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One of Jersey's best-loved boaty battles is back for its 25th anniversary edition tomorrow, and will see Saiyans fight it out against Titans and Smooth Operators.
Ahead of the event getting underway, Express spoke to one team about its motivation for getting involved and what training (or lack thereof) has involved...
Tomorrow's Jersey Dragon Boat Festival will see 50 teams take to the water around Albert Pier in iconic 40-foot long canoe-like vessels with ornately carved dragon’s heads and tails, and race up and down the harbour in a series of heats.
The aim is to raise money for Jersey Hospice Care, and each team has pledged to raise a minimum of £500 to go towards the charity that supports islanders with terminal and life-limiting illnesses.
Each team will feature 18 people - 16 will be sitting in pairs, doing the paddling to race the other teams, whilst one person will sit as a helm, keeping the boat in course with a giant paddle, and a drummer will sit in the prow beating out the time.
While no experience is required to join in, one nearly compulsory item is a punny name and/or a desire to dress up – the sillier, the better on both counts!
Among them is Langham Hall's 'Dragonhall Z', which will be facing Jersey Hospice Care’s own team, Hospicesaurus, as well as event sponsors VG.
They will also have to contend, amongst others, with BNP Paddlers, the Smooth Operators from the Health and Community Services department, the Mail Escorts from Jersey Post, and the Ogier Olympians.
Langham Hall's Chantal Le Feuvre got her colleagues involved after previously filling in a spot for friends who were short of rowers a few years ago.
“We had so much fun, and the atmosphere was brilliant," she recalled.
Pictured: Each team features 18 people, including a drummer and a helm.
“I had tried to wrangle a team together over the past few years but struggled to get enough rowers but now the business has grown, we were able to get together a crew for the day!”
Whilst some in the team have also taken part before, many rowers will be joining in the Dragonboat Festival for the first time. As Chantal explained, the team is excited about the event, even though she admitted they haven’t trained for it.
“There hasn’t been much preparation in terms of physical training so we may be rowing in circles, but we’re hoping that our teamwork and communication will keep us on track!” she said. “We are also relying on the self-professed rhythm of our drummer Hannah!”
Video: Langham Hall's team name is a pun on Dragonball Z.
Langham Hall’s Saiyans are banking on “timing and rhythm” to compete against other teams tomorrow.
“We will stick to the drummer’s beat and hope for the best!” Chantal said. “I think there will be some more experienced teams out there, so we are just going to enjoy ourselves, have some fun outside of the office and try our best!”
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Islanders are invited to join in the fun and come along to watch the 50 competing corporate and community teams from the Albert Pier.
The first race starts at 10:00 and the final at 16:00.
The prize-giving ceremony will follow shortly after 16:30.
Pictured top: Langham Hall’s team, which features Funds Managers (Chantal Le Feuvre, Harry Messervy, Kerri Brown, and Rhuari O’Brien), Fund Administrators (Gianni Despres and Harry McNamara), Associate Directors for Funds (Andy Fortune, Nicki Yates and Melissa Vitalini), Senior Fund Administrators (Natalia Jurajda, Ryan Paterson, and Tristan Norbury) as well as Associate Director for Compliance Joe Hart, Compliance Administrator Alex Vivian, Operations Administrator Jonathan Noiraut, Senior Compliance Administrator Max Taylor and Fund Administrator Tanisha Bougourd and Senior Marketing and Events Administrator, Hannah Graviou, who will be the Drummer.
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