What happens on the day?

Our 20 teams will meet at South Bank lagoon at 8.30am in their nominated area along the Southbank promenade directly in front of the race course. This will be your base for the day.

First up is the traditional ritual of ‘Awakening the Dragon’ ceremony. This involves a blessing of the fleet by Buddhist monks who perform the eye-dotting ceremony to awaken the dragon and give the boats and their crews the strength of the dragon. With these formalities dealt with, teams will begin to marshall for series of race heats throughout the morning.

When called, each team will progress to the marshalling area to assemble in paddling positions, allocate racing lanes and to fit life jackets. From here each team will progress to the pontoons for loading of the boats and preparation for racing.

In each of the competition heats, teams amass points depending on the number of wins and places they achieve. After lunch, teams will then compete in final knock-outs. The more points teams gain in the morning, the more opportunity they have to secure a coveted place in the grand final race.

A presentation ceremony will be held to present the winning corporate and community crews at the end of the day.

What do I need to bring?

• Lots of water. Taps and shops are nearby for refills.
• A hat, sunnies, sun cream.
• A fold out chair is a good idea.
• Food. Make sure you keep pumped with some healthy bites. There are also plenty of shops nearby.
• Friends and family. The pool and beach is right behind the race course and a great vantage point to watch if you're not paddling. Extra team support is a great help!

Racing

• Races will be approximately 200m.
• The race draw and team lists will be released prior to race day.
• Each drew will get several races. Depending on your performance you may get up to five races.