Silver and Bronze for Nothin' Dragon at the FCRCC Knockout Regatta

“Nothin’ Dragon Gals’ first race event!”

Congratulations to our newly created women’s team, Nothin’ Dragon Gals’ who took home a bronze medal in the A Division final at the FCRCC Knockout Regatta 200m dragon boat races on May 10 at False Creek in Vancouver! A big shout out to our rookie steers woman, Michele who did a fantastic job in qualifiers and the semi. Bob steered for the knockout rounds.

It was also an exciting afternoon of racing as our mixed teams Rock and Roll competed. When all was said and done, both teams made it into the B Division knockout final.

Our fastest race time of the day was 0:58.73 by the Roll Team

Compare to 2024 results.

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Team Roll received a silver medal for second place in the Mixed B Division.

Here are the day’s race times:

Race 1
GALS  1:16.30 (4th)

Race 5
GALS 1:11.27 (4th)

Race 8 (Semi-final)
GALS 1:09.69 (1st)

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WOMEN’S KNOCKOUT FINALS — GALS take Bronze.

Race 23
ROLL 1:01.39 (4th)

Race 25
ROCK 1:08.96 (5th)

Race 27
ROLL 1:03.02 (4th)

Race 29
ROCK 1:07.53 (5th)

Race 30 Semi-final
ROLL 1:00.72 (2nd)

Race 31 Semi-final
ROCK 1:06.03 (4th)

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MIXED DIVISION B KNOCKOUT FINALS

View our VIDEO of the final Knockout Mixed B Division race.

Next on our race event is the Vessi 500 Championship on May 31.

Burnwater Spring Sprint Kicks Off Our 2025 Race Season

The Burnwater Spring Sprint on May 3 at False Creek marked Nothin’ Dragon’s exciting return to the water for our first races of the 2025 season — and what a way to start!

We were thrilled to cheer on the Rapid Eagles, the youth team we proudly support as they won in their final race. This composite team of paddlers from Riverside Secondary and Gleneagle Secondary powered their way to an impressive gold medal in the Junior B Division!

Our own teams — Rock and Roll — each competed in three 500m races, showcasing strong teamwork, determination, and early-season energy.

We’re proud to share that Team Roll earned a silver medal in the E Division final, kicking off the season on a high note! Both Rock and Roll teams put in higher times than our 2024 results.

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Official photo by Dragonboat BC of Team Roll with their silver medals.

A huge shoutout to our amazing steersmen, Bob, Bruce, Rob and Jason, and our dedicated drummers — Pat, Sandra, Terry and Vanessa — for keeping our crews steady, focused, and in sync throughout the day.

Next up: we race again this Saturday, May 10, at the FCRCC Knockouts — see you on the water! 💪🐉

Here are our Burnwater race times: 

Race 1
Rock 2:31:20
Roll 2:26:59

Race 2
Rock 2:34:60
Roll 2:24:523

Race 3 – Rock and Roll in same race (E Division Final)
Rock 2:32:771
Roll 2:22:261

Next we compete at the Knockouts on May 11. Same location. 200m races.

Rapid Eagles Soar to Gold at Spring Sprint

We’re incredibly proud of the Rapid Eagles, a dedicated high school dragon boat team that trains with the support of Nothin’ Dragon Paddling Society — using our boats, equipment and safety crew.

Led by Erica McArthur, a Riverside Secondary teacher and former Nothin’ Dragon coach, and co-coach Susan Priestly of Gleneagle Secondary, the team is a shining example of youth teamwork, perseverance, and paddling passion.

This composite crew — made up of students from Riverside Secondary and Gleneagle Secondary — recently competed in their first junior race at the Spring Sprint Dragon Boat Festival in False Creek, Vancouver this May.

And they didn’t just show up — they powered their way to a gold medal finish in the Junior B Division!

We’re thrilled to support the next generation of paddlers and can’t wait to see where this incredible crew goes next. Way to go, Rapid Eagles — you’ve made your whole paddling community proud!

Pam and Jason of Nothin’ Dragon stand with their son Marcus.

Successful Safety Session Held at Old Orchard Beach

What an invigorating morning it was at Old Orchard Beach on September 21st! With calm waters and no wind, 23 of our paddlers gathered to take part in our fall safety session—a vital part of keeping our team safe, strong, and prepared for anything.

Team safety is our top priority, and this session gave us a chance to practice essential drills while bonding over a shared experience of teamwork and resilience.

A huge thanks to Donna for organizing this successful session—your dedication keeps us all afloat! Special shoutout to Denise and Neil, who were our brave rescuers, ensuring everyone was safely back in the coach boat. Speaking of brave souls, let's not forget Linda, who deserves a medal for spending nearly the entire session in the water, flipping the boat and getting us all back on track.

Our boat was tipped and righted multiple times, led by the skilled hands of Ian and Rob V.

While safety is serious, the energy was high, there was loads of laughter, and spirits were even higher. Every flip, rescue, and recovery brought us closer as a team, reinforcing the importance of trust, communication, and quick thinking on the water.

Thank you again to everyone who participated and made the morning a success. As we head into the fall, let’s carry these lessons with us and continue paddling with confidence. Nothin' Dragon is more than just a team—we’re a family that looks out for one another, on and off the water.

Stay safe, stay strong, and paddle on!

Senior C Silver Medal at Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival

Nothin’ Dragon attended the 36th annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver’s False Creek on June 22 and 23. The weather was mild with calm water conditions. Many were concerned about the recent sewage spill into False Creek but everyone was conscious of the precautionary measures.

Team Rock and Team Roll competed with consistent times and great effort, enough to earn noteworthy times in divisions with teams young enough to be our grandchildren. It was exciting to race among 220 teams from across Canada, the USA and Australia in the largest dragon boat event in North America.

Day 1 was momentous, as our Senior C team took silver in the knockouts as we raced in honour of our late teammate, George MacLeod. It was wonderful to have George's sister Jeanie out as well as John (George's childhood friend), both past members of Nothin' Dragon.

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We raced for George that day! It was wonderful to meet his sister Jeanie (left) and old friend, John, who both used to paddle for Nothin’ Dragon.

“Shout out to Roy,” said Assistant coach Bob, “who had some members in tears of joy when he said it was the first time in 17 years that he participated in a Senior C race.”

In 2024, the decision to enter the knockout was at the last-minute so we could only enter one team, but we plan to reconvene the usual two-team roster in the senior event next year.

”Team bonding was at the forefront and the beer garden was well attended,” said Bob. “It was a perfect time to enjoy camaraderie, dancing, and then those in the senior team took to the ceremony stage to receive their medals.”

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Team Rock during at debrief in the paddlers’ village.

A huge thanks to teammate Henrietta who stood in line for our medals as well as kept us updated on our results and advancements!”

What happens on the bus stays on the bus! We enjoyed a lively return back to Port Moody from Vancouver thanks to newbie teammate, DJ Grace who kept us entertained with ‘Rock and Roll’ tunes living up to our new names!

”I thank each of you for your team spirit and the support you showed to one another over the weekend,” said assistant captain Bob. “Our next major event will be our team BBQ in early July.”

REPLAY! You can check out the livestream replay of both day on their YouTube channel:

• Livestreams on Concord Youtube channel

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Team Roll waiting on the docks at False Creek.

Here are our team's race results:

Team Rock

2:38.079 – Race 12

2:27.553 – Race 50

2:31.620 – Race 73

2:31.838 – Race 101 (Mixed I Final)

Team Roll

2:46.215 – Race 6

2:27.706 – Race 42

2:33.030 – Race 78

2:32.987 – Race 102 (Mixed H Final)

Senior Cup Knockout Race (x 3)

0:31.751

0:31.659

0:32.898

COMPARISON 2023 to 2024

2024 Concord Fastest Times:

ROCK 2:27.553

ROLL 2:27.706

SENIOR C: 0:31.659

2023 Concord Fastest Times:

MIXED BLACK 2:21.584 (1st in G final)

MIXED RED 2:35.496 (8th in F final)

SENIOR C 0:30.036 (3rd)

WOMEN 2:39.215 (2nd E final)

OPEN 2:03.637 (6th in B final)

Bronze for Nothin' Dragon at the FCRCC Knockout Regatta

“Historic First in the Mixed A Division”

Congratulations to Nothin’ Dragon’s team Rock who took home the bronze in the B division at the 2024 FCRCC Knockout Regatta dragon boat races on May 11 at False Creek in Vancouver!

It was an exciting day of racing as teams Rock and Roll competed in 200m races.

Despite no bling, team Roll enhanced their times throughout the day and made it into the A Division final with Nothin’ Dragon’s best time of the day of 0:55. 826! This is the first time Nothin’ Dragon has made it into a Mixed A Final.

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This was a great enhancement from last year’s times and placements. In 2023, Nothin’ Dragon took at gold in the C Division.

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Bronze in the Mixed B Division for Nothin’ Dragon Rock

Here are the day’s race times:

Race 5
ROLL  1:01.407 (3rd)

Race 8
ROCK 1:02.033 (4th)

Race 15
ROCK 1:04.122 (5th)
ROLL 1:00.251 (3rd)

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Team Roll made it into the Mixed A Division final with a time of 0:55.826, the fastest time for our team for the day.

Mixed B Knockout Race 1
ROCK 0:57.341 (5th)

Mixed B Knockout Race 2
ROCK 0:56.473 (4th)

Mixed B Knockout Race 3
ROCK 0:57.501 (3rd)

Mixed A Knockout Race 1
ROLL 0:55.826 (Knocked out)

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3rd place Knockout finiish for Nothin’ Dragon ROCK in boat 5. (Photo: Mandy Daly)

Next on our race schedule is the Vessi 500 Championship on June 1.

Our 2024 Race Season Opens with the Spring Sprint

The Burnwater Spring Sprint dragon boat event on May 4 at False Creek put Nothin’ Dragon on the water for our first races of 2024.

It was exciting to arrive, and shortly after, hear that The Rapids, the youth team we support from Riverside Secondary and Gleneagle Secondary took a gold medial in the B Division!

Our teams Rock and Roll had three 500m races each that day. The second race was a challenge as the currents changed with the tides and winds were high.

Special mention to our steersmen, Bob, Bruce, Brian A and Warren; and drummers Carol and Terry who kept our teams on course and focused.

Here are our race times: 

Race 1
Rock 2:29:370
Roll 2:34:703

Race 2
Rock 2:41:771
Roll 2:43:850

Race 3 – Rock and Roll in same race 
Rock 2:39:069
Roll 2:39:786

Next we compete at the Knockouts on May 11. Same location. 200m races.

Oddball Fall Classic Race Recap

Our final race weekend of the season was another testament to our improved fitness, coaching, and skill in the boat!

We had two mixed teams racing in Nothin' Dragon Red and Black teams consisting of Trish, Jen, Cindy, Sandra, Mary, Pat W, Elizabeth, Marg, Steve C, Nicole, Darlene Ian, Brian A, Steve M, David W, Mike, Brent J, Willi, Bruce, Helen, Donna, Dave F, Ann, Sally, Lori, Linda, Robbin, Michele, Laney, Julie, Terry, Marianne, Rob, George, Bryan, Pete, Dale, Brent M, Carol, Dave D, Christine, Deb, Jola and Patty,

We enjoyed another great tent location at False Creek thanks to the setup by Brent, Michele and Linda, where we could see race action and the marshaling board at a glance from the tent. Darlene led a great warmup, and at circle time we acknowledged our members who are retiring from the team.

Acknowledged and thanked for their team contributions was Mary, Patty, Bryan, Helen, Pat J and Ann. All have put in many years as paddlers, and are golden members. Saying goodbye to our originals, Ann and Pat is very difficult! Mary's contribution as a secretary for so many years must also get special mention. Our engine room will suffer a huge loss without Bryan, and the solid paddling of Mary, Ann, Pat, Helen and Patty who took various positions in the boat over the years. We thank you, love you, and wish you all the very best in your future!

Oddball Fall Classic race action got underway and both teams felt proud of our first race times, just one second apart. In our second race, both teams dealt with some technical issues from the race management team. Teams were having a hard time hearing the race start, and the Black team got held up by other teams not being in alignment, then the boat drifted, and a buoy was alongside the boat as the start got underway. Drummer and steer called out to the race official to no avail. After the debrief, team Black advised the race management about the issue. Despite a faint start call, Red team placed first in their semi! Our times were almost matched in our second races, and thought for certain we'd be racing against each other in race 3. That was not the case. We were seeded into Division D (Black) and E (Red).

Rain began and for our final races both teams were determined to make it our best, and that we did! Congrats to Team Red who took home a bronze medal for 3rd place in the E Division with a time of 00:59.068; and congrats to Team Black who put in our fastest time for the weekend at 00:56.184.

A big thanks to Coach Denise for having us race-ready, our steers and drummers for navigating, motivating and keeping us on course: Bob, Dave F, Trish, Laney and Sally. Thank you to our assistant captain, Steve C for your leadership!

We all left a little or a lot wet but feeling proud of our accomplishments. Many of us ended up at Legion 263 in Coquitlam to bid Mary, Patty & Bryan farewell.

Race Results:

ND RED

Race 4 - Qualifier

01:01.463

Race 16 - E/F/G Semi

1:02.257

Race 27 - E Final

00:59.068

ND BLACK

Race 5 - Qualifier

1:00.042

Race 19 - A/B/C/D Semi

1:02.881

Race 28 - D Final

00:56.184

Facebook Photos and Video Album

Now it's time to get focussed on our AGM, dryland and our next season, and onboarding newbies.

Congrats to our Team Red for bringing home the bling! Bronze in the E Division.

We're Recruiting! Men Needed

Want to join our team?

Nothin’ Dragon is an energetic group of motivated men and women who strive to achieve excellence in physical fitness by participating in recreational and competitive dragon boating. Our club has been in existence since 1998. We enjoy an active lifestyle in a friendly, supportive setting, and contribute to the community by sponsoring, encouraging, and mentoring youth programs. We host and operate the Inlet Spring Regatta each April. Our team is a force that sees potential in every stroke of the paddle.

Although we are a sociable group, we are also a competitive racing team.  Over the years we have made significant gains in our race results.  We are always committed to getting stronger and faster for our next season. 

We’ve had no problem attracting women to the team as the sport is female-dominated. Towards that end, we are currently looking for male candidates who are in good health, who are physically fit, and who are willing to work hard at all practice/training sessions. 

Working hard at practice enables us to race well.  In short, we are looking for members willing to become 'paddlers' and not 'passengers.’

Here’s a look at your commitment:

• March to September we paddle Monday and Thursday evenings: 5:30 – 7 p.m.

• October and November we paddle on Saturday mornings and do dryland fitness training with an instructor on Thursdays designed to improve our strength, stamina our focus in the boat.)

• December to February we take off

• By early March, we resume Saturday morning paddling as weather temperatures allow

• Race season runs from April through September, and races take place on select weekends in locations such as the Vancouver Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Harrison Lake, Penticton and possibly the USA.

Time and commitment are essential components of being a member of our team.

Click HERE to fill out our form and tell us why you’d like to join our team. Also provide details on your fitness level, paddling experience (if any) and advise if you can commit to our training schedule described above.

Penticton Dragon Boat Festival Race Recap

Congrats to those who competed in Penticton!

What an amazing weekend of sunshine, pool time, camaraderie, great food, and super dragon boat racing! We ran one mixed team and one women's team.

The weather was idyllic and although there was some smoke it was not too bad. Winds were nonexistent in the mornings to light in the afternoons. We held our traditional team dinner at the Riverside Motel on Saturday night and it was yum!

Our Penticton crews consisted of Michele, Laney, Pat W, Bryan, Darlene, Ian, Pete, Warren, Brent J, Bob, Lori, Denise, Robbin, Linda, Sandra, David W, Rob, Dave D, Marg, Bruce, Dave F, Marianne, Nicole, Carol, Marjorie, Christine, Jola, Patty, Sally, Marlene and Trish. Thanks for leading warmups, Darlene; and for keeping us on course, Bob, Dave F, Sally and Trish!

A big thanks to Sandra and her husband Paul who were a huge help in getting us paddlers to fill out our women's team. Thanks to the ladies from Paul's team, the TCC Dragoneers: Rachel, Sherry, Gail and Leanne.

This weekend proved that all the hard work we've been putting in since April has paid off. Our results show proof of our excellent coaching and our dedication to our sport. Thank you Denise for having us race-ready, sorted out, and updated throughout the season and over the weekend.

Our women's team started off strong and placed second in their first three races, increasing their time each race. By Sunday, we were in the 20th position of 44 teams. This put us in the Jade Final A Division. Despite coming last, it was only by a couple of seconds and it was the women's team's fastest time of the weekend. Great going ladies!

Our mixed team took home silver after strong performances in their first three races, placing 2nd, 2nd, 1st, and then 2nd in the Diamond Final A! By Sunday, we were placed 15 out of 30 mixed teams. Strong starts and finishes were noted by those on the shore. Great job!

Team history was made with the Steers Challenge race with Dave F at the helm. We had to race down the 500m course, then make a full turn, and then guide the boat back through a 500m slalom course set up with 10 buoys. Each missed buoy was a 5-second loss. We were the third team to do the course (the first to complete it) as the first two teams decided to just paddle back after experiencing the difficulty. It was great fun and resulted in big excitement and hilarious chaos with calls coming from many in our boat. The women's team, FLCC Race Crew won the challenge, and we are still awaiting our results. Thanks to Dave for leading us through the course along with Trish and Denise's directions up front. We can't wait until we can do this one again!

We appreciate and thank the family and friends who came out to cheer us on! The weekend came to a close with cold ones in the beer garden before some of us headed home, and others enjoyed another night in beautiful Penticton.

Here are our race results:

Day 1----

MIXED

Race 4 – 2:17.15 (2nd)

Race 22 – 2:20.20 (2nd)

WOMEN

Race 15 – 2:34.46 (2nd)

Race 33 – 2:32.41 (2nd)

STEERS CHALLENGE (1000m) -- still awaiting our result.

Day 2----

WOMEN

Race 45 – 2:31.43 (2nd) - Jade Semi

Race 69 – 2:29.04 (4th) - Jade Final A

MIXED

Race 54 – 2:19.54 (1st) - Diamond Semi

Race 75 – 2:14.22 (2nd) - Diamond Final A

Link to event results page

Thank you our photographer, Jola!
Here is our Facebook album.

Next up is our final race of the season, the Oddball Fall Classic on Sept. 23.

Harrison Regatta Race Recap

We had perfect weather for the Harrison Regatta on July 22! This tricky dragon boat venue never failed to disappoint with a spectacular visual feast of BC beauty, wild waters, and winds that increased as the day progressed and kicked sand up into our faces on the shore. 

We appreciated the cheering from Roy, Joan, Elaine, John and Sophie! 

Thanks to those who supported teammates by carpooling. We had a great tent spot at the far end of the village, which gave us lots of privacy, and a great view of the race action. The event announcer was set up close to us so we knew when to head to marshaling. We all brought potluck food, so feasting began after our first race. 

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Marshaling on the beach at Harrison Lake.

In our first race, (lane 1, closest to shore) our start was faltered by a buoy that hugged the boat on the right side. Once we got going, however, we came on strong, and our fans on shore said we were gaining and had a strong finish.

In our second race, we were placed in lane 6, far side, and the winds had increased. We had a very strong start, but our boat was being pushed by the current and winds, and our steer lost course, so we had to hold the boat, and then restart.  

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The venue at Harrison Lake showing the docks and boat loading area.

For race three (C final), we were determined to make it our best race. Winds are usually highest in the afternoon and often switch directions.  We were once again in lane 1. Our start was strong and we powered down the course and finished well, almost matching our morning race time, missing that by fractions of a second. 

Here are our team's race results: 

Race 1 – 2:25:457 5th place
Race 2 – 2:37:892 6th place
Race 3 – 2:25:502 6th place in C final

To compare, our best race time at Concord this year was 2:20.041 (open team), so we did very well!   With a smaller race event, our mixed competition was made up primarily of very young teams.

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A big thank you to Henrietta who came out to manage our time and results board, and kept our tent area monitored while we were on the water. Thanks to Randy for transporting our equipment and making fast seat changes on the way out to the start line to balance our boats when needed. Thanks to our steers, Bruce and Linda, and our drummer Trish who took on and guided us through the beast we call Harrison!

Thanks to Steve for leading our warmups. To everyone that helped with setup and tear down and carry.  Thanks to Coach Denise, who despite not being able to attend, put a lot of time and effort into our lineups and training.

No bling, but we know we gave it our all, and although we left with sand in our hair (and other places), we had smiles on our faces! 

ps. We talked with teams from Washington and Seattle about our next Inlet Spring Regatta and they are very keen. 

Photos on our Facebook page.

Our next race event will be in Victoria on Aug. 12 and 13!

Gold, Silver and Bronze at Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival

Another historic team race event is in the books for Nothin’ Dragon at the 35th annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver’s False Creek!

Congrats on our Team Black seniors for taking bronze, our women for taking silver, and our Team Black mixed for taking gold, as well as our open team for putting in our fastest time of the weekend and making it into the B finals!

So much went into organizing this weekend! With over 45 of our teammates participating, a BIG thanks to Coach Denise who ensured we were race-ready and did all the registering and communications with the event to ensure we could make our race times. She compiled lineups and made last-minute tweaks as the weekend progressed.

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Our women’s team took SILVER! (Official Concord photo)

Thanks to our assistant captains Randy and Steve, Brian for sorting out our bus, Darlene and those who helped do warmups, and our managers (Lori and Pat W.) who kept our race board up to date, and to Linda for helping transport and set tents and equipment. Thanks to Bob and Elizabeth who stepped up to lead our team cheer. It was great to have alumnus, Ric out on Saturday to help paddle in the senior race as well as steer. A BIG shout out to our steers and drummers who kept us safely on course and motivated!

We put in a lot of walking, over 20,000 steps per day reported by those with FitBits. It was exciting to race against teams from across Canada, the USA and Australia. The event's live coverage was enjoyable and brought a reality to how we looked in the boat and on the course.

Very exciting race action! You can check out the livestream replay of both day on their YouTube channel:

• Saturday, June 24 livestream

• Sunday, June 25 livestream

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Our Senior C BRONZE medal team! (Official Concord photo)

Here are our team's race results:

DAY 1--------------------------

Race 1

RED 2:48.608 (5th)

Race 9

BLACK 2:34.191 (6th)

Race 14

OPEN 2:31.493 (7th)

Race 15

WOMEN 2:46.594 (7th)

KNOCKOUT CUP (100m)

Race 25

RED 0:32.384 (7th)

BLACK 0:31.133 (3rd)

Race 26

RED 0:32.365 (7th)

BLACK 0:30.036 (3rd)

Race 27

BLACK 0:31.115 (3rd)

Race 37

RED 2:45.187 (4th)

Race 42

BLACK 2:34.98 (5th)

Race 53

WOMEN 2:45.307 (7th)

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Our ladies in pe-marshaling area. They went on to take a silver medal.

DAY 2--------------------------

Race 57

WOMEN 2:42.512 (6th in C/D/E semi)

Race 65

BLACK 2:25.870 (1st in G/H/I/J semi)

Race 68

RED 2:30.512 (7th in C/D/E/F semi)

Race 74

OPEN 2:20.041 (7th in B semi)

Race 79

WOMEN 2:39.215 (2nd E final)

Race 84

OPEN 2:203.637 (6th in B final)

Race 89

BLACK 2:21.584 (1st in G final)

Race 90

RED 2:35.496 (8th in F final)

After putting in our all, we enjoyed the beer garden, camaraderie, dancing and then lined up to receive our medals, which were by a formal presentation on the stage with photos. A huge thanks to teammate Steve Mason who stood in line for our medals as we enjoyed the beer garden!

Take a look at our Facebook photo album.

Our next race event will be at Harrison Lake!

Gold Place Finish For the Gleneagle and Riverside Rapids at Concord

Another huge shout out to the Rapids, the high school team that trains in our boats and with our safety boat, paddles, PFDs and our steer, Linda!

This youth team is made up of students from Riverside Secondary and Gleneagle Secondary students and they did very well at the 35th annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival at False Creek, Vancouver on June 24 and 25.

The outcome was a gold medal in the Junior Mixed C Division!

The students are led by Riverside teacher, Erica McArthur, former coach to Nothin’ Dragon. Susan Priestly, a teacher from Gleneagle is the co-coach.

The team trains at Rocky Point and many of the youth helped us on the dock at our Inlet Spring Regatta.

Way to go, Rapids!

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Medal ceremony. Junior Mixed C gold.

Dear Nothin Dragon,

Thank-you for your individual support with the Gleneagle and Riverside Rapids this season. Over the course of the season these paddlers learned so much about teamwork, commitment, pushing personal limits, and having fun. We could not have done it without your support. After a busy teaching day, arriving each afternoon to the crew getting out the equipment and boat made everything run smooth. Please know the pure enjoyment/exhaustion on the faces of the students in the attached photo was possible thanks to you.

Susan and I had a rewarding season coaching the Rapids and working with your support.

All the best in the remainder of your 2023 racing season and see you next year!

Sincerely,

Erica

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Gold and Bronze Place Finishes at the FCRCC Knockout Regatta

Congratulations to Nothin’ Dragon’s Red Team who took home the gold in the C division at the 2023 FCRCC Knockout Regatta dragon boat races on May 13 at False Creek in Vancouver!

It was an exciting day of racing as teams Red and Black in 200m races.

Team Red was in the first race of the day at 9 a.m. and the new layout of the 200m race course (way down at the west end) proved to be a challenge, not only for the steers, but the race officials themselves. The race got underway, and from our boat it appeared the two boats in the lead were going too close to one another. One of them was being called to move away. Then our boat got called to move right. We almost ran into the boat in front of us, and our steer managed to move us over and somehow we all just kept paddling. The race result was much better than expected!

This first race altered the course for the remaining races and the officials changed how the steers were to pinpoint their direction. This helped. The sound system also improved as the day progressed, which meant we could hear the starts better each time. 

Team Black kept improving on time leading up to the exciting Knockouts. Team Red improved or hovered around the same mark. And again, we again got to race against each other and both Red and Black were called back to the start line twice in the Knockouts! 

In each of the three races, Team Red was able to put in a leading finish, and in the final race, Team Black gave it their all for a third-place finish! 

Here are the day’s race times:

Race 1
RED  1:07.779

Race 5
BLACK 1:05.834

Race 11
RED 1:00.112
Race 12
BLACK 1:01.970

Race 18
BLACK 1:02.790

Race 20
RED 1:00.500

Knockout Race 1
RED 1:01.834
BLACK 1:04.737

Knockout Race 2
RED 1:01.289
BLACK 1:03.792

Knockout Race 3
RED 1:01.473
BLACK 1:04.376

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CLICK to view LARGER

Next on our race schedule is the Vessi 500 Championship on June 3.

Bronze Finish in Vessi 500 Senior C Cup

A beautiful day for racing at the Vessi 500 Championships dragon boat festival in Vancouver at False Creek. It was also a historic day as it was the first time Nothin' Dragon had two teams in the Senior C Cup race!

Both Red and Black teams put in a great day of racing and times improved as the day progressed.

From the Red team: "Despite being down a few teammates, no one got discouraged and everyone put in 100% effort all day. Our first race was a bit of a challenge. Just couldn’t get the glide! We figured it out, worked on ‘long and patient’ and ‘top hand pressure’ and the next three races felt great! Good glide, and strong finishes. Our times kept improving and we ended proudly with 2:26. It really was a fun day!"

From the Black team: “The consensus was that in our first race, the rate was high, but we managed to maintain it. Our effort resulted in a bronze place finish in the Senior C! Our focus for our next races was to go longer at a slower rate, and as we consistently aimed at doing so, we were able to improve each time and often were surprised to see our results as the effort felt like we may not be going that fast. It helped that most of our starts were strong and smooth. “

A big thanks to Coach Denise who manage lineups, answered questions and provided encouragement and feedback. She has drilled these points into us at training: go long, top hand pressure, patience. We're getting it!

And a special thank you to our steers and drummers who keep us on the course with their steadiness, calls and encouragement, even if they would rather be paddling. It's wonderful to see those new to these positions all doing so well. Your team is very proud of you!

Here are the race results for the Senior C Cup:

Race 1: Senior C

Nothin' Dragon Red – 2:38.291

Nothin' Dragon Black – 2:32.218 (bronze finish)

Our other race results:

Race 5: Nothin' Dragon Red – 2:35.784

Race 7: Nothin' Dragon Black – 2:27.158

Race 13: Nothin' Dragon Red – 2:34. 800

Race 15: Nothin' Dragon Black 2:25.124

Race 20: Nothin' Dragon Red – 2:26. 058 (Division F)

Race 22: Nothin' Dragon Black – 2:17.896 (Division D)

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Rapids High School Team Wins B Division Gold at Spring Sprint

A huge shout out to the Rapids, who train in our boats and with our safety team and steers! The students are led by Riverside teacher, Erica McArthur, former coach to Nothin’ Dragon. Susan Priestly, a teacher from Gleneagle is the co-coach.

This high school team is made up of students from Riverside Secondary and Gleneagle Secondary students and they did very well at their first junior race at the Spring Sprint dragon boat festival at False Creek, Vancouver in May.

The outcome was a gold medal in the Junior B Division!

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Hard work pays off! Junior B Gold!

The team trains at Rocky Point and many of the youth helped us on the dock at our Inlet Spring Regatta.

The Rapids are still training and will compete at the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in June to wrap up their season.

A hearty congrats from team Nothin’ Dragon!

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Steering from Nothin’ Dragon is Linda Corcoran.

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Giving back! Students from the Rapids helped on the docks at our Inlet Spring Regatta held in April.

Gold in D Division at the Spring Sprint

Congratulations to Nothin’ Dragon’s Black Team who took home the gold in the D division at the 2023 Burnwater Spring Sprint dragon boat races on May 6!

It was an exciting day of racing as our teams Red and Black had three 500m races each. Each race showed an improved time for both teams.

Special mention to our rookie steersmen, Bob and Warren who kept the Black team on course and focused.

Here are our race times: 

Race 1
Red 2:44:663
Black 2:38:638

Race 2
Red 2:38:540
Black 2:37:437

Race 3 – what a race! 
Red 2:35:554
Black 2:34:653

Team photo with Red and Black. Spring Sprint, Vancouver.

Next we compete at the Knockouts on May 13. Same location. 200m races.

Riverside Secondary Returns to Dragon Boating

Did you know that we support Riverside Secondary (École Riverside Secondary School) located in Port Coquitlam?

New this year! The team also consists of students from Gleneagle Secondary in Coquitlam.

The team name is the Rapids.

Students are introduced to the sport of dragon boating, and we provide our paddles, PFDs, dragon boats and safety boat, along with some of our team to train on the waters off Rocky Point Park, Port Moody.

This year they will go to competitions and it's great to have them back after years away. The students are led by Riverside teacher, Erica McArthur, former coach to Nothin’ Dragon.

Have a great season, Rapids!

Results of the 2022 AGM

Nothin’ Dragon Masters held our annual general meeting on Nov. 17 in the Old Mill Boathouse.

Congratulations to returning and new executive members:

• President: Brian Kenny

• Vice President: Brent Murphy

• Treasurer: Willie Savage

• Secretary: Jan Kenny

• Fundraising: Sandra Foubert

• Race Registrar: Denise Nelson

• Captain: Vacant

• Asst. Captain: Steven Chung

Committee members:

• Boat Maintenance: Warren Fox

• Coffee Mornings: Trish and John Wintle

• Facebook: Marjorie Wong

• Dragon Boat Management: Linda Corcoran / Denise Nelson

• Equipment (Tents): Brent Joel / Linda Corcoran

• Membership: Cheryl Plume

• Old Mill Boathouse Liaison: Pat Johnson

• Recycling: Julie Asselstine

• Safety: Donna Nyberg

• Social: Marlene Fox

• Sunshine: Elizabeth Scales

• Uniforms: Laney Bryenton

• Boat Booking Agent: Vacant

Winter Storm Sinks Dragon Boats at Rocky Point Park

No one could anticipate the crazy weather that took place in mid-November. The new weather term, “atmospheric river” had people paying attention and asking, “What is that?”

On November 15, several of the Nothin’ Dragon Masters executives went down to check the dragon boats docked at Rocky Point as the weather had lifted ever so slightly. Sadly, both boats were under the water but still tied to the dock.

Team captain, Denise reported back to the team, “Water is so high, winds are so strong and it was so cold….we have to wait till morning to see what we can do to get our dragon boats up out of the water.”

Thanks to teammate Lori, on November 19, C-Tow Marine Service and the diving crew "Seawolf" came to the rescue to lift the boats back to the surface with air ballasts.

The team came out to help get the boats from the water to dry land.

C-Tow Marine Service and the diving crew "Seawolf" to the rescue!

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Many hands make light work!