The Forbes Dragon Boat Club at the Western Region Regatta at Lake Canobolas on Sunday where they won three silver medals and a bronze. The mixed team included a paddler each from Canberra and Sydney respectively.
The Forbes Dragon Boat Club did exceptionally well at the first Western Region Regatta in three years despite the flood preventing almost half of the team from participating.
Regatta coordinator Nicole Williams did a fantastic job to source some paddlers from other clubs to reach the minimum number to participate. This meant the Lachlan Dragons had fewer paddlers in the boat than most other teams, but still qualified for all the finals and came home with four podium spots.
There was great excitement for the return of this annual event and more than 18 teams totalling over 300 paddlers from the Central West, Sydney and the ACT competed at Lake Canobolas on Sunday in great weather.
The Forbes team had been training hard for the event, and the disappointment was huge for the members who could not make it across the floodwaters to participate. Club president and coach Chris Favell, who was also water locked, was devastated he could not be there, but very happy with his team’s performance in the field of strong competition.
“A very proud coach moment,” he said. “All that hard work is showing in the results. Wish I could have been there!”
The Forbes women’s team had to compete as a Waratahs team combining with members from Tsunami in Sydney, Bidgee Dragons from Wagga Wagga and one paddler from Parkes Dragon Boat Club. Having not paddled together before, the team qualified for the final after two heats, and clinched second spot in the 200m with 62.4 seconds after Colour City from Orange (61.13) and Ryde Dragon Boat Club from Sydney in third place (62.43).
The Forbes mixed team with only 16 paddlers instead of 20, came second in the 200m final (56.79) after Ryde (52.9) and Outback Dragons from Dubbo in third place (57.15).
The Forbes men’s team, with only eight paddlers instead of 10, came third in the 200m final (59.04) after Ryde in first place (53.01) and Outback Dragons second (54.54).
The Dash for Cash race is a very fast sprint over 100m, and once again the Forbes team clinched second place in 29.65 after Ryde (28.43) and Outback Dragons (30.54).
The mixed team and Dash for Cash team included a paddler each from Sydney and Canberra to bring the number to the required minimum of 16.
It was a great day for the team to get their minds off the flood devastation back home, and to give the members who had to stay behind some good news!
By Maggi Barnard