Teams will be racing their dragon boats at the annual spring regatta on Sunday, so get to Wemmer Pan to cheer them on.

WITH spring finally here, it's time to head over to Wemmer Pan in Rosettenville and soak up some sun while enjoying the annual Dragon Boat Corporate Spring Festival Regatta.

The regatta will be held on Sunday, 5 September at the lake, in Pioneers Park in the south of the city. It is organised by South of Johannesburg (Sojo) and Golden City Dragon Boat Club, in partnership with the City of Joburg.

Nine teams will be racing 250 metres for the coveted Chinese dragon boat floating trophy. "At 9am we will have registration followed by the opening ceremony. The nine teams that have entered will be racing from 10am till about 4.30pm," said Sojo's chief executive, Nicky Vakaloudis.

Dragon boat racing in Gauteng started a decade ago, when a number of companies sponsored the manufacturing of six fibreglass boats. Lionel Benham, the founding member of dragon boat racing in the province, is the custodian of these boats. The first ever competition in Gauteng was held in 2000 at Bruma Lake in Bruma.

Golden City Dragon Boat Club was established in 2002, when a team from South Africa competed in Taipei, Taiwan, in traditional boats over 500 metres. Since then, Golden City has assisted many clubs, some as far as Namibia, by lending them boats.

The club is affiliated to Canoeing South Africa; other clubs that have joined are Chung-Wah Youth Association, Florida Canoe Club, Johannesburg Canoe Club and Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club.

Sojo works to improve facilities and employment in Joburg's southern suburbs. It aims to make Wemmer Pan a tourism destination.

Entrance to the dragon boat race on Sunday is free for spectators; however, registration for a dragon boat team costs R2 500 per boat of 20 paddlers and one drummer, which amounts to R119 per participant. The entry form can be downloaded online.

For more information contact Lionel Benham of the Golden City Dragon Boat Club on 076 130 8734, or Nicky Vakaloudis on 082 481 8746 from Sojo Business and Tourism.
 

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