Cape Breton Dragon Boat Festival!

What a mixture of emotions today in Sydney! We started out early, and joined the other 28 teams from all over Cape Breton. Our team's first heat was at 9 am...so i got to watch a couple of races before i was expected to do my best! What an exhilarating feeling it was paddling our way out the start position. The water was a bit more choppy than the place we have been practicing in - but it was ok! the race started and we were in total synch with each other, moving fast thro the water.....quite a bit ahead of the other two...then, we started veering off to the right! well, needless to say that didn't work very well! Poor Bruce, our steersman, was hit by a bit of wave and lost his control for less than a second but that was enough to put us off course! Bruce managed to get us back on course and finished the race with a decent time, amazingly enough! We were disappointed but we all felt worse for poor Bruce, it was his first time steering in a race! Not to worry, we had another race early in the afternoon.

Then around 11 am there was the annual Ceremony for those who have lost their fight with breast cancer! An overwhelmingly emotional spectacle, as the Cape Breastoners (all survivors of cancer) paddled 2 boats out into the bay, and a huge crowd gathered on the pier! They paddled their boats together, up past us and held their pink carnations overhead.....a beautiful song was sung, and they cast their flowers to the water! Then all of us on the pier joined them and cast our flowers to the water also! Each person that bought a carnation did so in memory of someone they know who has passed from cancer! such a moving experience...i don't know anyone who hasn't been touched by this hideous disease! There are a few more images here!

Then it was back to races! A few more teams headed out, by this time the water was getting pretty wild...the wind was whipping up like crazy! The total disappointment was that just before we were to head out for our 2nd heat they decided to cancel the races due to very strong winds and choppy water! Boy were we an unhappy bunch of MammoWarriors!

However, we did manage to retain the trophy for the most funds raised....raising over $24,000 - which is up $6,000 from last year! Way to go MammoWarriors!

What a wonderful bunch of women, energetic, fun to be with and so committed to this worthy cause! i'm so honored to be a part of their team!

We'll continue paddling into the fall which i'm looking forward to very much. And then next year....we'll see what happens!

you really need to hit L for a closer look!