We participated in the Solomons Dragon Boat Festival for the first time in 2022. Two boats participated along with 17 other local and out-of-town teams. The festival was a FUNdraiser for Southern Maryland Community Resources, a non-profit organization that helps to bridge the gap for individuals with developmental differences in Calvert County. This is a large festival in a small town with plenty of spectators. The weather was beautiful, with a chilly morning giving way to a sunny and breezy afternoon.
We were onsite early and set up five tents in the village. After settling in, we were ready to race as the festival got underway. There was enough food to feed the small army on the scene — 37 paddlers, steers, and drummers, plus other Club members, friends, and supporters.
All teams were told in the Captain’s Meeting that the race course was 215 meters, slightly longer than the standard 200 meters. We faced challenging water conditions in the morning races.
First heat
Our two teams raced their first timed heats in sequence in races 5 and 6. We warmed up together, and our breast cancer survivor (BCS) team got on the water first. The race got off to a quick start, and all teams blistered down the course. All three teams finished in under one minute for the time trial, and they were separated by less than three-quarters of a second. The BCS team finished in 59.6 seconds, an outstanding time for any boat throughout the day. And it was the first time the Club finished a race in under one minute.
The Club’s second team got on the water in the next race. They also turned in a strong, competitive time trial. All boats in this race finished within a half second of each other. We posted a 1.06.50 time against a men’s team that squeaked out a 1.06.01.
Second heat
As the morning progressed, the water became rougher, and the wind continued steady off the shore as morning gave way to the afternoon. For the second heat, Team 2 was on the water first and turned in a nice time of 1.09.18 in a hotly contested race with all three boats separated by less than one-quarter of a second. Our team finished in 2nd place.
When Team 1 hit the water, they turned in another first as their dragon head was swept away by the river’s swells. All boats in this race had to contend with difficult weather. Yet despite these conditions, we posted a 1.13.45 for a second-place finish in the second heat.
Finals
We had another first in the last race of the day — the BCS team was in the A division final, and Team 2 was in the C division final. It was nice that we could watch each other’s races.
In the C division final, our team was in lane 3. The starter called a swift start to the race, and the teams were off. The race ended in a dead heat, with our boat off the lead by a mere six-tenths of a second for second place at 1.08.98. This was a competitive race and a thrilling final.
The A division final pitted two men’s teams, one mixed team, and our women’s BCS team against each other. All 4 teams were the overall time trial leaders for the day. We also had the distinction of racing alongside the established course lanes, yet another first for the club. The boats stayed in a tight cluster down the wake-wracked course. The finish was close at the end. The top two teams crossed the line in photo-finish dead heat, leading to a run-off race.
Our BCS team finished in 4th with a very good time of 1.07. And we received a medal for the best out-of-town team in recognition of our strong showing throughout the day — starting with the day’s third-fastest time in our 59.6-second race during the morning trial.
Overall, this was a good event for the Club and our two teams.
