Dragon Boat West

We are looking at adding another festival to our schedule and we are wondering about the Richmond Festival "Rip up the River".  Anyone going?? Anyone been??  We are a women's team and are wondering if there is just a "mixed" division?? Any information would be great!  thanx so much!
P.S. I've been unsuccessful in getting much info off their website.

I'm not sure if they have changed the race setup from previous years, but in the past, the race is four boat heats running against usually a strong current. Your 500m race usually feels like a 750m and if you are a light boat, you are usually at a disadvantage. Since this is a GO ROW managed race, Millennium boats are used. It's one of their smaller races when compared to Nanaimo and Victoria and doesn't quite get much attention.

You can find lots of paddler feedback and info on the past Richmond races from previous threads...

The infamous 2005 thread can be found here (http://www.dragonboatwest.net/forum/index.php?topic=2469.0). Be warned that it a long and heated thread about finish line angles and monkeys with stopwatches...
You can find the 2006 information here (http://www.dragonboatwest.net/forum/index.php?topic=3518.0). Not as long of a thread as 2005 but there were some concerns regarding a dirty boat.

wow, i just read through all 8 pages of the '05 thread again.   i remember that controversy.  :lol:

...yes, i'm REALLY bored at work.

never would have guessed  :lol:

Nope, I don't think there will be a women's division this year, but it is still a fun festival.  It does occur at the same day as the Harrison DB Festival.

We went last year and thought it was a very poor venue. The racing itself was ok, not great though. Because of everyone saying how difficult the paddling would be I didn't think it was that hard. Every race is different. There was also a problam with one of the boats I don't think it was very clean and may have been a close relative of Barney's at DZ.
 The problems we saw were: the bathrooms were way past the racing area, the grass was super long, and there was hardly any food available ( nothing within walking distance). Or maybe I'm just spoiled because of Alcan and some of the other great festivals I'd been to. 
 BUT it was the best place for watching the races out of any other venue.

The facility is across the street from our office so we are pretty much at home (and a little biased) ... I think with a max of 36 teams and fee of under $600 we can expect a few less bells and whistles than Alcan ... I don't have experience with comparables and last year was our first year there (anywhere).

Grass is the least of your worries (it's the city's not the festival's). Try paddling uphill in the morning and downhill in the afternoon in the tidal river current, dodging a log or two along the way (I kid, it's not actually that bad). Most teams bring their own shelter with strong ground pegs for wind, seats, food ... the whole DIY Alcan thing. Then, send your steers on a Tim's run at Cambie and No. 3rd, a 10-min return car trip. They make me do it and we live there.

You'll find the threads about the weird 2006 and 2005 things in here if you dig, but I think there are some looming expectations given the new facility (it's niiiiiice) and the in-your-face nature of the '05/'06 discussions. But, if you post here, you know, there's always something ...

Most businesses along River Road tend to put up barricades to discourage parking ... go figure. As I mentioned in the Alcan thread, you're all welcome to park out back of our place on the gravel lot. We're across from the start line.

Is there any scuttlebutt on who's going besides us?

We have a throw-together mixed boat coming from GRPC, I've paid and submitted paperwork so I'm assuming that means we're in!  :)

FCRCC B, False Creek Women and the Master's of D'Zone will all be there as well as this is now a sanctioned event.

Save-On Foods Dragonslayers from will be there for the 3rd year running yet again and the Nusa'Lon Women's Team from Nanaimo will be going as well.

Does anyone know if the Richmond racegrid is out yet?  If yes, can someone please post it.

thx

as of last night, i'm told they pulled that and aren't wanting to be sanctioned anymore....  too much work for them or something like that

lame!

Link to race grid:

http://www.ubcboathouse.com/dragonboat.html (http://www.ubcboathouse.com/dragonboat.html)

Good luck to all paddlers!!

WOW!!! 19 teams!!! Whoooo hooooo! Didn't they used to have more teams in the past? Is the Harrison one interfering with respect to turnout? I think Harrison has 48 this year according to the race grid.

If FCRCC B and Master's of D'Zone are pulled out... I see False Creek Women is in the racegrid, is this an error?  Richmond Festival organizers shouldn't say they will do something and then change their minds last minute - no wonder there's only 19 teams.

Richmond is a go for the sanctioned event, so you will see FCRCC mixed, women and the Master's team on Saturday.

Brenda is FCRCC mixed and Louise is Master's on the grid.

i think the damage this festival took to its reputation 2 years ago (the finish line fiasco) probably sent a lot of teams in harrisons direction last year, which despite the elements best attempts to turn it into a gong show, was a great festival, so yeah... its probably still carrying most of the crews while richmond needs to build back up.

What does it mean that they're sanctioned, or not sanctioned, can someone explain it to me?

being sanctioned means its a qualifying event for the national club crews/club crew world championship qualifiers in calgary.  they check rosters and id for teams who are entered/duking it out to get the western team's slot in Penang next summer.  teams need to attend/race in two qualifying events (sanctioned events) with same rosters to be eligable.  there are 4 changes allowed to a roster between the first roster check and the qualifiers, 8 changes between qualifying and the CCWCs. 

it's my first time ever doing richmond and this year's festival wasn't too bad.  from the comments i heard it was much improved from previous years.  the racing obviously cannot compare to other races where the conditions are much more favourable... but for a river race it was well run this year.

the brand new UBC rowing facility probably added to the flavour of the day... that rowing centre kicks ass!  you could stand on the balcony and watch the races clearly.  imagine if false creek had a facility like that.  those sheds that housed the row boats were HUGE.  like three big mechanic's garage... i'm so jealous...  :drool:

I enjoyed the Richmond Festival, had my doubts as previous years had not been reported with the best comments. This was my first experience and I have the following kudos:

1. boats -  great, no complaints
2. venue -  fabulous, beer and burgers! And what a view! Best clubhouse around bar none.
3. organizers - great, races ran on time, no re-races
4. horn - loved the horn at the end of the race, just like outrigger.

However the course should have lane markers at the start and down the course. Hopefully something to consider for future festivals.

That's about if from me, it was a nice short, casual event. Nicely done GO.

Now if you could just get rid of that current  :shock:

     Sounds like a well run festival this year, kudos for cleaning it up over previous years. Now that all that is out of the way, how won?? LOL Results??

Congrats and thanks to GO and the UBC Boathouse crew and volunteers for a nice, simple festival. Simple is so very good. Great course in tidal current, good boats, excellent venue with real facilities, greatest beer room, friendly staff and volunteers, mix of Island and local teams. Nice touch to arrange for the rain to hold off, too.

Lots of capacity for another 20 teams without much impact ... so here's to your formula for 2008.

Hats off to Richmond Centre Dragoneers for the well-deserved team spirit award ... and for the beer to fill the top placing Richmond team cup ... you can try to get it back next year. We'll fix the leak and tuck some extra beer tanks in the base.

Results ... I believe FCRCC Mixed (unconfirmed - sorry, was shamefully glowing with beer and patting team's back for the richmond cup during medal presentations).

A smattering throughout the day:
Heat 3 - Nusa'Lon Dragons 1:48.0 | Kindred Spirit 2:06.6 | Ritchie Bros. 1:55.3 | Rmd Centre 1:58.2
Semi 1 - GPRC United 1:46.7 | Flying Butts 2:01.5 | O2P 2:08.4 | FCRCC 1:33.3
Semi 2 - Fraser Dragons 2:14.2 | FC Masters 1:31.1 | Ritchie Bros. 2:04.0 | Angels Abreast 2:32.8
C Final - VanCity Thunder 1:59.6 | Rmd Centre 2:07.3 | Ritchie Bros. 2:05.6 | O2P 2:00.6

OK, it seems most of the talk is about Harrison (for good reason) but I wanted to acknowledge the very well run Richmond Festival from this past weekend. Sure it was lightly attended and had a bit of down-home feel (esp. the crazy starts against the current - 10 strokes to get back to the original start line), but the organizers were completely great, the weather held off for the most part (thanks again Iron Giant for giving us shelter from the storm - your hospitality alone earned you the highly coveted Richmond Cup), and the races were spirited and hardfought. And then the chance to watch two of the best teams in the world fight it out in the final race from THE BEST INDOOR BEER GARDEN out there for any sport was a complete bonus. (IG - you're right; FCRCC won a tightly contested race by about a third of a boat - haven't seen official results yet). As was the short drive and being home by 5:00.

Yes, winning your final race helps alot, but overall it was one of my favrorite dragon boat days ever. Great job GO, and great facility UBC.   

[And why there are two Festivals on the same day is beyond me. Especially when I'm sure there are teams that could (& should) consider doing both]

anyone know where the real results are posted ?

I just emailed UBC Boathouse and GO to see if they can post them soon or send them along. Someone could make a lot of money working Alcan and other festivals with a note pad or digital camera just collecting results ...

From Craig Pond, UBC Boathouse Optns Mgr (cut n' paste from his email) ... going up on their site today.

A FINAL
1 - FCRCC Mixed - 01:33.9
2 - FC Masters of D Zone - 01:35.3
3 - Finding BMO - 01:43.8
4 - SOF Dragon Slayers - 01:45.6

B FINAL
1 - GRPC United - 01:50.4
2 - Nusa'Lon Dragons - 01:58.4
3 - Flyin Butts - 02:08.6

C FINAL
1 - VANCITY Thunder - 01:59.6
2 - O2P - 02:00.6
3 - Ritchie Bros. Auctionauts - 02:05.6
4 - Richmond Centre Dragoneeers - 02:07.3

D - FINAL
1 - Hardy Herons - 02:09.2
2 - Fraser Dragons - 02:11.3
3 - Sturgin Sturgeons - 02:11.9
4 - The Eh Team - 02:27.4

E FINAL
1 - Kindred Spirit - 02:21.8
2 - Angels Abreast - 02:37.6

On a side note, the FCRCC Women's crew were actually slotted to race the A final as we posted a 1:45 in our semi, placing us 4th fastest for the day. Unfortunately we had to withdraw as most of the team members were also racing on our respected mixed teams.

Good work ladies  :clap:

Special K