CDBF 2012 Race FAQs

• How much is the team fee and what does it include?
The team fee is $850 per team. This includes one practice session prior to the festival, one 15×15 team space in Team City during the festival, and the use of CDBF’s dragon boats, safety jackets, and paddles during practice and races.

• What is the minimum and maximum number each team can have?
Team members: each team needs to have minimum of 20 and maximum of 25 paddlers.

• What are the requirements of the Flag Catching division teams?
Each team must have a minimum of 8 male and 8 female paddlers, plus 2 other paddlers of your choosing (18 paddlers total, plus substitutes). You must also have a drummer and a flag catcher. A steersman for all races will be provided by CDBF. All flag-catcher (Taiwan-style) races will be 250 meters.

• What are the requirements of the Hong Kong division teams?
Each team must have a minimum of 8 male and 8 female paddlers, plus 4 other paddlers of your choosing (20 paddlers total). You must also have a drummer and a sternsman. All recreational division races will be 250 meters. Competitive division races will be 500 meters.

• For the Corporate Division teams do the team paddlers have to be employees of ours – or can spouses or friends be part of the team as well?
The paddlers can be friends, spouse, relatives, etc.

• Are there different racing divisions for the teams – such as novice, corporate, thirty something, etc.?
For the 2012 races, we will have the Flag Catching Division, and Hong Kong Division. We have not decided on whether there will be different race categories within each of these divisions. We may combine the corporate and novice categories.

• Is there a weight limit for the team as a whole?
That would be a good idea. But we do not have a weight limit.

• What is the length of each practice session, e.g. 1-hour, 2-hours, etc.? And what times are available – during business hours, weeknights, weekends?
The practice sessions are 1 hour each. Since most of our paddlers work full time, the practice sessions are scheduled for 6-8 pm on weekdays, and all day Saturday and Sunday. When we are ready for practices, we will select a few weekends for the free practices. We will publish a schedule to help teams choose time slots that work for them. For additional pay sessions, we will also publish a schedule for teams to choose times.

• What is the cost for additional practice session?
Each additional practice session is $100.

• Where is the training held at?
The practice sessions take place at Standley Lake Park where our boats are stored; the entrance is at 100th and Simms in Westminster.

• Who does the training and what is their background?
We have a race association that currently has about 35 members. Some of them have been trained as steersmen. We will also hold additional sterns training in the spring. These are the people who will be steering the boats for flag catching teams during training sessions next year. A few members of the race association have also gone to Florida to attend coaching sessions in the last two years.

• If we have a “personal coach” can we bring that person along to assist in leading the session?
You certainly are welcome to bring your own coach, if you feel that the person can help your team.

• Is there a limit on the number of persons we can bring to the training session?
We have not set a limit on the number of persons allowed for training sessions. But we can only allow 20 people on a boat. Therefore, if you bring more than 20 to the training session, you have to rotate them during the one-hour session. In the past, some teams were not able to bring the entire team to the training, and they asked other teams to fill the boat so they can hold their training as scheduled.

• If we register with 25 individuals are we locked into those same 25 or can we switch out people as needed?
You can switch people out up to the day of the races. We ask you to being an updated roster when you register the teams on the day of the races.

• Do we need to know all of the members of our team?
You do not need to provide the team roster when you sign up. We will need your team roster by the time of the first practice, usually in June. You can submit the final roster by Friday, July 27.

• When will my team registration be confirmed?
Confirmation will be sent to you immediately after you submit the registration form. Payment will need to be received within seven business days after registration. Once payment is received by CDBF, your registration will be confirmed.

• How many hours would the team be needed on race day(s)?
It is hard to say. In 2011 we scheduled each team to race only on one day, either on Saturday or Sunday. However, some teams felt that they did not get to race enough. We will have to change the race grid in 2012 to meet everybody’s needs. If your team does really well, you may have to be there both days.

• In your experience what have been the keys to a winning dragon-boat team?
Team spirit and cohesiveness is the most important factor for a team to win. They have to work together and paddle like one machine.

• What is your cancellation policy?
Refund Schedule: Full refund by April 30; 50% refund by May 15; 25% by June 1; no refund after June 1.

• We’ve learned that the Flag-Catching Division for 2012 is already full. What can we do?
Although the Flag-Catching Division is very popular, the Hong Kong Divisions are also lots of fun, and this year we’ll have teams match up by skill level and experience. You can still register as a Hong Kong team. If you’d like to be placed on a wait-list to be contacted if Flag Catching openings become available, please send an email to race@cdbf.org.

• Who should we contact for answers to additional questions?
race@cdbf.org