Cornish Dragon Boat Race 2010

Sun Shines On The Dragons

On Sunday crowds gathered in Events Square, Falmouth, to cheer on over 20 teams taking part in the 26th Cornish Dragon Boat Challenge 2010.

Many of the teams have taken part for several years but there were also some impressive newcomers. Richfords Fire & Flood who entered their team for the second year running were in good form and won every race they participated in. Rosie Stevenson, Marketing Specialist at Richfords said “We surprised ourselves last year by getting into the semi-finals and had high hopes for this year’s races. The team paddled really well and we improved on our times from last year. The standard of paddling was much higher overall this year and all the team’s were on top form. Everyone had a fantastic day and it was great to see so many people showing their support for the RNLI through such a unique and fun event.”

The Cornish Dragon Boat Challenge has been taking place in Falmouth for over 25 years and is organised by the RNLI to raise money for the charity. With so many people in Cornwall either working or spending leisure time on the water the RNLI is a charity that the locals have a great deal of support for and teams quickly signed up to take part. The tradition of dragon boat racing originates from a Chinese festival where the dragon heads are used to ward off evil water spirits. The 40 foot boats with a team of 16 paddlers plus a drummer to beat the rhythm race along a course set in Falmouth Inner Harbour.

If you would like to take part in this popular event next year then contact the RNLI Office in Falmouth.