International Dragon Boat Federation

What are Dragon Boats?

Dragon boats are long, slim, open boats used in China and made to traditional designs of various sizes and lengths. The crew use single bladed paddles to drive the Boat forward, a method of propulsion common to many other paddled water craft around the World.

Dragon Boats have been used for spiritual and competitive purposes for over 5000 years in China, with the smallest boat, called a "Baby Dragon", having a crew of eight Paddlers, while some boats are designed for more than 100 paddlers. The modern design of the IDBF International Standard Racing Boat has a Crew of 22, consisting of 20 paddlers, one Drummer and a Helm (Steerer).

Dragon Boats are carvel constructed, like Junks and Sampans, not clinker built like Viking long ships. The shape of the hull, below the waterline (an inverted gull wing form in transverse section) guides water under the boat through a "keel-tunnel". This helps the boat to run straight and gives it stability when under power.

 

The International Racing Dragon Boat

There are many different designs and sizes of wooden dragon boats used in the traditional Festival Races but as modern ‘Sport Dragon Boat Racing’ developed around the world, the IDBF took the decision to introduce a common design of Dragon Boat and Paddle for general use in Sport Racing,


The design of the dragon boat and paddle chosen by the IDBF Congress in 1994 was the standard size Dragon Boat as raced in the Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) the recognised ‘mother races’ of the modern sport.


The result was the International Racing Dragon Boat, generally constructed of glass reinforced plastic .It was felt that a common design for both Championship Races and general development, was the best way to ensure fair competition in Sport Racing.


The IDBF has developed two models of the IRDB. The Standard Model 1222, designed for a crew of 22 people maximum and just over 12 metres in length and the Small Model 912, designed for crews of 12 or less, at 9 metres in length. The Hull shape and design is the same in both IRDB models but the overall dimensions are less for the 912 model.

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