'm not going this year. I'm signing up next year for sure!

"We have made some changes bringing more teams over to Sunday for finals"

Wasn't the problem that too many teams were paddling on Sunday = half didn't show and the festival finishes way late?

Can't complain about anything else though.

Tampa had plasmas this May for race results. Really great not to have paper sheets flapping inthe wind.

Ottawa's what you might get if GWN and Lively Dragon made a baby; and it had a bavarian beer garden for an uncle. Imagine GWN's organization (probably even better) crossed with Lively's odd but well-meaning approach to competition... and then imagine there's this freaking UGE beer garden.

That's Ottawa.

LOL...best analogy I've seen on this forum in years.

YES!

Ottawa has had plasma displays (or was it LCD) for a couple of years now but only 2 (or 3) displays and I think they weren't 50".
John, one other thing that you can do, make sure it doesn't rain and the festival will be perfect.

Hear hear for the Ottawa festival!!

Let's hope for a repeat of years past.