Come compete and cheer! We are keeping up the tradition and will be racing dragon boats again this year. The event is intended for MENDELU employees. Join us, we start at 10 a.m. We look forward to your participation, and don’t forget to bring plenty of energy and team spirit!

Program

10:00 a.m. – arrival at the venue
10:30 a.m. – start, information about dragon boats, safety
11:00 a.m. – races (including practice runs)     
1:00 p.m. – lunch
1:30 p.m. – free time, opportunity to take a dragon boat trip to Veveří Castle
5:00 p.m. – planned end of the event

Form Your Own Crew

A team can consist of 21 people: 20 + 1 drummer. The minimum number of team members is 17. All team members must be employees of the university (faculty, ICV rector’s office, university-wide departments, school enterprises) with any level of employment. Teams must be mixed, i.e., a team must consist of at least 8 women and 8 men. One person can only be part of one team. The crew is registered by the captain, and registration is open from March 18 to April 20. To register, you must know the complete list of crew members. There is no limit to the total number of crews.

Crew composition rule: A dragon boat crew consists of 21 members and must complete all races in the same composition as when they started the first race. It is not permitted to change the composition of the team during the race. The only exception is if a crew member is injured, in which case it is possible to make a subsequent change to the crew composition. For such cases, it is advisable to have one or two substitutes.

The race will take place at the Brno Reservoir, in the Lodní sporty Brno Complex (see map). Parking is available on Rakovecká Street, right next to the complex. At the beginning, competitors will be introduced to paddling techniques and the history of dragon boats. On the day of the competition, each crew will have a maximum of three races: a training race, a competition race, and the A or B final. The estimated length of the course is 150 meters. The detailed course of the race depends on the weather and the number of registered crews.

Due to venue capacity, the event is not open to family members.

Practice Sessions

Before the race itself, which will take place on May 28, you will have the opportunity to try out dragon boat racing. Training sessions will take place on the Svratka River at the VUT Boathouse in Jundrov, with each crew allowed to participate in a maximum of two sessions. We recommend taking advantage of both training sessions, but at least one. Captains of registered crews can reserve a date at least one week in advance. Ideally, the entire crew should participate in the training, but the minimum number is 14 paddlers and a drummer. An experienced helmsman/coach will be available on site. Changing rooms and storage facilities are available at the boathouse.