Gung Haggis dragon boat team races in Sunday sessions for Alcan DBF regatta


2007 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team at the June 3 ADBF regatta – photo Richard Montagna

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team had a great time racing today in the ADBF regatta, Sunday afternoon session.

Great captaincy by Jim Blatherwick.  He really stepped
up to the plate when Stephen Mirowski had to go travel back home to
Thunder Bay.  Thank you for the hard work Jim did in organizing the
team, making the rosters and leading the warm-ups. 

Great job by Deb, our steersperson… She steered us straight and true.

Great job by our lead strokes, Wendy and Marlene.  They made
adjustments from race to race and set good paces and kept time with
each other to lead us.

Great job by all our paddlers, keeping your heads up, watching our lead
strokes, and getting a good pull on the blades.  You worked together,
didn't criticize each other, and looked for improvements to help us
all! 

omigod…
we were seeded 3rd or 4th in our first race… and we finished 2nd!!! 
Wow! That bumped us immediately up to the top half of the race grid. 
Well done!

Our second race we came 5th (?) which pushed into the B final.  We didn't feel it was a good race and we made adjustments.

Third race we were seeded 5th or 6th… and we were pushing hard for
4th place!  And we almost had it… darn if I haven't been coaching
that UA Power Dragons team that beat us by about .35 second.  Very very very close 

We also had 2 brand new paddlers Hillary and Arthur who only had 3 practices previously with us.  They did really well today.  Peggy and Alex had just come back from vacation for their first times in a dragon boat in a month!

Comparing our June 3rd regatta team to the April 14th sprint regatta team.
Missing were experienced paddlers Todd (14 years), Stephen (3), Ernest
(4), Kristine (14), Ian (6), Cory (2), and Craig (10).  Each race and
each year of experience really makes a big difference… that is why we
were right on Concord's tail at the sprint regatta.

For ADBF, our team will not be as powerful as the team for the sprint
regatta, but we are improving steadily with each practice.  Our paddles
are getting a better reach, and our veteran paddlers are getting deep
longer strokes with a kick.  Our rookies are learning fast, and staying
in time perfectly.  We are blending very well together and haing lots
of fun.  This is important.  It is great to see the chemistry of the
team grow.

We are off to a great start for ADBF.  We have an honourary drummer for
inspiration – James Erlandsen (Hillary's cousin) and we have a
honourary mascot (pending) – Stuart's shiba inu named Kikujiro.  And we
have been asked to take part in ADBF;s opening ceremonies… truly an
honour!!!!

Congratulations, Todd

pictures taken by friend Nick at
http://www.flickr.com/gp/24064901@N00/aL7726