THE HUNGARIAN TEAM VASKAKAS AND THE VENETIAN TEAM VENICE CANOE & DRAGON BOAT TRIUMPH IN THE 2ND VENICE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

THE HUNGARIAN TEAM VASKAKAS AND THE VENETIAN TEAM VENICE CANOE & DRAGON BOAT TRIUMPH IN THE 2ND VENICE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL.

FOLLOWING THE PARADE IN THE GRAND CANAL, 8 TEAMS RACING WITH OVER 160 ATHLETES AT THE LIDO AND REPRESENTING 6 COUNTRIES.

Venice, 10 June 2014 – Double ‘tricolor’ flags fly high, that of Italy and Hungary, at the Lido of Venice at the conclusion of the 2nd Venice Dragon Boat Festival.  Sun, strong competition and lots of fun were the ingredients of this international event, concluded only a short time ago at the Lido, with the magnificent view towards the skyline of Venice creating a unique atmosphere for over 150 athletes from 6 countries, including Italy. The heats run in the morning and in the afternoon determined the results of the finals: in the Social category, Vaskakas Dragons of Gyor came in front of their fellow countrymen Tatai Dragons of Tata. In the overall Club category, great satisfaction for the home team of Venice Canoe & Dragon Boat first at a photo finish final, in front of the Dutch team Ballast Nedam Concrete Dragons of Amsterdam (first in the Club-Mixed category). 

These are the results: – First Heat: 1° Exe-calibre Exeter (GBR) 58''0, 2° Alameda Dragonflyers San Francisco (USA) 59''2, 3° Dublin Vikings (IRL) 1'01''7, 4° The Sisterhood London (GBR) 1'04''4. Second heat: 1° Vaskakas Dragons, Gyor (HUN) 52''0, 2° Ballast Nedam Concrete Dragons, Amsterdam (NED) 52''5, 3° Tatai Dragons Tata (HUN) 53''3, 4° Venice Canoe & DB (ITA) 53''9. Third Heat:: 1° Vaskakas Dragons (HUN) 49''9, 2° Venice Canoe & DB (ITA) 51''0, 3° Exe-Calibre (GBR) 54'’0, 4° Dublin Vikings (IRL) 56''2. Fourth Heat: 1° Tatai Dragons (HUN) 49''6, 2° Ballast Nedam Concrete Dragons (NED) 52''3, 3° Alameda Dragonflyers (USA) 56''8, 4° The Sisterhood London (GBR) 1'01''7.

Finals Social: 1° Vaskakas Dragons (HUN) 49''3, 2° Tatai Dragons (HUN) 49''8, 3° Dublin Vikings (IRL) 57''7, 4° Alameda Dragons (USA) 58''7, 5° The Sisterhood (GBR).

Final Club – overall positions: 1° Venice Canoe & Dragon Boat (ITA) 53''0, 2° Ballast Nedam Concrete Dragons (NED) 53''7, 3° Exe-Calibre (GBR) 55''0. However as the Dutch and the English teams were racing in a Club-Mixed category (while Venice Canoe raced in the Club-Open category) the results of the Club crews were as follows: Club – Open: 1st Venice Canoe & Dragon Boat (ITA) 53''0. Club-Mixed:1st Ballast Nedam Concrete Dragons (NED) 53''7, 2nd  Exe-Calibre (GBR) 55''0.

After the ceremonies, we bid farewell until 2016 when the third edition should be raced in the even more spectacular waters of the Arsenale of Venice. And talking about an unforgettable experience, on the eve before the race, the participants paraded in the historical centre of Venice from Sant’Alvise along the Grand Canal to St Mark’s basin, concluding in the square next to the splendid basilica of the Madonna della Salute. Here, a little after 7.30pm the Festival was officially opened with the traditional eye-dotting ceremony: the athletes assisted in watching the eyes being painted onto a dragon head, returning the vision to what was once a ‘blind’ dragon.

Some photos of the races and the Venice Canoe and Vaskakas teams are attached (credit Matteo Bertolin). Updates and photos on the Facebook and Twitter pages of Venice Canoe & Dragon Boat.

C.O.N.I.
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA CANOA KAYAK
COMITATO VENETO F.I.C.K.