Regattas

DBV combined club regattas are great fun with clubs travelling from all over the state to compete. Starting with the Battle of the Barwon in August, going all the way through to the Victorian Championships at the National Water Sports Centre in Carrum, in March. For many teams it's a build up to the final test at the Australian Championships at Penrith in April 2025.

You can find all the regatta dates on our Events Calendar

Races

Races at Victorian regattas are generally Club vs Club divided into Categories and Divisions across different race couse lengths and configurations.

Categories: Mixed, Women and Open
Divisions: 24U, Premier, Senior A, Senior B, Senior C, Breast Cancer Paddlers, All Cancer Paddlers, Corporate Teams
Race Courses: 100m, 200m, 500m (usually a straight line sprint) 1KM, 2KM, 5.4km (a 'turns' race with laps of a circuit)
Crews: Each boat has a sweep and drummer plus standard (20s) crews have 20 paddlers while small (10s) crews have 10.  
Handicaps: When we race the Senior divisions in a combined format, their time in the final race is multiplied by the handicap percentage to determine the winner: Senior A (100%), Senior B, (96%) and Senior C (94%)

Rules

AUSDBF has adapted the International Dragon Boat Competition Regulations and Rules of Racing for use at Australian Championships DBV further adapts them with Bylaws to meet the racing needs of our clubs and members.