2009 World Championships to be held in Prague

26 June 2008 - The IDBF Council have again, with regret, had to change the location of the 2009 World Dragon Boat Racing Championships, from Poznan to the Prague area of the Czech Republic.

The change has been somewhat forced on the IDBF by a clash of dates with the 2009 World Rowing Championships also scheduled to be held in Poznan on the same dates as were chosen for our own Championships on 26-30 August 2009.

Unfortunately it is not possible for the Poznan City organizers to move the date forward and the later dates of 9-13 September 2009, proposed by Poznan, were not acceptable to the IDBF, as this would be in school term time for most Countries and therefore it would not be possible for most of the Junior Crews to attend a World Championship falling outside of the school holidays.

Reluctantly The Polish Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) informed the IDBF that if the 2009 World Champs could not be moved to the September 2009 dates they would have to withdraw from organizing the event.

So the IDBF Council has taken the decision to move the World Champs to the reserve location of the Czech Republic, where both a purpose built regatta course in Racice , near Prague and the original dates of 26-30 August 2009 have been confirmed as being available.

I would also inform you that in a departure from previous Worlds, it is likely that most of the 2000m competitions will take place on the river in Prague City centre, with the famous Charles Bridge as the top turning point. The remaining races will be held on the Racice Regatta course some 30 minutes drive from Prague.

The Council´s decision is in no way a reflection on the ability of the PDBF or the City of Poznan to organise and host an IDBF World Championship Regatta, having already done so in 2003, as well as a European Championships in 2002 and the Council hopes that other World and European Championships will be held in Poznan in the future.

With best wishes,
Mike Haslam