Be part of the action when dragons invade Beaufort!
Greg Rawls, who fashioned the red dragon you may have seen about town, has been an avid supporter of DragonBoat Beaufort and Race Day. This is what he has to say: “I have been involved with DragonBoat Race Day since the beginning. I have watched it grow into a huge event that brings together an eclectic cross section of our community. I love watching people have fun and releasing their ‘inner silliness’ for a great cause. I love watching people paddle their hearts out trying to win a medal. I love the Carnation Ceremony where we remember those we have lost to cancer but also those who are still fighting the good fight. I love that every year more people become aware of and support DragonBoat Beaufort’s cancer survivor/support mission.”
Dragonboat Beaufort is hosting the 4th annual DragonBoat Race Day. DragonBoat Race Day 2016 will be held at beautiful Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park downtown on the Beaufort River in America’s Happiest Seaside Community, Beaufort, SC.
The Dragon Boat races will be the highlight of labor day, including a free Friday night concert.
The exciting dragon boat races will take place Saturday, September 3, 2016 from 8am until 4pm as 35 teams race right in front of the Park’s seawall. Among the fun and festivities will be an opening ceremony, three heats of races, the moving Carnation Ceremony for cancer survivors and their families and the closing medal ceremony. DragonBoat Race Day will include many local businesses, community groups, teams of friends and family racing against each other. The mixed Cancer Survivor Division will be the showcase for our heroes and heroines, honoring the spirit of DragonBoat Race Day.
All teams will be fundraising as part of the competition. Individuals and teams that raise the most will be handsomely rewarded! The proceeds from the fundraising effort fuel DragonBoat Beaufort’s two-pronged mission. The first is to fund the ongoing activities of DragonBoat Beaufort’s cancer survivor teams; the second is to continue to strengthen our outreach programs of cancer-survivor-focused grants, support and counseling.
Forming a team is easy! Included in your team registration is a practice session where we will show you how to paddle and race. Practice sessions and the exciting DragonBoat Race Day event itself include all the necessary equipment: a dragon boat, paddles, life preservers (PFDs), a drum and a professional steersperson/coach.
Racing Info
• There will be 35 teams each racing three times
• There will be two divisions – Mixed Community and Cancer Survivor teams. All teams race together.
• Cancer Survivor teams must have at least 8 cancer survivors in the boat during each race
• After the first and second heats, teams will be placed in racing categories based upon their time; the third heat will decide the medals
• Cancer Survivor placings decided by aggregating the two best times from each team.
• Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded for the top three finishers in each racing categories during the Awards Ceremony at the end of the day
Tentative Schedule:
07:30 am: Captain’s Meeting at the Registration Tent to
learn the latest information about Race Day
08:00 am: Opening Ceremony
08:15 am: Marshalling for the first race. Marshaling times
for the first heat will be sent to captains the week
before Race Day
08:30 am: First race of the first heat
10:30 am: Second heat
12:30 pm: Carnation Ceremony at the Finish Line with a
performance by the Sweet Grass Angels!
01:15 pm: Third heat
04:00 pm: Awards Ceremony
Other information for teams:
• Paddlers must be a minimum of 16 years of age
• Decorate your tent and show off your original team t-shirts
Awards will go to best tent décor, best drummer costume, best team spirit and best team shirts
• A 10’x10’ tent will be provided for your team. No tables are provided
• Food and beverages available on site. There are many great restaurants within easy walking distance of the Park!
If you’d like additional information about DragonBoat Race Day 2016, feel free to contact the Race Director at RaceDirector@
Teams: Questions about entering a team or questions about teams, Teams@DragonBoatBeaufort.org
Volunteering: Interested in volunteering to help with Race Day 2016? Volunteer@DragonBoatBeaufort.
Sponsorship: Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact John Dickerson at Sponsor@DragonBoatBeaufort.org
