Comments from Coaches, Manager and Paddlers
The team cohesion & camaraderie was evident off the water as well as in the boat. Everyone gave maximum effort & the coaches were truly impressed with our efforts. Even though we didn't bring home the bling, we can be proud of our performance. It was a big day! Special mentions:
Comments from paddlers who competed……. DITTO THANKS TO ALL, Ree, a special congratulations to those in the boat for that Open 10's - it was truly thrilling to watch and you deserve elite team status. (Of course, we expect nothing less of you at Urunga!) Truly enjoyed myself. Many thanks to all the wonderful folk in our club, great memories of a fantastic Day and Regatta. Loved and felt so exhilarated and excited, to see the green and purple shirts, paddles glistening and shining, a boat and half length, well in front, at the finishing line. WOO HOO. CCD, happiness is paddling with all the competitive, fit and fabulous people. A big thank you to Ree, Linda and coaches and fellow paddlers. I had a great day although tired at the end of the day always enjoy the regattas. Big thanks to Chez for all that towing she must be having a big sleep in this morning. I can only say ditto, ditto and ditto again. I‘ve now watched the video five times!! A truly wonderful day. Looking forward to Urunga already. Perhaps a few more might want to do the 7km race on the Saturday? Thanks for a great day, everyone!
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The day started like any other Saturday paddling session, Phil & Jen were up early having collected Chez and headed to the shed at Wooloweyah to collect the boat and take to Moby Dick Boat Ramp. This time a few extra items were added to the boat! Cloths, polish and extra tyres were loaded. It was that time of year again for our Dragon Boat to get its annual polish and shine. Under the instructions of Chez, the boat was lifted from the water and turned upside down and work commenced. Meanwhile Graham & Wayne were at the empty shed. In 40 mins, gutters were cleaned, grass whipper-snipped and dust was blown away. The annual clean-up was done. The Chinese Lunar New Year was February 10th and it is the Year of the Dragon. So, Clarence Coast Dragon Boat Club took to the water with our boat appropriately ‘dressed’ to celebrate this significant date on the Chinese Lunar calendar. What an introduction and spectacle for our newer paddlers to experience! Whilst paddling the crew enjoyed listening about the story behind ‘the Dragon’ - The dragon holds long-standing cultural significance in China and serves as a unique spiritual icon for the Chinese nation, symbolising courage and indomitable spirit. In myths and legends, dragons are often depicted as heroic and powerful creatures. The Dragon is a mysterious creature that combines the characteristics of many animals, such as the head of an ox, the horns of a deer, the ears of a horse, the body of a snake, the scales of a fish, and the claws of an eagle. After the session which was based on improving strength and skill, paddlers enjoyed a well-deserved sausage sizzle with the fabulous Clarence River as a backdrop. If you would like to join us, we paddle Wednesday & Saturdays from Moby Dick Boat Ramp Yamba. We meet at 6.30am for a 7am start.
Last weekend Clarence Coast and Grafton Dragon Boat clubs combined for a joint paddle on the mighty Clarence River at Brushgrove. Clarence Coast’s trainee sweep, Mary-Jane, was cheered on by the locals as she took the lead and took both boats down the river. No wind or other watercraft could be seen for the 90mins which made for an idyllic paddle for both clubs. Tracey from Grafton led an impromptu training session focusing on skill and timing. The man power in the Clarence Coast boat certainly helped propel their boat to a comfortable win in a mock race. After the boats were back on the trailer, paddlers and friends crossed the bridge to the Brushgrove Pub for a well-earned breakfast. Special thanks to our towers, sweeps and the Brushy Breakfast team. It was a great morning of sightseeing whilst getting fit on another part of the fabulous Clarence River. How lucky are we! New paddlers are more than welcome. Contact Clarence Coast (Lesley) 0413 303 995 or Grafton (Marianne) 0401 634 414 if you are keen to try. Recently Clarence Coast Dragon Boat Club celebrated LOUD SHIRT DAY. So, our members got LOUD for the thousands of children with hearing loss. Taking part was easy - all we needed was a loud shirt and make a donation!!
Following paddling we had a sausage sizzle for both members and social members. This is one of our regular fundraisers supporting Hear & Say. Some background for you: Hear and Say is Queensland's specialised provider of audiology and speech pathology for all people with hearing loss. They operate state-wide and support people of all ages - from newborn, to toddlers, school age children and adults. Over 300 babies are born with hearing loss in Australia each year. With early intervention, children born deaf can listen, speak and reach their full learning potential through:
14/10/2023 Far North Coast Dragon Boat Paddlers bring home Medals from Australian Masters GamesRead NowThe Australian Masters Games is one of Australia’s largest regular multi-sport festivals with an extensive sport program offering over 50 different sports. This year the XIX event was hosted by the city of Adelaide.
Amongst the numerous sports was Dragon Boat Racing. Four local athletes from the Clarence Coast Club in Yamba competed in the two days of paddling. Kim Sanders and Will Boeyen competed with the Goolwa River Dragons whilst Chez Coleman and Mel Scrace paddled with a combined Far North Coast crew with paddlers from Ballina, Grafton, Yamba, Coffs Harbour and Camden Haven. Over two days of racing there were one hundred and thirty-eight races which included heats for Senior A’s 40-60 years; Senior B’s 50-60 years; and Senior C’s over 60 years. Women only crews of 10 and 20 plus mixed and open crews of men and women competed over a 200m sprint distance. Although the weather was wet and windy it did not dampen the spirit of the crews. Mel was part of the bronze medal winning crew in the Women's B Senior 10s and Will brought home gold paddling in the senior B mixed 10s crew for Goolwa River Dragons. If you would like to join us on the water, go to our website or Facebook page ‘Clarence Coast Dragon Boat Club’. Or come down to Moby Dick boat ramp on Wednesday or Saturday morning at 6.30am. We’d love to see you there. The sport of Dragon Boating was on full display in Iluka Bay as Clarence Coast Dragon Boat Club opened the Iluka Mermaid Festival.
The boat was dressed in full regalia with the magnificent Dragon’s head, tail and drum attached. As we pushed away from the pontoon, locals and holiday makers emerged from their dwellings to the sound of Mermaid Lyn beating the drum. As we paddled into Iluka Bay, the many spectators were able to watch, a typical training session, including two 200m races. Wind predictions proved accurate, as the wind picked up testing the skill of all paddlers and in particular the Sweeps. After an hour and a half on the water, and at times surfing the waves whipped up by the winds, we returned safe and rather wet to the pontoon. But as paddlers said ‘It is a water sport”. FRIENDLY RIVALRY RESUMES
Grafton Rowing Club Two-Island Rowathon, in support of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, took place on Saturday 15th July. Commencing on the beautiful Clarence River in front of the Grafton Rowing Club, competitors had a choice of either 10kms around Susan Island or 20 klms around both Susan & Elizabeth Islands. All crews assembled at Grafton Rowing Club for registration followed by the compulsory Pre-Rowathon briefing. Clarence Coast & Grafton Dragon Boat Clubs opted for the 1-Island Course. Both boats paddled around the south-side of Susan Island returning on the north (Grafton) side as well as passing under both Grafton Bridges before returning to the start. Friendly banter between both crews followed as the kilometres slowly passed by. All participants enjoyed their bacon & egg roll at the conclusion of the paddle and conversations continued between both clubs in the fabulous sunshine. Many thanks to Grafton Rowing Club for their organisation & hospitality. The rivalry will continue at the upcoming Rainbows Regatta at Ballina 26th, 27th August. Members are encouraged to add their name to the Regatta Page if they intend to participate. For the 6th year Clarence Coast Dragon Boat Club members searched their wardrobes to find and wear a flannelette shirt to the paddling session to support Flannie Day Food Drive.
Paddlers also donated non-perishable food to raise awareness about homelessness and provide practical support for the hungry in our community. The donated non-perishable food was then taken to Wellspring Christian Church, Yamba. Wellspring Community Care support those in need with access to groceries at reduced prices as well as providing access to emergency food parcels for those in need Paddlers and social members met at Café Marina for the Women’s World Cup draw. Members now own one of 32 teams and are ready to wear their colours, learn a greeting in the country’s main language and find out who their key players are. The excitement is growing with kick-off on July 20.
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