Small Boat Racing

Sunday 21 March 2027 | Sylvan Park, Lake Pupuke

Small boats. Fast racing. Big energy!

Sunday is all about short, sharp 200m racing as small boat crews take over Lake Pupuke for the second day of the Auckland Regional Dragon Boat Championships.

With Women’s and Mixed divisions across four age categories, plus Breast Cancer Survivor racing, there are plenty of opportunities to gather your crew, test yourselves against the region’s best and finish the weekend with some seriously competitive racing.

This registration is for small boat racing only.

Teams wanting to qualify for the NZ National Championships must also enter the standard boat racing being held on Saturday 20 March 2027.

Register for the 2027 Auckland Regional Dragon Boat Championships – Standard Boat Racing here

Age divisions

The following age divisions are available for Women’s and Mixed crews:

• Premier: If anyone on the crew list is under 40

• Senior A: 40 years and over

• Senior B: 50 years and over

• Senior C: 60 years and over

Age divisions are based on birth year. A paddler is eligible for an age division if they turn the required age by 31 December 2027.

Age divisions do not apply to:

• Breast Cancer Survivor crews

• Standard boat racing

A minimum of three crews is required to create each category and age division. If fewer than three crews enter an age division, categories may be combined where possible.

Sunday race schedule

Time: 11.00am–6.00pm
Race distance: 200m
Race format: Two heats and finals
Race classes: Mixed | Women’s | Breast Cancer Survivors

• Crew size: 12–14 people, including sweep and drummer

• Mixed crews must have at least four female paddlers

• Women’s crews must be 100% women paddlers; a male sweep is permitted

• BCS crews must be 100% BCS paddlers; a male sweep is permitted

• All crews must have an allocated Level 2 or higher sweep

• No double rostering is permitted

NZ pathway to Nationals

Small boat racing on Sunday is a stand-alone event and does not qualify teams for the NZ National Championships.

To qualify for Nationals, teams must compete in the standard boat racing on Saturday 20 March 2027.

Volunteer call-out

It takes a village — and plenty of brilliant volunteers — to deliver a championship weekend!

We need people to help with set-up, race-day operations and keeping everything running smoothly. Got friends, whānau or crew members keen to get involved?

Contact volunteer@adba.co.nz or visit Jobs and volunteering opportunities.

Questions?

Contact us at events@adba.co.nz.