The Basics

Paddle for Life Dragon Boat Races will occur Saturday, June 6 2009, rain or shine at Jack London Square in Oakland. Racing starts at 9am sharp and teams should arrive by 8am. Teams will race twice in the morning with more racing the afternoon weather permitting. Racing will go faster than previous years so be ready! The best racing is always at the end of the day so plan on staying all day. The awards ceremony will begin 30 minutes after the last race ends. Most teams will get an award!

How many people on a team?

This year only 10 paddlers per team! Your team size can be from 10 to 15, but 12 is
a good size, remember you must have at least 4 women paddlers in the boat. More women, even all women is fine, but no all men’s crews. We supply the helm. You can have your own drummer or use own of ours.

How much is the race fee?

This is a charitable fundraiser and our goal is to raise as much money as possible for two great local cancer groups. The fee if you register before May 1st is $500 per team, but our beneficiaries would greatly appreciate it if you wait until after May 1st when the fee goes up to $750 per team.

What is the Pledge Competition?

Race registration fees pay for the racing and the event, but leave little money left over for the beneficiaries. In order to maximize the charitable contribution we are including a pledge contest. We ask every team and every participant to help raise an additional $1,000 per team. That is the equivalent of about $100 per paddler. It is very simple. Talk with your friends, family and co-workers and ask them to donate $20 to $50 each. The gift is tax deductible and stays in the community to help people in need.
We will be recognizing the team that raises the most money through pledges, as well as the individual on each team that raises the most pledges. We will also have a special prize for the person who raises the most money for the event.

Pledge forms are available here.

When and where are practices?

Practices will be at various SF Bay Area including Foster City, Berkeley, and Oakland. Team Captains will be provided with a schedule and directions. Dress to get wet and have fun. Each practice includes a coach and steersperson to help you prepare.

Send an email to registrar@paddleforlife.org to reserve your team's time slots. Registration fee must be paid before your team can start practicing. Each paddler must fill out and sign a waiver form prior to stepping on the boat.

Click here to download the waiver form and have each paddler bring the signed form to practice.

Where can I park for the race?

BART has a station just a few blocks from Jack London Square and we encourage you to use mass transportation if possible. There is parking available at JLS, but it is limited and fills up quickly. We highly suggest that you carpool with your team if possible.

SF Bay Area Practice locations:

Foster City - Foster City Boat Park
Bounty Drive at Foster City Blvd
Foster City, CA 94404

Click here for directions Map link here

Berkeley Marina - Berkeley Racing Canoe Center
Click here for directions

Oakland - Lake Merritt
http://www.oaklandnet.com/parks/parks/lakemerritt.asp

Individual paddlers or those who cannot make it to your designated team practice have the option to attend the Bay Area Dragons open practice at 10:30AM on Saturdays at the Foster City Boat Park .

Do we have to provide our own steersperson for the race?

No, Paddle for Life hosts will provide each team with a steersperson at practices and on race day.

What makes up a team? What is a mixed team?

Your team consists of 10 to 15 paddlers plus a drummer (optional). You can have 10 paddlers in the boat at a time (plus the optional drummer). All teams require a minimum of four female paddlers in the boat, you can have more women, up to all ten if you like. There is not an Open or Men’s division, so teams with fewer than four female racers must paddle with those seats empty or face a penalty (most likely a lot of seconds added to your time for that race!)

What is the minimum age for a racer?

The minimum age for a member of a team is 12 years old. There is no maximum age limit.

How long is each heat? How many times will I race?

The race will be 200 meters in length, which can take approximately 1.5 minutes to complete. Weather permitting the races we will race every team twice in the morning and up to twice more in the afternoon. Safety is our first priority and if conditions do not allow us to safely conduct the races we will cancel the remainder of the event.

Team Tents

Teams may bring their own tents to the event, but they can be no larger than 10X10 (Oakland Fire Department Regulations). We encourage you to bring your own tent on race day, please respect the site map and only set up your tent in your designated team space.

Sponsors and Beneficiaries will receive complimentary tent space. We no longer have tents for rent but have 10X10 tents available for purchase for $200. These tents will be set up in advance in your space and are yours to keep after racing is finished.