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Boat racers to put mettle to paddles

A viewers guide.

By JAY CRIDLIN
Published August 25, 2006

DOWNTOWN

The U.S. National Dragon Boat Racing Championship gets under way today with qualifying races from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Garrison Channel, near the St. Pete Times Forum. Opening ceremonies take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Channelside. Saturday's heats begin at 6 a.m. and last until 2:30 p.m. Night races go from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday's heats are from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. A postawards party starts at 9:30 p.m. at Channelside. For a complete schedule of events, go to www.tampadbnationals.com.

FIVE SPOTS TO WATCH THE RACES

1. Cotanchobee/Fort Brooke Park: Located between Garrison Channel and the St. Pete Times Forum, Cotanchobee is full of green space and playground equipment. A good spot for families.

2. Marriott Waterside: The finish line is at the Marriott, and the hotel's patio and channel walk are two fine places to lounge around and watch the race. The A/C in the lobby isn't bad, either.

3. Harbour Island Boulevard bridge: The best vantage point might be from the middle of the bridge near the Tampa Convention Center. The boats should pass under you.

4. Wyndham Harbour Island Hotel: The walkways along the water offer an excellent view of the boats emerging from under the Harbour Island bridge. Jackson's Bistro is a good place to watch and dine.

5. Channelside Walk Way: Set up near the Post Harbour Place apartments on Harbour Island for a view from the opposite side of the river. If you're hungry, try Cafe Dufrain, That's Amore or the Island Oasis convenience store.

DRAGON BOAT RACING 101

* Dragon boat racing dates back to the 2,000-year-old legend of the Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who hurled himself into the Milou River in defiance of a corrupt government. Local fishermen paddled furiously to save him and beat drums to prevent fish and "water dragons" from eating his body. From then on, dragon boat races were later held each year on the anniversary of his death.

* Crews consist of a steerer, a drummer, and 18 to 20 paddlers. The drummer sits in front, and bangs out a stroke cadence for paddlers. The steerer sits in the rear and manipulates the boat's direction with a large tiller-like oar.

* Most dragon boats are at least 40 feet long and 700 pounds, with intricate red, blue, gold and green dragon heads at the bow. Due to the cost of a good boat - maybe $12,000 - many teams share boats provided by event organizers. One local crew with its own boat is the Pink Dragon Ladies, a team of breast cancer survivors.

* This weekend, some crews will race up to nine times, including time trials, on courses of 250 meters, 500 meters and 1,000 meters. The coach of the winning crew in each division will go on to represent that division at the world championships and will select a crew to take with them. In other words, if your coach wins, your chances of being selected for the U.S. team go up.

[Last modified August 24, 2006, 08:12:29]