A small squad from the Lennox-Head based Rainbow Dragon boaters joined 11 other clubs for the Spirit of Macleay 10s Dragon Boat Regatta held at Kempsey last weekend.
With only 10 paddlers in the boat, rather than the usual 20, the regatta tested Rainbow paddlers’ endurance and speed, which was up to the task as the club came home with four trophies.
The Rainbows Men’s 10s team, with the help of two paddlers from Coffs Coast Club and one from Grafton Club, achieved a first for the club, by winning first place in the 200m sprint final in a time of 54 seconds.
However, there was no time for them to celebrate as five of the men then had to jump straight into the mixed-10s-final boat, bringing home a third-place trophy.
The Rainbow women’s team also excelled, getting a close second behind the strong Kempsey River Rats team.
The fourth trophy came with a skillful paddle in the 2000m turn race on Saturday with the Kempsey River Rats winning again and Rainbows managing third place.
‘The club has been focusing on achieving a synchronised racing rhythm – it happened in every race with explosive starts and smooth accelerated gliding of the boat to the end – very pleasing to witness,’ head coach, Mary Davis said.
The Rainbow Dragons will not be resting on their laurels because it has only two weeks until they host their own regatta at Shaws Bay, East Ballina, on August 24 (12.30pm–3.30pm) and 25 (7.00am–3.00pm).
Everyone is welcome to come and experience the excitement of dragon boat racing.
