‘That salty, smoky, sweaty dirty mess’ – that is, The Chai Wan dragon boat race
DRAGON BOAT CONTACTS dragonboat@rhkyc.org.hk
W O RD S: MELIS S A DAVIS, PA D D L E SP O RT S C OA CH | PH OTO S: D ERRI C CHEUN G A ND CH A RLIE L A M
Rowing no ‘ready’ at the start as this is true Fisherman style start race calling. Your boat will be told to move up go back multiple times and you will need the help of selected crew members to work extra hard to adhere to these calls. All whilst the currents and tides push the boats out of position. The finish line is roughly a boat length and a half in front of the cargo basin wall. If you overrun the finish or brake the glide too late then your much loved dragon head just might lose a few teeth!
his race is special. In so many ways, this race has become the most anticipated and ultimate favourite; not only in the Royal X racing calendar but also in the hearts of the coach, the captains, and the paddlers that have been lucky enough to race in Chai Wan during those years. This race is unique. Firstly, you need to be invited. Run by the Chai Wan Fisherman Recreation Club, having the right connections really counts. Luckily for us, RHKYC member and coach Lister Woo was able to secure that ‘golden ticket’ in to the draw back in 2013. Over the years, the race distance has shortened to a fast 350m sprint course in the Chai Wan cargo basin. Traditional fisherman team junks line up one side of the course; some with 50 man dragon boats tied up alongside the boat and all with vibrant huge team flags flapping in the wind. The race program and structure is like no other. All teams’ names are put in to a bag and then it’s up to ‘Lady Luck’ to determine which heat and lane your crew will go in. It then becomes a ‘knock-out derby’ style in the first two rounds. The top 16 teams will progress to the final. But, you must win the first two races. A second place may not secure a final spot
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| MARCH 2021 AHOY!
(unless results in the other heats fall in your favour). This is all part of the excitement and frustration that is so uniquely Chai Wan. Adding more to the uniqueness of this race is the infamous start and finish lines. If you’re not ready at the start line, you’ll miss the horn. If you’re not ready to hold the boat to a dead stop at the finish line, you will hit the wall. There is
Despite all this and through incredible team work intense weekly trainings both on land and on water the Royal X team is proud to announce an unprecedented four year winning streak to claim the prestigious mixed Gold Cup Champions in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 (no racing in 2020). The Chai Wan Fisherman race really is the ‘Super Bowl of Dragon Boat’. If you can win a race in Chai Wan you can win a race anywhere.
