There are men’s teams, women’s teams, mixed (both men and women) teams and breast cancer survivor (BCS) teams. Some are recreational, and some are competitive, participating in various divisions at races and festivals throughout the world.

Current dragon boats are still similar to those raced in ancient China: slender, sleek hulls carry 20 paddlers (10 rows of two per seat), one drummer/caller and one steer person.

A typical boat is 42 feet in length—4 feet wide at the middle and narrows to 8 inches at the bow and stern. It weighs 900 pounds and can travel more than 10 to 13 feet-per-second in the water with a team’s stroke rate averaging 70-80 strokes per minute. During races, a colorful dragon head and tail are attached at the ends of the boat.

Races vary in length from 250 to 2,000 meters. However, a standard race is 500 meters and can last two to three minutes, depending on the efficient paddling and timing of the crew. Some festivals include races of 200 to 500 meters, as well as “guts-and-glory” races of 2,000 meters.