Please note: This article is as of 2018!
Text and photos by Jorge Carracedo Cervantes, President of the Spanish Dragon Boat Association
Spain: Spanish Dragon Boat Association
The Spanish Dragon Boat Association started in 2005 with its participation in the World Games of Duisburg, Germany and in the Club Crew World Championship of Schwerin. This first team was integrated by 30 University students and supported by the Spanish sponsor Grupo Caliche.
The following years, the AD Pinatarense Dragon boat team was the only Dragon Boat in Spain. The national team was consolidated with some of the best canoeing athletes of the country. Several championships and medals were obtained in the World and European championships of 2006, 2007 and 2008.
After several seasons without international participation of the Spanish Dragon Boat Association, in 2012 re-started their presence in international races. The AD Pinatarense returned to participate in international activities. The following year, several medal were obtained in the European Club Crew Championship of Hamburg. 2013 was also the starting point of the International Dragon Boat festivals in Spain.
After that, the sport increased exponentially in Spain. In 2014 there was two teams participating in international championships (AD Pinatarense and CN Banyoles World Club Crew Championship in Ravenna). In 2015, Real Club de Regatas de Cartagena also participated in the European Club Crew Championship. The International Dragon boat Festivals of San Pedro del Pinatar and Banyoles attracted lots of national and foreign teams.
Many goals have been obtained. Besides all the medals in Word, European and Festivals around the World, two 24h World Record Guinness have been obtained. The first one in 2015 with the longest distance paddled by a crew in 24 hours obtaining 188 Kilometers by a crew of 20 paddlers. The second one in 2017 with the longest distance paddled by relays in 24 hours obtaining 266 Kilometer by a team formed by 8 crews.
Greatest result of the Spanish Dragon boat Association was obtained in the World Nation Championship celebrated in Kunming (China) in 2017, where Spain gets a Silver medal in the Small boat Senior A Mixed category.
Regarding the Breast Cancer Survival (BCS) category, in 2016 it was celebrated the first International Forum of the benefits of Dragon Boat in survival of breast cancer. The next year, the first BCS crew started. In 2018, Five BCS crews were already formed in Spain, reaching one of the most important goals of the Spanish Dragon boat Association, joining a team to participate in the IBCPC Festival in Florence representing Spain.
The Dragon Boat in Spain is in continue growing, reaching in 2018 a total number of 16 clubs around Spain with more than 600 paddlers.
For 2018 the “Intercontinental Dragon boat Festival Jan Collins Memorial” (www.dragonboatspain.es) to be celebrated in Torrevieja, Alicante on 13th – 14th October with more than 300 inscriptions confirmed will join crews coming from Canada, USA, Europe, South-Africa, Asia and Middle East in one of the most successful events in the history of the Spanish Dragon boat Association.
The Spanish Dragon boat Association organized the XVIII European Club Crew Championship of the EDBF in the city of Sevilla, which was the greatest goal of the Spanish Association till then.
More Guinness World Records in Dragon boat, teams creation and BCS development are the future objectives of the Spanish Dragon boat Association. We are sure, the future will be full of successes.
Photos of ECCC 2019 – Sevilla — Day 1 — Day 2 — Day 3 — Day 4
