Introduction
Dragon boats were initially used in the Pearl River Delta, China. These traditional watercrafts were built using various kinds of wood. Dragon boats are commonly employed in the dragon boat racing, which is one of the ancient watersports in the world. Dragon boat racing has been running for more than 11 years in southern China.
Dragon boat history
Dragon boats have been in use for more than 20 centuries. They were used in religious ceremonies and folk customs, and the sport has been around for almost the same time as the Olympics of ancient Greece. When being used in the competitions, dragon boats are decorated with Chinese dragon motifs like tails and heads. However, the decorations are mostly removed in times of training.
Traditionally, dragon boats were used during the Duanwu Festival. In the 19th century, the European observers referred to this race as the dragon boat festival, a name it is still known as up to date.
Dragon boat racing rules
Regarding team composition, one member of the team should take part as the team captain. The key role of the team leader is solely organizing the team members while racing. Also, the paddler should not include a steersperson or a caller. The team racers include the caller, the steersperson, and the paddlers.
Dragon boat racing mixed teams must have a minimum of 8 paddlers as ladies. All teams must not have a maximum of 24 paddlers per one roaster, where all racers are required to have more than 14 years.
The dragon boat racing equipment
According to the dragon boat racing rules, every paddler in the contest should have a paddle. Also, each racing boat is required to have a flag that is used to indicate that a racing crew has finished the race. The dragon tail and head and decorations should also be attached to the racing boat.
Racing tips
For a dragon racing crew to emerge as the winners, they should train together to enhance coordination.
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