Small boat racing - Sunday 15 March 2026 | Sylvan Park | Lake Pupuke

Small boats are now FULLY BOOKED. If you have requested to be on the waiting list and have received confirmation from the Events Manager to proceed with your registration, please register by midnight, Friday 20 February.

Others, if you missed out and you would like to register, please email events@adba.co.nz with:

• Crew name
• Category (Mixed, women, BCS)
• Age category (Prem, Senior A, B)

This is for small boat registrations. If you would like to qualify for Nationals, please register for a standard boat, here 2026 Auckland Regional Dragon Boat Championships - STANDARD BOAT RACING. Standard boat races will be held on Saturday 14 March 2026

The Auckland Regional Championships bring together crews from across the region for the ultimate battle on the water.

New for 2026: Age divisions for small boats

With Nationals preparation in mind, we’re introducing age-based divisions for small boats, aligned with the Nationals model.

This applies to small boats only.

The age divisions are:

• Premier – If anyone on the crew list is under 40 yrs
• Senior A – 40 yrs+ (Turns 40 by 31 December 2026)
• Senior B – 50 yrs+ (Turns 50 by 31 December 2026)

Age divisions are based on birth year.
If a paddler turns the required age by 31 December 2026, they are eligible for that division.

These age divisions will be available in:

• Women’s
• Mixed

They will not apply to:

• Breast Cancer Survivors category
• Standard boats

A minimum of three (3) crews is required to create a division.

Why this change?

Traditionally, small boat racing at Auckland Regionals has tended to sit in one age division. Introducing age divisions:

• Supports teams preparing for Nationals
• Creates fairer and more meaningful racing
• Gives crews a chance to race in Nationals-aligned categories

Schedule for the day

Sunday 15 March – Small Boat Racing

• Time: 12.00pm – 6.00pm
• Race distance include 200m only (2 heats + finals)
• Race classes include Mixed, Women, Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS) – minimum 3 entries per class
• Age categories for Mixed and Women's only:Premier, Senior A, Senior B, Senior C - minimum of 3 crews per category/division. If fewer than three, ages catergories will combine where possible. 
• Crew size consist of 12–14 people, including sweep & drummer
• Mixed crews must have minimum 4 female paddlers
• Women’s crews must include 100% women paddlers (male sweep allowed)
• BCS crews must include 100% BCS paddlers (male sweep allowed)
• All crews must have an allocated L2+ sweep
• No double rostering permitted

Volunteer Call-Out

It takes a village to run a regatta!
We need volunteers to help set up, manage, and keep things running smoothly.
Got friends, whānau, or crew members keen to help out? Get in touch at
📧 volunteer@adba.co.nz or visit: Jobs and volunteering opportunities

NZ Pathway to Nationals

Competing in the Standard Boat racing on Saturday qualifies your team for the NZ National Championships.
Small Boat racing on Sunday is a stand-alone event and does not serve as a qualifier.

Questions?
Contact Events Manager Holly Claeys at events@adba.co.nz