Participating Crews

Shtoorming through with Kurpfalz and Sloths too - Russian and German Crews dominate but Aussies catching up! Wind, Rain, Cloud and finally the Sun, ensured that the 2004 CCWC in Cape Town was an interesting experience for all concerned. But the Organisers, Race Officials and over 1500 competitors representing 45 Clubs (88 crews) from 12 Countries on 5 Continents took all that the weather and other disruptions could throw at them during the weekend and came out smiling at the end of an enjoyable event. The bad weather that had plagued the previous 3 days finally gave way to glorious sunshine and placid water conditions on Sunday 18 April 2004, the last day of the Championships, and racing finished bang on time. After good weather earlier in the week, blustery wind and rain arrived in Cape Town just in time to affect the planned Opening Ceremony for the 2004 CCWC, scheduled to take place at the V&A Waterfront, as a curtain raiser to the Championships on the following days. Undaunted the Band of the South African Navy, plus traditional Dancers and local musicians were relocated in to the Competitors Marquee and a good time was had by all inside, rather than out. Friday saw little change to the weather but despite the adverse conditions and problems in keeping the technical equipment and Race Officials in the Finish Tower, the Marshalling Area and the Starting Area dry the main Race Programme was completed with only a 40 minute enforced delay during the day, to warm up the valiant youngsters holding the boats at the Start. Unfortunately, the water conditions late in the day, when tide and wind swept down the 2000m course (in the same direction - out to sea!) meant that on safety grounds the Race Officials felt unable to race crews over the planned 2k race course. Although offered the opportunity to race over a shorter, safer course and distance, the majority of the Crew Managers, voted to 'try again' for the full 2k on Saturday. Despite the disappointment of the postponed 2ks, the 200m Premier Mixed Grand Final proved to be a cracker, with all 5 boats crossing the line in a blanket finish, separated by just one second. On the photo, Kurpfalz (0.46.86) were shown to be worthy winners from KC Dragonfly (0.46.91) and Victoria Gorging Dragons (0.46.93) in second and third place, with Hanover All Sports (0.47.13) and Sloths DBC (0.47.90) taking 4th and 5th places respectively. Saturday, proved to be a marginally better day - no rain but still cloudy and blustery conditions which seemed to adversely affect all the various water users, including the Cape Harbour Tug Boats, who managed to take out half the buoyed racing lanes, on at least two occasions during the day ! Unscheduled difficulties too, with Safety Boat engines and in moving the Starting bay pontoons from 420m to 200m, for the afternoon's racing, coupled with an unusual number of collisions between crews, during the races and some crews taking too much time to muster themselves, including Helms going missing just when needed by the Corporate Crews, saw the race time-table, which had been revised to accommodate the postponed 2k races, fall somewhat behind. In the gathering gloom of a windy evening, the Premier Open 200m Grand Final, saw the Shtoorm Crew, from Russia, storm away from the start and keep clear of the field to win the Gold Medal in a six boat final - the result of multi collisions in the Semi Finals. The Premier Women's 200m Gold Medal went to Sloths DBC (0.52.78). With darkness falling, the 2k races were not possible and were cancelled completely as Sunday would be an even longer day of racing, and to try and run 2k races as well, was going to be impossible in the daylight hours available. At last on Sunday, the sun shone brightly and the wind dropped. Racing was now of the highest order and running to time, even though some 'operating difficulties' could not be overcome and crew collisions still occurred during the day. In the Premier Mixed 420m, Kurpfalz repeated its 200m victory - just, from Sloths DBC, in another blanket finish. The Women's 420m was won by Wasabi, with Sloths again taking the Silver Medal. The last race of the Championships - the Premier Open Grand Final, ran right on time. A thrilling race saw Shtoorm take their second Gold Medal to become the Premier World Club Crew Champions, in a time of 1.28.23, from Snatch (1.29.43) and Firenze (1.31.63). (full race results) The Cape Town CCWC, was an example of how good team work by the Organisers, the Crews and the Race Officials working together against adverse conditions, can still provide a Championship of well organised and good racing on the course and foster new friendships off of it. The official accommodation, transport and social events too were good and well organised. What should be remember by everyone, is that the concept of the CCWC is to help develop the Club Crew base of the sport by giving Club Paddlers a 'World Championships' of their own and at the same time taking the sport to newly developing Dragon Boat locations around the world, where the full range of technical facilities may not always be available. The CCWC is not designed for 'elite' paddlers Representing their Countries of Territories in National Teams - the World Nations Dragon Boat Racing Championships (WDBRC) are for them and it is for that competition that the IDBF Competition Regulations and Racing Rules are primarily designed, and Olympic Standard Regatta Courses sought and used.

Participating Crews
(please send your web URL to pam@dragonboat.org.za)

Premier Open - 18	Premier Women - 15	Premier Mixed - 20
Adelaide Sea Dragons, Australia	Sloths DBC, Australia	Adelaide Sea Dragons, Australia
Sloths DBC, Australia	SA Vipers, Australia	Sloths, Australia
Sydney Snatch, Australia	Pickering DBC, Canada	BMO Finacial Group, Canada
Pickering DBC, Canada	Kurpfalz DBC, Germany	Pickering DBC, Canada
Wunder von Wittenberge, Germany	Ottonen, Germany	Victoria Gorging Dragons, Canada
Kurpfalz DBC, Germany	Spree Sisters Berlin, Germany	Kurpfalz DBC, Germany
Uckermark Dragons, Germany	Red Devils Schwerin, Germany	KC Dragon Fly, Germany
Batchworth, UK	Hong Kong Island PC	Ottonen, Germany
Hong Kong Island PC	Dragonauti Cagliari, Italy	Hanover All Sports, Germany
Societe Canottieri Frenze, Italy	AS Trevignano DB, Italy	Ukermark Dragons, Germany
Concrete Dragons, Holland	Waikato DBC, NZ	Hong Kong Island PC
Dutch Dragons, Holland	CT Paddlesnappers, RSA	Canotteria Sabazia Savona, Italy
Waikato DBC, NZ	Mujaji, RSA	AS Trevignano DB, Italy
Shtoorm DBC, Russia	San Diego DB Team, USA	Concrete Dragons, Holland
MG Dragons, Russia	Wasabi Paddle Club, USA	Hamilton City Watersports, NZ
CT Paddlesnappers, RSA		Waikato DBC, NZ
Mujaji, RSA		MG Dragons, Russia
San Diego DBT, USA		CT Paddlesnappers, RSA
		Mujaji, RSA
		San Diego DB Team, USA
Senior Open - 7	Senior Women - 5	Senior Mixed - 9
Burleigh Fire Dragons, Australia	Burleigh Fire Dragons, Australia	Burleigh Fire Dragons, Australia
I Dragonauti Cagliari, Italy	I Dragonauti Cagliari, Italy	I Dragonauti Cagliari, Italy
Sterkade Centro Dragons, Germany	Schwerin UHU, Germany	Sterkade Centro Dragons, Germany
Beider Basle, Switzerland	Wasabi, USA	Beider Basle, Switzerland
Adelaide Sea Dragons	South Australia Vipers	Adelaide Sea Dragons
Pond Scum, Canada		Pond Scum, Canada
Schwerin, Germany		Schwerin UHU, Germany
		San Diego, USA
		ELB Meadow Masters, Germany
Junior Open - 2	BCS - 5	Junior Mixed - 4
Drag Attack Wuppertal, Germany	SA Dragons Abreast, Australia	Drag Attack Wuppertal, Germany
DSK Tsunami Dragons, RSA	Abreast in a Boat Canada	DSK Tsunami Dragons, RSA
	Canadians Abreast One, Canada	Paddlesnappers , RSA
	Canadians Abreast Too, Canada	All Star Dragons, RSA
Corporates - 7+8+9	Wasabi, USA

top