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Dragon boats are about 42 feet long, 3.5 feet wide, and weigh about 550 pounds.
The twenty paddlers are divided into left and right paddlers. The middle 8 paddlers are the "engine room" for the boat. The drummer sits at the front of the boat facing the paddlers. The steersperson guides the boat from the rear position.
- The boat crew is broken into three sections, the front which is the first six paddlers, the engine room which is
the middle eight paddlers and the back which is last six paddlers.
- Side to side and front to back weight distribution must be taken into consideration when setting up the boat.
The lightest people should be seated in the front and the very back of the boat. The heaviest people should be placed in the middle.
- The drummer is seated at the front of the boat and gets the cadence from the lead paddlers.
- The front six paddlers are the main focal point of the boat. They set the initial pace which the crew follows.
- The middle eight or the "engine room" is usually reserved for the heavier, stronger paddlers. During the
middle of the race the engine room dictates the pace.
- The back six paddlers of the boat should be the strongest people in the boat.
- Responsible for the safety of the team, our knowledgeable steerspeople reserve the right to move paddlers around to improve the balance of the
boat.
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