When most people are warmly tucked in under their doonas on frigid winter Sunday mornings, the Central Coast dragon boat paddlers are putting in the hard yards in training for the next racing season. The club raised the pain level to a new high however, when it took a team to Port Macquarie over the recent long weekend to paddle in a 20 km “marathon” event in a mid-winter regatta on the Hastings River.

The 20km distance is unusual for dragon boat racing and most paddlers had not previously experienced such a physical and psychological challenge. The Central Coast Sea Dragons crew of men and women went into the race at 7.30am with few expectations other than to have fun, finish the race and to treat it as a good workout. They won by a generous margin in 1hr 32 minutes against the other local and Sydney dragon boat crews and came second overall only to a strong outrigger team.

Strokes Claire Bundy and Helen Mauric set a cracking pace which blew away the opposition at the start and then maintained the lead throughout the race.

Team Coach and paddler, Joe Iacono, praised the team, saying that it had “conquered another challenge and come out on top”. He emphasised the importance of rigorous training throughout winter in preparation for the next season and invited fit men and women on the Central Coast to consider dragon boat racing and the possibility of paddling for NSW and Australian representative teams.

The passion & the pain (Photo: Darrel Nash)

As Coach and paddler, Joe has overseen outstanding success this season, with trophies at all regattas entered (see photograph), eleven members (including himself) in the NSW Nationals squad and one member in the Australian team which competed in China.

In her absence, Petra Moynihan was awarded “Volunteer of the Year” for supporting her club and NSW regattas as an official at a number of events. Petra is currently overseas with the Dragons Abreast “Coastbusters” team which is competing in Canada.

Members and guests at the awards night enjoyed a buffet dinner, a slide show of images from the past season, recognition of other member contributions and dancing well into the evening with the local trio “Soul Station”.

Joe receives award

Club bling

 Thirty one members, including the 11 NSW state reps made the trip to Adelaide and while coming out of a successful local season, came back with new appreciation of the demands of national competition under IDBF rules.

While making a number of semi-finals, the Club’s best effort was in the Masters Open over 200m where they were just edged into 4^th place in a close Grand Final.

Our 11 NSW paddlers paddling in the State vs State events got among the medals and brought back a bunch of bling. Golds were won by Pete Jolly, Steve Dawes, Richard Thompson, Troy Vingerhoed, Joe Iacono and Ian George. Silver also adorns the neck of Steve Dawes. Bronze medals were won by Pete Jolly, Richard Thompson, Troy Vingerhoed, Joe Iacono, Ian George, George Salna and Greg Bell.

Pete Jolly, our representative in the Australian team, “The Auroras” has moved on to the Asian Championships in China where the news is emerging of a successful Australian campaign.

Well done to the Club team and to the individual Representative paddlers!

With you and your experience, bring on the Nationals in Canberra next year!

Photo courtesy Express Advocate

Twelve of our Dragons Abreast Central Coast Coastbusters team will soon be heading off to Canada for the 3^rd International Dragonboat Regatta being held at Peterborough in June. Among those going are Helen Blakemore, Kathy Bruderlin, Helen Byrne, Pam Crichton, Ann Ditton, Dee Fathers, Judi Gurzinski, Janice Horne, Barbara Jackson, Petra Monynihan, Julie Woods and Louise Zammit.

Coastbusters paddlers have had outstanding success in previous international regattas for breast cancer survivors. At the inaugural “Abreast in a Boat” regatta held in Vancouver in 2005, they finished a creditable 6^th out of 62 boats. In 2007, Caloundra, QLD, hosted “Abreast in Australia” with over 2000 breast cancer survivors from all over the world taking part. Once again the Coastbusters put in a great effort to win their final repêchage.

Good luck girls!  Do it again for Australia and yourselves.  PADDLES UP!

Dragons Abreast Central Coast is proudly sponsored by Darrel and Barbara Smith of Valhalla Village.

 Sea Dragons crews took out a gold and three silver medals, winning the NSW regional final, the “Country Cup” with second places in extremely close finishes in the Masters Open, Masters Mixed and Grand Masters events.

 Coach Joe Iacono thanked his paddlers for their consistent effort and success throughout the season which had ended in such outstanding results. “Once again the little club from the Central Coast club left some of the more fancied teams asking questions” he said.

With the end of the state racing calendar, the action now moves to the national championships in Adelaide in three weeks, where the NSW squad will include11 Central Coast paddlers one of whom, Peter Jolly, has made the Australian squad to compete in the Asian Championships later this year.

 We will also be taking a club team of 31 (12 men and 19 women) including the State paddlers to Adelaide to compete in inter-club racing at the national level for the first time.

Sea Dragons and their bling

NSW State paddlers (Peter Jolly missing)

 The regatta site is one of the State’s premier paddling venues and the local regatta, now in its 5^th year has proven popular with clubs which come for the intense competition and a weekend on the Central Coast

 The Club’s Publicity Officer, Ellen van Wessel said that racing would commence at 8.30am from the northern side of the river and include men’s, women’s and mixed events which will showcase this exciting and competitive sport for Central Coast residents and visitors alike. Spectators will find the best vantage points on the southern bank of the river at Tacoma South - the competition will even more fierce with the start of the finals about 2pm.

 Competitor parking.  Due to the expected demand for team spaces, there will be no parking allowed along the road between the start and finish lines. Roadside parking is permitted beyond those points, at the Don Small Oval to the east and it is expected that some local residents may provide private parking for a small fee.

An after-party following the regatta will be held at the Beachcomber Resort Hotel, 200 Main Road, Toukley. BBQ buffet and drink voucher $20 per person.  Tickets/enquiries Rosemaree by

4^th January - Mobile :  0408 161 290    email: rettenmund@bigpond.com

Tacoma Regatta Site

Rosemaree, Dave and Petra with trophies

In the final DBNSW points regatta for 2009 held at the Sydney International Rowing Centre, Penrith on December 13, the Central Coast club again performed up to and beyond expectations.

At the Dobroyd 10s regatta, traditionally the end-of-Winter “ice-breaker” event to start the racing season, the club made five finals and placed first in four - the Grand Masters mixed, Masters mixed, Masters women and Masters open categories. All this while several of our top paddlers were away with the Australian squad!

Sea Dragons at Roseville (Photo: Julie-Maree Crotty)

Paddlers Claire and Rick both won gold last weekend when they exchanged rings at their wedding at Summerland Point on Lake Macquarie. Surrounded by family and friends who included a large contingent of dragon boaters, their marriage was another first for our club which has experienced a vintage year both on and off the water.

The wedding was held in an idyllic setting and despite the gloominess of the preceding days, the weather turned on its best for the couple who created their own unique ambience of warmth and informality.

Congratulations Claire and Rick.  Your friends wish you many years of health and happiness together.

Mel & friend

Mel Dunn has just received a “call up” to the squad preparing to represent Australia  at the World Championships in Prague at the end of August. She will be accompanied to Prague by chaperons Willy Paku, Ian George and Dave Crotty. Congratulations Mel and each of our Aus reps.