A Dragon boat (
traditional Chinese: 龍舟or 龍船;
simplified Chinese: 龙舟 or 龙船;
pinyin: lóngzhōu, lóngchuán) is a very long and narrow
human powered boat used in the team
paddling sport or Dragon boat racing which originated in
China.
For
racing events, dragon boats are always rigged with decorative
Chinese dragon heads and tails and are required to carry a large drum aboard. At other times the decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for training purposes.
Dragon boat races are traditionally held to commemorate the death of
Qu Yuan, making dragonboating the only sport to be celebrated as a national holiday. The
Chinese calendar date is 5/5 which usually corresponds to a date in June.
The crew of the dragon boat
Dragon boat in Friedrichstadt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
The standard
crew complement of a contemporary dragon boat is around 22, comprising 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the boat, 1 drummer or caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers, and 1 steerer or tiller(helm) at the rear of the boat, although for races it is common to have just 18 paddlers. Dragon boats vary in length and crew size will vary accordingly, from small dragon boats with 10 paddlers, up to the massive traditional boats which have upwards of 50 paddlers, plus drummer and steerer.
The drummer and drumming
The drummer or callers may be considered the "heartbeat" of the dragon boat, and leads the crew throughout a race with the rhythmic beating of a drum to indicate the timing and frequency of paddling strokes (that is, the cadence, picking up the pace, slowing the rate, etc.) The caller may issue commands to the crew through a combination of hand signals and voice calls, and also generally exhorts the crew to perform at their peak. A caller/drummer is mandatory during racing events, but if he or she is not present during training, it is typical for the steerer to direct the crew.
Good callers should be able to
synchronize the drumming cadence with the strokes of the leading pair of paddlers, rather than the other way around. As a tail
wind, head wind or cross wind, may affect the amount of power needed to move the boat at
hull speed throughout a race, a caller should also be aware of the relative position of the dragon boat to other boats, and to the finish line, in order to correctly issue commands to the crew as to when to best surge ahead, when to hold steady and when to peak for the finish. An expert level caller will be able to gauge the power of the boat and the paddlers through the sensation of acceleration, deceleration, and inefficiencies which are transmitted through the hull (ie. they will physically feel the boat action through their feet and gluteus maximus muscles).
Traditional dragonboats with 40 to 50 paddlers are so long that the drum is positioned amidships (in the middle of the boat) so that all paddlers can hear it amidst the noise of heated competition. However, for the smaller dragon boats of 20 paddlers which are most often used in competitive sporting events, the drum is located just aft of the dragon headed prow.
Some crews may also feature a gong striker who strikes a ceremonial gong mounted aboard the dragon boat. A gong striker may sometimes be used as an alternative to a drummer.
The paddlers
The paddlers sit facing forwards, and use a specific type of
paddle. The leading pair of paddlers, called "pacers," "strokes," or "timers," set the pace for the team. It is critical that all paddlers are synchronized. Each paddler should synchronize with the paddler diagonally in front of them. This ensures that the paddling pace is balanced and all energy is spent on moving the boat forward. The direction of the dragon boat is set by the helm, not the paddlers. The lead paddlers are responsible for synchronizing themselves.
There are several components to a dragon boat or
outrigger stroke: 1. The "catch" at the front of the 60 degree negative angle allows the paddler to bury their blade deep in the water. 2. The "pull" stage generates the power to move the boat, most often by using the strong muscles of the back to propel the boat beyond the paddle. 3. The "release" or "return" is the final stage of the stroke. To release, the outside arm should slightly bend and the blade should release to the top of the stroke. It is important for the blade to return as vertically as possible, with the top hand staying outside the boat. Each of these components of the stroke are equally important and must be done in synchronization with the paddle across and in front. If done correctly, all paddles will be in time with the lead strokes.
If paddlers are not synchronized, each successive pair of blades hits the water a fraction of a second behind the blades in front of them. To an onshore observer, this effect resembles the movement of a many-legged caterpillar or centipede; thus, a coach may discipline a team for "caterpillaring." During a race it is difficult to stay in sync as the sounds of other drums make it confusing or unreliable to time off the
drum beat.
Very experienced paddlers will feel the response of the boat and its surge or resistance through the water via the blades of their paddles, and will adjust their reach, and the catch of their blade tips, in accordance with the power required to match the acceleration of the hull through the water at any given moment.
The steerer
The steerer, known also as the coxswain, helm, steersman, sweep, or tiller, controls the dragon boat with a steering oar similar in function to a
tiller which is mounted at the rear of the boat. The steerer may work with the drummer to call out commands during a race. The responses of the oar are opposite to the direction they take - if the steerer pulls the oar right, or into the boat, the boat will turn left, and if they push out, or left, the boat turns right. The steerer has the power to override the caller at any time during the race (or the coach during practise) if the safety of the crew is threatened in any way.
Taiwanese flag catchers
A Taiwanese style Flag Catching dragon boat during a Dragon Boat Festival in Portland, OR
Another dragon boat crew position which was first popularized on the island of
Taiwan and which remains very popular there is the flag puller or flag catcher, who is tasked with grabbing a lane flag as the boat crosses the finish line. The first boat to pull their flag wins the race, while any boats which miss their flag are penalized. The flag catcher normally sits behind the drummer, but as the boat approachers the finish line the flag catcher moves into position onto the top of the dragon head (see photo).
In historical times before the introduction of photo finishes and digital timing, or simply where such facilities are not available, flag catching is useful for distinguishing very close finishes (presumably an odd number of judges can decide the winner where multiple flags are caught very close together). A
Song Dynasty landscape painting on silk records a dragon boat festival race on an imperial lake featuring flag pulling dragon boat races.
