The Mac Dragon Boat Club is back and more motivated than ever
For almost two years the dragon boat club at McMaster University trained online. The club delivered its workouts, paddle practices and fitness tests via Zoom until they could cautiously resume in-person training during the 2021-2022 school year.
Dragon boat racing is a team sport where members race in an ornate, canoe-like boat. In a 20-seater boat, the crew consists of one drummer, one steerer and twenty paddlers. Without the chance to compete during the long break, most of the club’s current members had never been in an actual dragon boat before.
"Dragon boating is the same kind of motion [as canoeing]. I think a lot of people get confused that dragon boat is rowing just because it has more people in the boat . . . Think of a canoe, add one person sitting next to you, and then fill the boat up with twenty people,” explained Matthew Huynh, current co-president of the Mac Dragon Boat Club.
This May the club competed in their first regatta since 2019. The club’s two boat crews, Holy Mac-Row and Holy Mac-A-Rowni, put on impressive performances. Against all odds, the Milton regatta concluded with Holy Mac-Row finishing second in the 500 meter University A division finals.
"I know there are other [university] teams that have a lot of vets still there . . . I would say out of the people on our team [that competed], only four had been on a dragon boat before,” said Luke Nguyen, current co-president of the Mac Dragon Boat Club.
there are other [university] teams that have a lot of vets still there . . . I would say out of the people on our team [that competed], only four had been on a dragon boat before."
Luke Nguyen, current co-president of the Mac Dragon Boat Club
At the club’s second regatta Holy Mac-Row set a 500 meter club record and placed first in the University division. The club also brought the Pickering University Trophy home for the collective effort from both crews.
The club attended one more regatta before heading to the Canadian Dragon Boat Championships in Aug. 2022. Top crews across the country compete for a chance to qualify for the Club Crew World Championships which is held each subsequent year. The Mac Dragon Boat Club qualified for the U24 A Division Finals for all four of its events.
"We were able to really put our passion and hard work up front and make our name well known in the dragon boat U24 community . . . We were up there with some of the best crews, not only in Canada, but honestly the world,” said Huynh.
"We were able to really put our passion and hard work up front and make our name well known in the dragon boat U24 community . . . We were up there with some of the best crews, not only in Canada, but honestly the world."
Matthew Huynh, current co-president of the Mac Dragon Boat Club
Though the club did not place in the championship, the competition gave club members a chance to see the outcome of their perseverance.
"For a moment at that last 200 meters [of the 2000 meters race], I think everything just froze. It was a very vivid memory in my head. I just saw how hard [we worked], and where our time and efforts were put into,” explained Nguyen.
After their recent championship experience, co-presidents and Huynh believe the team has what it takes. The club has its sights set on qualifying for the next 2024 world championships held in Italy.
“As a team, we’re hungry. Even when we were there [competing], we knew we were one of the best crews out there,” said Huynh.
In the meantime, the club welcomes all beginners and interested students to try the sport in the fall term. After some time in the water, the club chooses their rosters for competition and focuses on becoming race-ready later in the season.
“It’s not just paddling, it’s also community . . . Try to come out, and I can almost guarantee you will create some very memorable moments with us at Mac Dragon Boat,” said Nguyen.
“It’s not just paddling, it’s also community . . . Try to come out, and I can almost guarantee you will create some very memorable moments with us at Mac Dragon Boat."
Luke Nguyen, current co-president of the Mac Dragon Boat Club
The club’s first general meeting is coming up soon. To learn more or get involved with the Mac Dragon Boat Club visit their website, Facebook, or Instagram.
The beginning of the school year means regatta season is here for the McMaster Sailing team. This past weekend, they hosted Ontario university sailing teams at the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club for two days of sailing fun.
Organized by team president Caroline Murdoch, the regatta gives the team a chance to get much-needed competitive practice before nationals. At last year's nationals the team came in third overall, but this year their eye is on the prize.
The first regatta of the year was hosted by Wilfred Laurier University. Being that it took place prior to McMaster’s annual ClubsFest, only experienced Mac sailors competed.
[spacer height="20px"]“It went really well. We came in first place,” said Murdoch. “It was more of an introductory regatta, just getting people back on the water and getting things ready.”
This weekend, while some members were sailing the west end of Lake Ontario, Joel Millar, a member of both the Ontario and Mac’s team, was representing McMaster at the McGill University regatta. Where he and his partner Abby Brown helped Mac come in fifth place overall.
As McMaster’s regatta is set three weeks into the season, their new sailors were given the opportunity to test the waters. Among the sailors was two-sport athlete Bridget Webster, and her new sailing partner Bryson Dell.
The pair led the pack in their races, helping McMaster stay on top. For Webster, who also plays hockey on the McMaster women’s team, balancing the fall and winter sports is not as hard as it may seem.
[spacer height="20px"]“Even though [hockey] tryouts are during the same time as sailing, by the time we really get into our season, sailing is wrapped up,” Webster explained.
Being able to focus on one sport at a time helped Webster and Dell get first and second place in their races on Saturday at the McMaster Regatta.
“The race was good because the wind was pretty steady at the beginning, but it kind of died down a bit, making it a little difficult just in terms of tactics,” said Dell. “But we did pretty well because we stuck to the left side and tacked up the middle of the course.”
Sailing a lighter boat, it makes it easier for the duo to maneuver in the water, but most importantly to win.
“It's a good feeling to win, so to stay on top we'll try to stay focused on our tactics which worked out for us,” said Dell. “Our boat handling was in sync and pretty smooth for the most part. We were pretty fluid with our movements and if we can keep that up, we should continue to do well.”
Dell, like the majority of McMaster’s team, started sailing when he was young, learning the ropes from his grandfather.
“My grandpa had a boat and sailed for a long time,” said Dell. “So when we were young, we would go out on his boat and I started to learn how to sail, then got into racing. I really like being out on the water because of how refreshing it is, but I also like the mixture of physicality and strategy.”
Though Dell, Murdoch and Webster have been doing this for quite some time, there are opportunities to learn through McMaster sailing. With their “Learn to Sail” program, students can learn from Mac’s sailors once a week everything they need to know for beginner sailing.
Given the nature of the sport, it is hard for spectators to come out and support the Mac team like they can with football or basketball. But their “Learn to Sail” program is a great way for McMaster students to get involved and expand their horizons, and maybe even join the team at nationals one day.
For now, the current McMaster sailing team will continue to attend Ontario regattas in preparation for the sailing nationals at Queens University on Oct. 27-28.
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