It was great to be back on the water in a dragon boat – I had forgotten how much I loved it! The water is so peaceful and the view at training is amazing - you look one way to the Harbour Bridge - the other way to Sky Tower – iconic Auckland. Three weeks into the season and we’re off to our first regatta in Tauranga.
We have an early start on Saturday morning for a day of racing – three open heats and then the breast cancer final (the one that really matters!) And this year we have the trophy to defend…
The weather is better than forecast but changeable, blustery and showers interspersed with sunshine – typical spring weather. It is windy on the water and hard to get the start line so we’re going with a “rolling start” - it’s exciting as we wait for the hooter to signal the start of the race. We’re off, paddles pounding into the water, racing down the course and then we’re finished – so much energy and effort packed into just over a minute – the end result of our hard work at training.
We didn’t get to keep the trophy – we were robbed as it was an extremely close finish so Cansurvive need to watch out next year! It was a great first regatta of the season with a fabulous group of women – the women are what it is really all about – the trophies are the added bonus.
Gina McDonald