The Rainbow Region Dragon Boat marathon team in their pre-race huddle at Urunga.
The Rainbow Region Dragon Boat Club based at Lennox Head competed at the Urunga Regatta two weeks ago and bought home more bling for their trophy cabinet.
These two days of racing were hosted by Titivators Dragon Boat Club and is a highlight of the competition calendar because it attracts clubs from the far north coast to Woy Woy on the Central Coast.
Saturday’s 7.4-km marathon starting on the Kalang River, out onto the Bellingen River via Back Creek and back, was full of excitement.
In their heat Rainbow Dragons were the last in the staggered start but managed to pass the other two boats finishing strongly in front. Although Rainbow Dragons knew they were under the magic 40 minutes, it was not announced until the next day that Great Lake Pearls, who were in the other heat, had piped them by a mere 29 seconds.
All four Rainbow Dragon teams competed solidly in Sunday’s 200-metre sprints, in crisp wintery conditions.
Two women’s teams, the Rainbows and Rainbows combined with Nambucca Heads, challenged each other’s times during the heats but it was Rainbow Women who went on to take third in the finals.
The men’s team, a combination of six Rainbows, two Pearl Dragons and two Coffs Coast paddlers came fourth in their final.
Rainbows paddlers headed back to the boat to compete in the mixed finals against fresher teams and came home with a respectable third place.
