Dragon Boat Fe s ti v a l
the semi-finals. More than 40 crews are expected to battle it out and all are keen to knock the CMR Surgical team off their pedestals as reigning champions. If you fancy getting involved, then good news: there’s still time to enter a team, but get in quick as spots do tend to sell out. You’ll be joining local firms including Sitec Infrastructure Services from Waterbeach, who’ve been enthusiastic contestants for the last two years. Crew manager Taryn Caleno had this to say about the event: “We are always so busy as a company with a number of different teams working for separate clients and types of work. We find it difficult to fit traditional team building away days into our schedule, so the Dragon Boat Festival is a great opportunity to link in our social side with an element of team building, too!” As well as being lots of fun, the festival raises around £20,000 for charity each year. For 2019, the chosen cause is once again Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), a charity dedicated to making a difference for patients at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals. By entering a crew and raising money for ACT, the teams are helping to raise much-needed funds for cutting-edge technology, additional specialist services, important research and extra comforts for patients
A ll eyes may have been on the River Thames last month for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, but come 7 September, the action is on the Cam, when the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival returns for a day of raucous fun on the river. Known for its lively atmosphere, the festival is now in its 15th year and offers the chance to see teams battling it out along a 200-metre stretch of river by Ditton Meadows, cheered on by hundreds of spectators. Crews are made up of companies, clubs and groups of friends from around the region, with 11 people (including a drummer), racing in traditional, ornately
carved Chinese dragon boats. Qualified helms and racing equipment are provided by festival organisers, Gable Events, and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races. You don’t need to have the physique or athletic prowess of Sir Steve Redgrave or Dame Katherine Grainger to be a successful dragon boater. In fact, no previous experience is needed at all – just plenty of team spirit and enthusiasm. Under the expert guidance of the helm, your crew will be paddling along in time and bonding together as you race towards the finish line. Each team gets three attempts to improve their race time, and everyone has an equal chance of reaching
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