Dragons become swans
Bangkok Swan Boat Festival 2008
The Pacific West dragon boat team recently participated in the Bangkok Swan Boat Festival held from the 13 – 14 September 2008 on the Chao Phraya River (River of Kings). The meet was held close to the ruins of the historical city of Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam.
Swan boat racing has many similarities to dragon boat racing. The boats themselves are long and narrow, instead of a dragon on the bows, swan boats have intricately carved upturned bows resembling swan heads, with a flowing tail at the stern.
There are two categories of swan boat racing, the traditional category which includes 50 paddlers and two helmsmen. These boats are as long as 96 feet, nearly double the length of a typical dragon boat! The international category which is more similar to dragon boat racing, includes a crew of 20, a single helmsman and a ‘whistler’ who keeps the paddlers in rhythm.
The Pacific West team, was obviously raring to go since their last outing during the Club Crew World Championship 2008, and finished a highly commendable seventh place. The event was a fantastic sporting get-together with teams from over 20 countries in attendance.
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