Dragon Max is the sponsored racing team of the BRCC. We are a recreational and competative team that meets 4 times a week.
History:
Dragon boating started over 2,300 years ago with a scholar and a poet name Qu Yuan. During the warring states period in China, Qu Yuan was an advisor to the King of Chu, one of the largest states during that period. Seven states vied for power and the other factions tried and succeeded to discredit Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan saw the decline of the Chu country. In despair, on the fifth day of the fifth month, he took his life by throwing himself in the Miluo River. In an attempt to save him, villagers raced in their boats, slapping paddles in the water and banging drums to scare the fish from eating his body. And from this event, we have continued to relive this memory by re-enacting the rescue of Qu Yuan.
Currently, dragon boat events are held all over the world. It is one of the fastest growing sports in America and continues to grow in the Bay Area. A dragon boat is typically 40 to 50 ft long, propelled by 20 paddlers, a steersperson and a drummer. There are over 2,000 residents in the Bay Area racing locally and internationally.
Please see our Donor’s page for sponsorship and donation opportunties.
Do you want to paddle with us?
Shoot an email to our coach at rodgerrafter@yahoo.com or just come on down to Dock M at the Berkeley Marina. Please try to arrive 15 minutes early to fill out a waiver, select a paddle, a personal flotation device(PFD) and stretch before hitting the water. You can come to 3 practices before we’ll ask you to join the Berkely Racing Canoe Club (BRCC).
Practice times:
Saturdays: 10:30am to Noon
Mondays: 6pm to 7pm
Wednesdays: 6pm to 7pm
Practices are year round with only heavy rain cancelling
