For the 2024 season, the club is entering 1 Premier Open and 1 24U/PS Women standard boats to compete at the 2024 IDBF Club Crew World Championships held in Ravenna, Italy from September 3rd to 8th. Racing includes 3 distances for all classes/categories: 200m, 500m, and 2000m. The goal for these crews is to place 1st in their respective divisions.

IDBF Bulletin 1: 14th IDBF Club Crew World Dragon Boat Championships   

2024 Competition List

Both teams will be competing at the following local and international events this season:

• Burnwater Spring Sprints – May 4
• Vessi 500 Championships – June 1
• Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival – June 22-23
• IDBF Club Crew World Championships – Sept 3-8

· Aug 30 – Sept 9 including travel/training days

Athletes selected onto the crews should make provisions to participate only with the gendered teams at the above races in the specified divisions. Athletes may race with their Dragon Zone dragon boat team at the above races in other divisions (ie. Mixed Division) but may not race in other divisions with a club that is not Dragon Zone.

Eligibility & Requirements

All participants must meet the following criteria to be considered in selection onto the Club Premier Open or 24U Women Teams for the 2024 Season:

• Current paddler/coach/steers/drummer of a Club dragon boat team in good standing by March 1, 2024.
• A valid OC-1 (only Hody required) passholder for the 2024 season if securing a paddler position on the team.

· Completion of Club OC-1 huli drill or huli drill approval for current OC-1 pass.

· Completion and approval of 5 monitored OC-1 sessions, plus having passed the Club OC-1 online test

• 19 years of age or older as of competition start date.*
• Register for the mandatory Club-wide time trials and testing dates, 1 week prior at register.dragonboatbc.ca
• Be able to attend and pay for travel to the 2024 Club Crew World Championships, training days, as well as any qualifying events for the Championships. 
• Meet all Club rules and regulations, including those around good conduct, good standing, and codes of conduct.
• Meet all IDBF and DBC rules and regulations, including those around good conduct, good standing, rules of conduct, membership and affiliation requirements, age standards, and anti-doping regulations.
• At a minimum, 12 paddlers per roster must be composed of paddlers who were rostered for the Open boat at the 2023 Canadian National Championships.

* Certain exceptions may be provided for only the 24U-Uni Women team and are to be discussed with the club on a case by case basis.

Roster & Crew Selection

The 2023 Club teams will be competing in the following two divisions:

• Premier Open – no age or gender restrictions
• 24U-Uni Women – all women racers AND must be one or both of the following:

· 24 years of age or younger by December 31st of 2024 (birth year >=2000)

· A full-time student at an accredited-university at the time of competition (at any level)

Each crew is composed of 26-30 athletes (including steers and drummer), with likely 13-15 paddlers selected per side.

Coaches for the gendered teams have been invited to lead this process for 2024 by the Club. The Open team will be led by Aidan and Shamus Menard and the Women team led by Jennifer Thi. Team administration will be organized by Eric Liu and Vince Ramos.

Selection to the team will be entirely subject to the coach’s decision and selection event results. Factors include but are not limited to:

• 330m, 150m and 660m OC-1 Time Trial Results (Club-Wide)

· Please refer to DZ Club Wide OC-1 Sprint TT Bulletin – Feb 2024 for OC-1 testing information.

• Dragon boat technique
• Coachability and attitude
• Overall fitness and existing testings

Selection Process

The selection process for the team will consist of 4 camps, all composed of OC-1 Time Trial testings (Club-wide Time Trial) and dragon boat practices. OC-1 time trials will include 3 possible distances: 660m, 330m and 150m sprints. This is done to mimic dragon boat race distances and assess the paddler’s ability to move in a boat.

The planned dates for the 2024 selection camps are listed below. Please note that these dates and times are all subject to change.

• Preliminary Seeding Camp

· OC-1 TT (660m & 330m) – February 18th

· DB Practices (1) – February 25th

• Early Selection Camp

· OC-1 TT (TBA) – April 27th

· DB Practices (2) – April 28th

• Final Selection Camp

· OC-1 TT (TBA) – May 25th

• Training Camp

· OC-1 TT (TBA) – Aug 10th

· DB Practices (TBA) – Aug 11th

All eligible athletes are permitted to attend the first three camps, however, only CCWC race roster-selected athletes are permitted to attend the Training Camp (August). The gendered roster decisions will be conducted through a multi-step selection process that differentiates between the local race roster and CCWC race roster.

Local Roster

Rosters for local events will be composed of 1 Open boat and 1 Women boat each composed of 26 athletes (Including caller and steers). They will be exclusively selected from athletes who attended prior testings and practices:

• Burnwater Spring Sprints – up to Early Selection Camp
• Vessi 500 Championships – up to Final Selection Camp
• Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival – up to Final Selection Camp

Roster decisions will be officially announced approximately 1 week before each competition, and be emailed to selected participants. After this roster decision, only selected athletes will be permitted to join for practices.

NOTE: Selection to the local roster does not guarantee selection to the CCWC roster.

CCWC Roster

Phase 1 & 2 Selection Camps together will see the total selection of ~30-50% of the final CCWC race roster, while Phase 3 will compose of the remaining athletes. Final roster decisions will be announced approximately 1 week after Final Selection Camp (or any makeup testings), and be emailed to selected participants.

Training Camp results will be used for race lineup decisions of selected athletes for CCWC. NOTE: Selection to the CCWC roster does NOT guarantee that you will race!

Practices & Training

Upon registration to the program, athletes will be expected to participate in the following training modules until departure for CCWC

• Tuesday Dragon Boat Practice for each crew from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

· Bi-weekly (every 2 weeks) practices for each team (March, April, May)*

a. Open’s start date: March 19th, 2024

b. Women’s start date: March 26th, 2024

c. Ex. Opens, Womens, Opens, Womens, … (Alternating weekly)

· Weekly practices (June to Sept) for selected athletes

• There may possibly be supplementary OC-1/Gym workouts suggested by the coaches.

* Please note that the bi-weekly schedule is subject to change depending on the number of paddlers committed.

Costs

Similar to the selection process, costs for the program will be split into local and CCWC fees. Local costs apply for all those who are trying out for the program, and will cover expenses for practices, coaching, testings and races. CCWC costs only apply for those who are selected to the gendered teams.

Local

This will include one installment of $150 to be paid by each athlete on acceptance to try out for the program. This payment covers:

• All dragon boat practices & coach boat (subsidized by the Club)
• Local race fees (subsidized by the Club)
• Coaching fees

NOTE: Paying local fees DOES NOT guarantee you will race locally, you must still be selected! If we have enough registrants, we may race more than one boat per gender locally.

It is mandatory for athletes participating in this program to purchase a 2023 DZPC Gendered Team jersey if they do not have one already. Paddlers must wear this jersey for all local races with the team. The installment does not cover the jersey cost.

CCWC

For selected athletes only, there will be an additional installment that is currently TBA and to be paid by each athlete on acceptance to the CCWC roster for race operation related costs. This payment covers:

• CCWC/IDBF race registrations
• One CCWC club jersey (subsidized by the Club)
• Coach travel & accommodations

(**) Costs for accommodations (August 30-September 9) and bus (to and from race sites for 2 practice days, opening ceremony, and race days) for ALL Dragon Zone athletes will be organized through the club, but this fee is not included in the race operation fee indicated above. Each athlete will pay this amount, regardless if they are in one or more Mixed, Open or Women divisions. If an athlete is on a Mixed crew going to CCWC, this amount will be paid through your team, otherwise it will be through the club.

Installments DO NOT COVER:

• Dragon Boat Canada Registration Membership – $30 (DUE MARCH 31st)
• Flights, meals, personal expenses, and hotels outside of race period
• Travel insurance or other costs not listed in the explicitly included cost lines above

It is each individual athlete’s duty to book their own travel according to the dates required for racing and on-site training sessions in Ravenna, Italy. Athletes going to CCWC only for the Open or Women’s teams are encouraged to plan their trip alongside other Club paddlers or teams racing (JUICE or UBC Current Blue).

• Registration: Now open at register.dragonboatbc.ca (deadline April 21)
• Target Race Event: 2023 Canadian National Dragon Boat Championships, Welland Ontario
• Selection event: April 23 (OC-1 Time Trials and dragon boat sessions)

For the 2023 season, the club is aiming to enter 1 Open and 1 Women boat to compete at the 2023 Canadian National Dragon Boat Championships in Welland, Ontario in the Premier division. The goal for these crews is to place in the top 5 of the Premier Open and Premier Women divisions, in order to secure a berth to race at the 2024 Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna, Italy.

Eligibility & Requirements

All participants must meet the following criteria to be considered in selection onto the Club Open or Women Teams for the 2023 Season:

General Requirements:

• Current paddler/coach/steers/drummer of a Club dragon boat team in good standing
• 19 years of age or older as of competition start date.
• Register for mandatory selection camp including dragon boat sessions and time trials by April 21 at 11:59 PM at register.dragonboatbc.ca
• Be able to attend the Canadian National Championships in Welland, Ontario in late July 2023, as well as any qualifying events for the Championships. 
• Meet all Club rules and regulations, including those around good conduct, good standing, and codes of conduct.

Paddler Requirements:

• A valid OC-1 (only Hody required) passholder for the 2023 season if securing a paddler position on the team.
• Completion of Club OC-1 huli drill or huli drill approval for current OC-1 pass
• Completion and approval of 5 monitored OC-1 sessions, plus having passed the Club OC-1 online test

Roster & Crew Selection

The 2023 Club teams will be competing in the following two divisions:

• Premier Open – no gender restrictions
• Premier Women – all women racers including drummer and steersperson

Each crew is composed of 26-30 athletes (including steersperson and drummer), with likely 13-15 paddlers selected per side.

Coaches for the gendered teams have been invited to administer and lead this process for 2023 by the Club. The Open team is led by Aidan Menard, and the Women’s team is led by Vanessa Cheung. 

Selection to the team will be entirely subject to the coach’s decision and selection event results. Factors include but are not limited to:

• 330m and 150m OC-1 selection time trial results
• Dragon boat technique
• Coachability and attitude
• Overall fitness and existing testings

2023 Canadian National Dragon Boat Championships Information

The 2023 Canadian Dragon Boat Championships will be held at the Welland International Flatwater Centre in Welland, Ontario. Racing is scheduled to take place from July 20-23 with training taking place on July 19. Racing includes 3 distances for all classes/categories: 200m, 500m, and 2000m.

Entries to the 2024 Club Crew World Championships are awarded based on placement at Nationals. There are five standard boat entries available in each class and category. Placing first through fifth in our divisions will award the respective crew an entry. 

Note that if either the Open or Women’s crews secure a berth to CCWC 2024, a second selection process will take place. Being on the 2023 Nationals crews does not guarantee any athlete a spot on the CCWC 2024 crews.

Selection Process

The selection process for the current season is simplified and will be narrowed down into a “Selection Camp” day on Sunday April 23 that will compose of OC-1 time trials and dragon boat practices. The OC-1 selection time trial will compose of 2 distances: 330m and 150m sprints. This is done to mimic dragon boat race distances and assess the paddler’s ability to move in a boat.

No payment is required to participate in the selection process.

The Time Trial will be from 5:00 AM-9:00 AM, and dragon boat sessions from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM, and 2:00 PM-3:30 PM. 

Roster decision will be announced approximately 1 week after selection camp, and be emailed to selected participants.

Wildcard Selection Process

Due to the compressed timelines for the April 23 selection camp, approximately 3-6 slots will remain open after April 23 for a wildcard selection process to take place mid-May. This second round of smaller selections will be for athletes who will not be present for the April 23 camp and athletes who want another chance to make the team. Registration for this will take place on register.dragonboatbc.ca, and be comprised of OC-1 time trials only using the same specifications as listed previously.

Program Fees

There is one instalment of $100 to be paid by each athlete on the crew to accept their invitation to join the crew. This payment covers:

• Weekly dragon boat practice fees (subsidised by the Club)
• 2023 local race fees (subsidised by the Club)
• 2023 National Championship race registration 
• One club jersey (subsidised by the Club)

Note that additional fees may be required due to unforeseen costs of the program.

The instalment does not cover:

• Nationals travel, meals and personal expenses, or accommodation costs – Racers responsible for own costs
• Dragon Boat Canada affiliation fee – Racers responsible for own costs
• Travel insurance or other costs not listed in the explicitly included cost lines above – Racers responsible for own costs

It is each individual athlete’s duty to book their own travel and stay according to the dates required for racing and on-site training sessions in Welland. Athletes going to Nationals only for the Open or Women’s teams are encouraged to plan their trip alongside other Club paddlers or teams racing at Nationals.

Dragon Boat Practices & Training

Upon finalisation of the crew list for Nationals, invited athletes will be expected to participate in the following training modules until departure for Nationals. Paddlers missing multiple training modules may be removed from the program without refund. 

• One practice per week for each crew starting May 1, 2023 (day of the week TBD in consultation with all paddlers to ensure the day does not conflict against other practices).
• There may possibly be supplementary OC-1/Gym workouts suggested by the coaches.

2023 Local Qualifying Race Information

The Open and Women’s teams must race in two local races for the crews to qualify to race at the 2023 Nationals:

• Vessi 500 Championship – Open and Women Divisions (June 3, 2023).
• Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival – Open and Women Divisions (June 24-25, 2023).

Athletes selected onto the crews should make provisions to participate only with the gendered teams at the above races in the specified divisions. Athletes may race with their Dragon Zone dragon boat team at the above races in other divisions (ie. Mixed Division) but may not race in other divisions with a club that is not Dragon Zone.

Addendum 1: Time Trial/OC-1 Sprint Rules

Time Trial Guidelines

Trials will be conducted in a series of heats of 2-4 paddlers of the same gender and side. 

• All heats will take place in Hody boats,
• Each heat will be a head-to-head format (no staggered starts)
• Heats will be arranged with similar speeds in mind.

Heats will start at regular intervals which are specified on the released race grid. The final times will be calculated, adjusted if needed, and posted onto the results spreadsheet.

As stated, there will be two rounds of races: a 330 metre round, and a 150 metre round. Every participant will trial in each round. The 150 metre round will begin once all 330 metre trials have been completed.

Please arrive at Marshalling on the docks 15 minutes prior to the race start time. Posted times are race start times. 

Please be aware of other boats using the waterways and always respect the navigation laws. Give way to larger craft, commercial craft, or those that are not easy to manoeuvre. 

• If crossing or turning involves a risk of collision or impediment of boat traffic, refrain from doing so. Safety is always the top priority.
• Wait for the Creek to clear before committing to your turn, and let Marshalling know what happened if there is any altercation or obstruction.

Timing adjustments may be made. Failure to follow official commands, not checking in at marshalling at the specified time, or dangerous conduct will result in disqualification.

Time Trial Route

The race start line will be at the logs at the South East corner of Science World. Please ensure that the stern of your boat is touching a straight log or aligned with the railing above. A Starting Official will ask if you have a suitable “line” for the race before starting the race. It is up to the participants to ensure they have a straight line or notify the Starting Official if there are any complications.

The finish line differs between the 330m and 150m distances.

• 330m: Finishes perpendicular from the middle of the Canoe bridge west of the docks
• 150m: Finishes at the western tip of the second-last dock finger.

Your timer will be stopped once the front tip of your boat passes these points.

A timing official will stand at that spot and may provide an indication when a participant crosses the finish line (i.e. “Down” or “Let it run” or nothing at all!). Keep on going past the finish line, and paddle away from the area (North) to avoid blocking the next heat from finishing. Return straight to the dock after you’re done, but avoid any other boats racing out or coming in from their time trial.

As the schedules will be quite tight, we ask all participants to quickly on-load and off-load their boats as soon as possible, in an orderly manner. Due to possible congestion, we ask that participants not loiter around on-loading or off-loading areas on the docks.

Time Trial Penalties

• Time penalties for collisions, false starts, etc. will be dependent on severity and given on a case by case basis.
• Your raw time at finish will still be reported, regardless of penalty or adjustments.

OC-1 Sprint Rules:

1. All paddlers must use a dragon boat paddle. A limited number of spare paddles will be provided during the event on a “first come, first serve” basis.
2. A paddler’s boat will be rigged to the paddler’s paddling side for both distances.
3. A paddler may not switch to the off-side at any time after the race starts. Switching sides at any time during trial will result in disqualification of results .
4. As per Club Rules: a) All paddlers must wear a Transport Canada approved PFD (belts, vest, etc.); b) All paddlers scheduled for a time trial near or before sunrise or after sunset must bring two white lights
5. Time trials are to be conducted individually and without assistance from others
6. Time trials must be conducted on the participant’s designated DZ boat as noted on the Heat Sheet (unless specified otherwise).
7. Please listen to and obey any instructions given by time trial organisers during the event and follow Club Practice Rules.