Welcome to the site of the European Dragon Boat Federation
the governing body for the water sport of dragon boat racing in Europe.European Club Crew Championships 2009 Bulletin 2
9 May 2009 - Bulletin 2 is now available and has already been sent around to teams who have submitted preliminary registrations. If your club crew is still looking for a challenge but you missed the preliminary registration deadline, you can still apply to attend the race. The EDBF will consider late registrations in consultation with the host organization in Hungary. Well over a hundred teams have registered for what promises to be one of the best European Club Crew Championships ever!
Download Bulletin 2 here.
Swift boats at discount prices
9 May 2009 - The EDBF and IDBF have negotiated a special deal with the Hungarian dealer for Swift boats which will be providing the boats for the European Club Crew Championship and the IDBF World Nations Championship dragon boat races this year. Normally priced at 6000 euro per boat, the boats will be sold to EDBF members for 4200 euro per boat (plus any applicable local taxes) and can be picked up at the end of the World Championships. There are a limited number of boats available. The boats being offered are IDBF certified 1222 boats from Swift’s premium quality range.See the flyer for more details.
Istanbul Dragon Boat Festival
9 May 2009 -
Latest issue of DBI now available
9 May 2009 - If you haven’t yet received your copy of the Dragon Boat International Newsletter, read all about the latest action in IDBF dragon boating around the world here. And while you’re at it, why not subscribe to Dragon Boat World, the magazine for dragon boat athletes and fans? Subscription information is available in DBI.
European Club Crew Championship Update
2 March 2009 - The upcoming European Club Crew Championship in Budapest, 10-12 July looks like it is shaping up to be a very competitive championship! With 110 crews entered, it will be the biggest European Club Crew Championship so far!
Competition looks especially fierce among the German and Czech clubs as they have 14 and 11 clubs entered respectively and host country, Hungary has 7 clubs entered. Welcome to first timers Schwarz Weiss Westbahn from Vienna. The Austrian DBF has existed for some time and festival racing has been enjoying growing popularity so it will be nice to welcome a serious racing club from Hungary’s neighbor. Although the official entry deadline has passed, organizer Peter Jarosi says clubs can still apply for a late entry slot. So if you want to be part of the fun and competition, go to www.dragonboat.hu. Looking forward to seeing you there!
January edition of the IDBF Newsletter
8 February 2009 - The January edition of the IDBF Newsletter, Dragon Boat International (DBI) is now available for download from the IDBF website.
13th European Club Crew Championships 2009
Budapest, Hungary
10-12 July 2009
18 January 2009 - ECCC information updates: small revision to Information Bulletin 1 (bank account information for regatta fees) and added word forms for provisional entries and accommodation request.
The following documents about the 13th European Club Crew Championship are available:
Also the following documents about accomodation:Happy New Year
29 December 2008 -
On that note, the EDBF would like to thank all those whose hard work, both locally and internationally, has been instrumental in guiding and developing the dragon boat sport we love. Special thanks are due to Mike Haslam, the IDBF Executive President and EDBF President, whose untiring efforts over the years have led us from small beginnings to GAISF membership and along the path to our next goal: membership in the Olympic movement.
Within Europe, we wish the hosts of the World Dragon Boat Championships, Czech Republic, and the hosts of the European Club Crew Championships, Hungary, successful and well-attended championships as the reward to the hard work that they will put into organizing these championships this year.
To the paddlers and supporters of the sport around the globe, may your hard work both on and off the water be rewarded with medals, friendships and satisfaction for a job well done.
Happy New Year from the EDBF website team: Kim Beckwith (content) and Stefan Jager (technical)!
In memory of Jon Taylor
29 December 2008 - The EDBF was sorry to hear of the passing of Jon Taylor, former President of NSW Dragon Boats and the Australian Dragon Boat Federation and host of the 2007 World Championships in Sydney. Jon will be missed by the dragon boat community. The EDBF wishes to convey its condolences to Jon’s family and friends.
EDBF AGA Meeting Update
21 December 2008 - The Hungarian Dragon Boat Federation hosted this year’s EDBF Annual General Assembly Meeting in Budapest on 15 November. The Hungarians, eager to show off their organizing capability and excellent facilities, held the meeting near the Lagymanyosi Bay Park, where the 2009 EDBF European Club Crew Championships will be held.
Elections
The First and Second Vice-chair Holders’ positions were up for (re-) election this year, as were three Governing Member positions. Claudio Schermi (Ita) was re-elected as Senior Vice-Chairman and Bartosz Wisniewski (Pol) was elected to the Second Vice Chairman position, previously held by Victor Kisselev (Rus). Governing Member representation changed slightly this year, with Russia and Czech Republic being re-elected to represent members on Council. Poland declined nomination as Governing Member to make room for broader input from EDBF’s members, so Hungary was elected to the vacant seat on the Council.
Championship Bids
Bids for the 2011 European Club Crew Championships were presented by Ukraine and Czech Republic. While Czech Republic had an impressive presentation, has proven it can hold good championships and is the host for the 2009 IDBF World Nations Championship Dragon Boat Races, the EDBF membership gave the Ukrainians a vote of confidence and asked them to organize the championships. Generalizing on what was said by a number of EDBF members in support of Ukraine’s bid: ‘EDBF wants to make sure that races are of good quality, no matter where they’re held; and we also want to make sure that they are spread around among our member countries so that everyone can attend, ensuring the best quality competitors.’
The Ukrainians are planning to hold the championships at a specially-designated sport and recreation facility, located near the center of Kiev. Although the location has been used to host Ukraine’s own Golden Dragon Festival, it has not been used for a European Championship in the past so the Ukrainian DBF has been given a year to secure sponsorship, materials and guarantees for the championships. In the meanwhile, the ComSpec commission will be visiting the Golden Dragon Festival in September 2009 to evaluate the facilities, accommodations, regatta course quality and organization. Provided the UDBF has been able to make the necessary arrangements to ensure a good quality championship, the bid award will be confirmed at the next AGA (14 November 2009 in Kiev). If not, both GB and Czech have offered to serve as backup locations for the championships.
Updates on ECCC
The AGA attendees walked from the meeting facilities to Lagymanyosi Bay, where the 2009 ECCC will be held to view the regatta location. In spite of the cold, early dark of November, the facilities were in even better shape than they were in when the ComSpec commission visited them in July. The City of Budapest and private developers have been hard at work making this one of their premier outdoor recreation and leisure facilities and each month seems to bring another addition to the area. The members were impressed by the attractive location and satisfied with answers to their questions on lane width and water depth.
Peter Jarosi updated the EDBF membership on progress in organizing the race to date and promised that Information Bulletin 1 would be coming as a “Christmas present” to EDBF’s members in December. He also wished to stress that the organizing committee would be very strict with registration and payment deadlines, not wishing to repeat the mistakes of past event organizers. As Jarosi pointed out, “if we know who is coming and they have paid on time, then we can guarantee that their rooms will be booked and that other arrangements can be made in a timely fashion. If not, then it causes a mess for the organizers and heartbreak for paddlers who have come so far to paddle only to hear that they cannot compete because they did not register and pay deposits and fees on time.”
Looking back at Sabaudia
There are 29 EDBF member countries, of which only 15 were represented at the European Nations Championship in Sabaudia. While some of these countries are still in the first stages of developing the dragon boat racing sport, EDBF Chairman Alan van Caubergh, felt that EDBF members should try to send more national teams to the championships: “We haven’t seen teams from Finland, Portugal, Sweden, Netherlands or Belgium in a long time, although these countries have long been represented in the EDBF.” On the other hand, he was satisfied that there has been some growth in the number of total crews at the championships and the excellent quality of the youth crews. He also made a special note of welcome to Spain who sent a very successful team to the European Championships for the first time, and to France which has long been a “sleeping” EDBF member but sent a good team from Annecy - a start signal for increasing French dragon boat racing activity on the EDBF and IDBF level.
Bridget Walter, ComSpec chairholder, gave her commission’s report on Sabaudia. She cited the compact size of the location, transport, water quality (width & depth), first aid response and quantity & quality of boats as good points of the event. Points for improvement were: anchoring systems for boat-holding pontoons, printed results from the timing systems, boat loading area capacity, spectator viewing and radio communications. Although many paddlers seemed satisfied with the event, Peter Klima of Czech Republic, felt that the race did not live up to EDBF expectations and that there was room for many more improvements. The Chairman of the Italian DBF, Claudio Schermi, was not present to report on his side of the event in person. However, he did send a report citing problems with payment as one of the chief problems with the race organization.
2009 Membership Fees
The membership voted to keep the current membership fee in place for 2009. Treasurer Natalya Kravtsova has been chasing unpaid membership fees and asks that all members pay their membership fees on time. If EDBF membership fees are not paid up, then that country’s crews will not be allowed to participate in EDBF championships until those fees are paid.
Developments in Dragon Boat
Alan van Caubergh gave an update on the status of the Dragon Boat and Canoe sports federations. He is hopeful that a change in ICF leadership will clear the way for more productive relations between the two federations.
In the meanwhile, van Caubergh and Mike Haslam (IDBF Executive president) have been holding discussions with the International Va’ a and International Rafting Federations to further cooperation on sports development, disabled sports and other common areas of interest, with eye to forming an Association of International Paddle Sports Federations. (Haslam was recently elected to chair the AIPSF.)
This report does not cover all issues discussed at the AGA. More detailed information will be available via your national dragon boat federation once the meeting minutes have been distributed.
In Memoriam: Sergio Orsi, Former ICF President & Friend of Dragon Boating
21 December 2008 - It is with deep regret that the IDBF learnt of the death in Italy of Professor Sergio Orsi, the former ICF President. Sergio passed away peacefully on 22 October 2008. He was 90 years old. The condolences of the IDBF and Dragon Boat Sport go to his Family at this time of sorrow for them.
Sergio Orsi was a true friend of Dragon Boating, who supported the formation of the EDBF and IDBF and attended Dragon Boat Races whenever he could, encouraging its development and giving his support to the IDBF in the corridors of power of the IOC and the GAISF.
Within the ICF he was a member of the Flatwater Racing Committee from 1958 to 1966 before becoming its Chairman until 1972.From 1972 to 1981 Sergio was the ICF Secretary General and then the ICF President until his retirement in 1998.After his retirement he became an ICF Honorary President and both the GAISF and the International Olympic Committee decorated him for his work in Canoe Sport, recognition he richly deserved. I first met Sergio during his time as the ICF Secretary-General and over the years we became firm friends, not just colleagues’ and it was that friendship which led to his un-erring support for the development of Dragon Boating under the guidance of the IDBF. Sergio was always willing to give his advice and never accepted the change in the stance of the ICF towards the IDBF and he showed it in his support for the IDBF membership application to the GAISF.
Sergio Orsi was a man of honour, deep thinking and cheerful and truly one of life’s gentlemen. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Our Dragon Boat Family can be proud that Sergio considered himself to be an enthusiast of both Canoeing and Dragon Boating and he was to the forefront in recognizing the potential of our sport.
Mike HASLAM
IDBF Executive President
Business Schools Raise 27,000 Euro for Charity
21 December 2008 - Peter van der Meulen from ESSEC and Mannheim Business School reports that the Paddle for Water dragon boat race held in Strasburg in September was a big success!
The following from Peter’s report: “We got more than we asked for, both in terms of water (bad) and in terms of funds (good). September 13 must have been to rainiest day of 2008. It rained cats and dogs the whole day long, but nevertheless, 26 teams participated and we raised a total of €27.000 for charity. Winner was the team EMOS from the Czech Republic, who came all the way to Strasburg for the event.”
“The Baggersee in Strasburg proved to be an excellent location for a dragon boat race. Riverboat from Lübeck did a great job in providing the boats, equipment and organization, and the city of Strasburg was very supportive, too. We are contemplating organizing a follow-up event next year.”
If ESSEC and Mannheim Business School decide to repeat this successful charity event, the dates will be noted on the EDBF calendar.
1st FRENCH NATIONAL DRAGON BOAT ‘CHALLENGE’
21 December 2008 - The first French Dragon Boat Championships were held over the weekend of 20/21 Sept 08, in Annecy – a beautiful lake side City on the French/Swiss border and about 40 minutes by road from Geneva. Whilst in Sabaudia at the European Championships, the organisers of the French Championships invited me to come and see how things were developing on their patch and I was very happy to do so but France being France and given the way sport is governed in France, the races could not officially be called a ‘National Championships’ . This was because the races were being organised by the Annecy Canoe Club and as the French Canoe Fed does not have a Dragon Boat Committee a ‘National Champs’ could not ‘officially’ be held and so with French flair and pragmatism the ‘championships’ became a National Dragon Boat ‘Challenge’ instead ! However, the Dragon Boat Association in France does exist and sensible collaboration between the Association, the Canoe Club and the French Canoe Federation ensured that the races were well organised and attended, 12 Clubs took part – including a guest crew from Meilen in Switzerland, and a good time was had by all.
During my brief stay I was most impressed by the enthusiasm everyone involved showed for Dragon Boating and also the progress being made in developing the sport in the region by the dragon boat organisation already established there. I am sure that in a few years France will make its mark on Dragon Boat Sport in a big way. Like Dragon Boat enthusiasts everywhere, no one in Annecy wants to see ‘politics’ spoiling the sport and getting in the way of developing it and it was gratifying to dine with officials from the Canoe Federation and the Dragon Boat Association and ‘chew the cud’ on how best to jointly move things forward nationally and internationally. Annecy was a weekend well spent in the company of fellow Dragon Boaters who want the best for our sport.
From DBI News by Mike Haslam
1st LIMASSOL INTERNATIONAL RACES - CYPRUS
21 December 2008 - After having had to postpone the event in 2007, when the boats destined for Cyprus went missing in the UK ‘presumed stolen’ – and later found, the first Dragon Boat Races ever to be held in Cyprus finally got underway over the weekend 18/19 October 08, when the 1st Limassol International Races were held as part of Limassol’s annual sports festival.
Crews from Russia (Russian Forwards) and Dubai (Dubai Sea Dragons with paddlers from 6 Countries on board) made the races truly ‘international’ and a British crew from the nearby Royal Air Force base at Akrotiki, added to the international flavour and brought a sense of humour to the event. Five local crews completed the pack, including a very strong crew from the Cyprus Canoe Federation (CCF), to make the racing, held within the breakwater on Limassol’s central seafront, both competitive and very enjoyable.
There was a great relaxed atmosphere throughout the weekend with the International Crews helping the local crews out with additional paddlers and giving them ‘paddling tips’. With everyone mucking in to get the boats ready and loaded for each race, the Event Organiser (Andy Ergonmous) and the three IDBF Officials running the races (Bryan Hartley, Murray Jones and Mike Haslam) were not subjected to the normal stresses of race officiating and had a little time in hand to enjoy the sun, sea and sand and even a beer or two!
The actual races were won by the Russian Forwards with the CCF Spartans pushing them all the way in the finals of the 200m (0.50.26 v 0.53.20) and 500m (2.08.20 v 2.10.10). Dubai Sea Dragons, a mainly Women’s crew (three men) made the final on both days but lost to the girls from the Russian Forwards in the Ladies 200m race.
Next year plans are already being made for a bigger and better event at the same time in October but in a different location. Having established a good working relationship with the CCF - a much appreciated side benefit to the Limassol Races, in which the CCF helped with manpower and equipment, the intention now is to hold a joint international regatta in 2009 for canoes/ kayaks and dragon boats at the Famagusta Nautical Club in Limassol. Of the four IDBF Development Boats (two BuK and two Champion) sent to Cyprus, two are now based at the Natical Club. This kind of co-operation between Canoe and Dragon Boat organisations is the way forward for both sports and can only enhance the reputation and development of both sports in Cyprus.
From DBI News by Mike Haslam
EDBF AGA and Council Meeting
Call for Nominations
20 October 2008 - The EDBF Annual General Assembly meeting will be held on 15 November in Budapest, Hungary. During this year’s AGA, the 1st and 2nd Vice Chair-holders positions (currently held by Claudio Schermi, Italy and Victor Kisselev, Russia) and three Governing Member positions (currently held by Poland, Czech Republic and Russia) are up for (re-) election. Please notify your national representative to the EDBF if you would like to submit nominations for these positions. Your national representative can provide you with more information on the nomination procedure.
In addition to the elections, items on the agenda will include EDBF championships bids, membership issues, developments in dragon boat racing, commission and financial reports, and other business. We will be taking a special look at championship regatta course requirements and the development of Breast Cancer Survivor Racing in Europe.
The EDBF is also looking for volunteers to help with the Marketing & Media commission, the Competition & Special Events commission, the Sports Medicine, Psychology & Science Commission and the Technical Equipment commission. As the dragon boat sport has grown in Europe, so too has the need for volunteers to help with organizing various aspects of the sport. This is also a good way to gain experience working with the EDBF Board on behalf of paddlers throughout Europe and to let your voice be heard in the organization.
If you have questions or would like to notify the Board of your interest, please contact your national federation representative to the EDBF or the EDBF Secretary General.
European Championships Sabaudia race results
14 September 2008 - Below you can download the race results for all three days of racing during the European Championships 2008:
We have also received a link from Enrico Paoletti with the first photos. Visit Enrico's website, then scroll down or select Dragon Boat Sabaudia or Dragon Boat Sabaudia 2000mt from the menu on the right.
If you have photos that you would like to share, please contact us, and we'll post a link to your photos.