Sydney Dragon Sports Association Dragon Boat Club

Tacoma, The Entrance. NSW

January 10th: 

Results

Premier Mixed - Yellow: BRONZE (Major Final)
Women's Crew: BRONZE (Major Final)
Masters Mixed Crew: SILVER (Major Final)

Tacoma saw an outstanding racing performance from DSA and another 3 trophies added to our repertoire.

 Our mixed master’s crew had a hazardous start in the finals.  Thanks to the winds and strong current our Mighty Masters were rammed by another boat, resulting in a couple of scratches, bruises, shaky nerves and a final re-run.  Undeterred, the team showed their might and ability to perform under pressure by taking away the silver trophy.

 Monica Pellicciaro led the Mixed A to bronze victory demonstrating the team’s continued improvements.  A number of fellow paddlers on the sideline commented on the excellent timing of the crew throughout their heats.  Look out Chinese New Year!!

 The Chick’s A Crew was triumphant with a bronze.  Captain Edwina Feilen described the finals as a great race, with a strong start and a close finish.  Edwina was proud of the girl’s performance and felt they were beaten by two better teams on the day.

 Head Coach George Louie thought the boy’s effort was special in the Premier Opens.  The extra cardio sessions are paying off, with a couple of excellent races in the heats.  Captain Matt Jones and the team did well, especially in the second heat when they served it up to Sydney Dragon Blades, the eventual third place getter in the A final.

 David Kelly from Chatswood experienced his first race day.  Despite the butterflies and being concerned about “screwing up” he managed to control his nerves and focus on his technique for his first race.  David felt the atmosphere at Tacoma was great and was impressed with the overall sense of competitiveness and buzz.

Another first-timer was Charlotte Bujewicz.  Thanks to the intensity of our training sessions, Charlotte wasn’t too fazed going into her first race.  Charlotte really enjoyed the atmosphere at Tacoma, describing it as relaxed and friendly with everyone having a good time. 

A wondrous chorus broke out to the tune of “Happy Birthday” for a club favourite, Capricornian Sandra Simm.  Sandra was part of the Mixed Blue and felt they paddled a strong, consistent race which was great given the number of new paddlers in the boat.  With the great ‘picnic atmosphere’ Tacoma is Sandra’s favourite racing event on the calendar.

 The Tacoma site is located on the Central Coast near Wyong.  Overall the weather was fantastic although we did experience a bit of wind and strong current towards the end of the day.

 Special thanks to our Super Sweeps Simon Wong, Tim Batt, George Louie, Diana Dent, Kerri Yates and Carmen Calcara.  They did a fantastic job in some strong wings and currents.

 Paul Mc Carroll, Edwina Feilen, Andrea Simmons, Monica Pellicciaro, Jason Davison and Matt Jones all had the honour of captaining their respective team.  Unfortunately for them this also comes with the arduous task of keeping us organised and at marshalling on time – congrats on a job well done.

 Last and certainly not least, our drummers.  Thanks to Jessica Dent, Mish Chim and Carmen Calcara for laying off the Maccas!

 Of course there was the after-party at the Beachcomber Hotel where a funtabulous time was had by all!  We would report more but hey, what happens on tour……