Dragon Boat West

Any footage of the Pemberton team on the turn by the beer garden during the guts & glory? Best turn by far with Hugh steering and his drummer hanging off the drum and over the water. That girl rocks!

I think they passed 2-3 boats in that one turn.

It's in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJ0TFb4_M0

Starts at :30. :)

Thanks! Missed that in the clip, she's my hero!

That's some amazing turning technique by Hugh!

Awesome pics superduper! I heard how the drummer on the Pemberton team was literally hanging on the side of the boat but now I see it. Man that young lady has guts!  8)) Also note what the first 2 paddlers on the right are doing to assist with the turn. Maybe we can all learn a thing or two for next year?  :?

I'd love to see you try that move Bernman... can you imagine how fast the front of the boat would come around with your ass hanging way over the side  8))

 do you mind,I'm eating right now  :sick:

that is by far the most badass thing at alcan this year

Yes that is a very impressive move !!   I'd like to see them try that in a BUK ?

Bench 1's turning technique is brought over from other kinds of open water racing and looks like a combo of a cross-bow rudder and a "poke" turn - very effective especially for keeping speed up on a hair-pin turn---the drummer slinging their a** out over the water moves the boats centre of gravity to the inside radius, tips the boat slightly so it is riding on its inside chine like a deep-vee hull and also makes the boat pivot at the front rather than the middle ... making the turn even faster...

The drummers move may be somewhat risky from a safety point of view...puts a lot of trust in the rigging of the drummers seat...one slip or bump by another boat and the drummer could be in the water with all kinds of nasty consequences...may even contravene rules but great for spectators.

It was a very nice move indeed
I saw the same manuveur at the Race offs in Calgary 2 years ago with the Montreal Women's team.
You can safely mark that as one move I will not be attempting!



And Yes, that is a buk!

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/Lethal_Weapon/Calgary2007/KV7D0144Large.jpg)

I stand corrected !!!!

I guess I should mention that even though the technique that the Pemberton team used to make the turns in the GnG race was awesome to watch I believe it may have been illegal. I recall reading/hearing somewhere that all members of a DB crew are supposed to remain seated in their respective seats except for the steersperson. I am reviewing all the rules that I have in my collection but if someone knows of the particular rule then please post it. Of course I will do the same just as soon as I find it.

But it was awesome to see huh?

Yes it was a great turn and good for them for putting so much thought into the move. i guess they are good for that eh. sparking thought and causing change. So does that make them martyrs for getting DQ'd all the time?

You must've been reading the Eastern Dragonboat forum, then. They say over there that it would have been illegal in CCWC, but I don't see such rules in the IDBF documents unless someone more knowledgeable can clarify.

Interesting.
  found this comment on the internet:
http://www.dragonboatworldinternational.com/PDF-Versions/DBI-4-09.pdf

The whole objective of the IDBF rules is to make racing as simple and fair as possible, so that all crews compete in as even racing conditions as
possible. Paddlers jumping out of boats, Drummers sitting down in the boats and not Drumming, paddlers standing up to paddle during a
race, using the Helm to paddle the boat etc, etc are all mis-guided attempts to gain an unfair advantage over other crews. This basically is why
the IDBF has never gone down the road of allowing such traits in IDBF competitions.

You know the people who officiate and manage the races don't go looking for reasons to DQ teams at all! We just make sure that teams are safe amongst themselves and amongst others on the water. And I don't think the crew in question is looking to be martyrs either. But they keep introducing us to new things out on the water that they will do when they race that others will obviously notice it too. So if anything why not try something different if there really isn't a rule about it in the first place. I am still working on searching the rule about drummers and sitting but that newsletter did hit the nail on the head by stating it is to keep things on an equal level paddling field. I mean would the boat have made such a tight turn if the drummer just sat in her chair? Who knows but probably not. What she probably did was put more of a positive angle to help make the turn that tight. But anyway lets not beat this to death. I believe if there was an official result to be made the powers that be will surely announce it. Especially since there is money involved for the first place teams. Right? And I do believe FCRCC won it. I think?  :?

The rule can be found in IDBF Competion Regulations and Rules of Racing, Part 2 - Rules of Racing under Conduct of Crews (Section 4).

"R4.4 The Drummer. The Drummer shall sit on the drummers seat provided and once the boat has cleared the Starting Area, which is deemed to be 50 metres from the Start Line, must actively beat the Drum throughout the race. That is, the Drum must be clearly seen to be struck with a Drum Stick on the drum skin (top or side) at short, regular intervals. (Sep 03). Failure to actively beat the Drum will result in disciplinary action being taken against the crew concerned."

So technically it was a breach of the IDBF rules.  However, under ADBF official rules 8.1.3 "The Drummer is encouraged to beat the drum from the fifty (50) meter mark of the racecourse entirely through to the finish.  Drumming is a very essential part of dragon boat racing."

Note that the ADBF rule doesn't say anything about sitting.  Thus, we can call the rule murky enough to ignore it.  Pemberton did win the Gemini boats (blue signs). This is all academic anyhow.  Realistically, it was tres cool and was the highlight of the whole show.

I don't think all callers drum the drum at Alcan. It throws off their timing.

I agree.  It goes to show that the spirit of the IDBF rule is followed but not necessarily to the letter of the law.

Eight teams beating their drums would be a nightmare at Alcan. It's hard enough to tune in to to your caller's voice, nevermind trying to figure out which drum is yours.

The loud drumming of eight boats would make it for an exciting spectator's race.

Why not hook up some microphones to every boats and let the callers' voice blare through the speakers? (Some teams don't even need those to be heard, that's for sure. :P)

That's against Alcan rules.  I'm not sure if that's a IDBF rule as well.

4.1.8   Only the drum and drum sticks provided shall be used to signal the stroke rate; whistles, rattles, air horns or any other noise making devices are prohibited from use. Any Team shall not use signaling devices including radio communications or other electronic items (GPS) and any noise-making devices during the races

I was referring to the festival speakers put throughout the spectator area.