A Grand Final Kinda Day!
June 20, 2026 | Victoria Inner Harbour
The Canada Dry Dragon Boat Festival returned to Victoria's beautiful Inner Harbour for an exciting day of racing, bringing together some of British Columbia's strongest dragon boat teams; and for Sync Or Swim, it became a day to remember……
Calendar Change-ups
This year's festival was held in June rather than its original August date, creating a few scheduling considerations for many of the teams. For Sync Or Swim, this meant several of our regular paddlers were unavailable, and we welcomed two highly experienced guest paddlers to complete our crew, along with one teammate who, although new to the sport, fit straight in! Even though this lineup hadn't raced together before, they quickly found their team spirit.
Choppy Waters, Construction Cacophony!
Conditions on the water tested every team throughout the day. Choppy water in the harbour, and the regular movement of the Coho ferry, water taxis, and other vessels added extra wake.
Along the waterfront, ongoing construction, including the occasional sound of pile driving, made communication more challenging than usual. Every crew faced these same demanding conditions at some point during the day, making teamwork and focus all the more important.
Creating Chances
Our opening Women's Qualifier saw us post a respectable 1:22.331, giving us a solid start to the day.
See the video here: 🎥
In the second qualifier, we settled into our rhythm and improved to 1:20.816, setting ourselves up for the semi-final.
See the video here: 🎥
The Women's Semi-Final produced our fastest race of the day. Crossing the line in 1:20.224, the team delivered a performance that earned us a place in the Grand Final.
See the video here: 🎥
Company of Champions
We lined up for the Fairway Market Women’s Grand Final alongside some of the region's strongest female athletes, sharing the start line with VIP Gorging Dragons Red, Stroke the Dragon, FLCC Titanium, VIP Gorging Dragons Cobalt, and NPC Nusa'lon Dragons.
Although we knew that this line up meant a medal finish wasn’t on the cards, our final race time of 1:23.546 in the mix with teams of this calibre was an achievement to be incredibly proud of and a testament to the commitment, determination, and teamwork our paddlers have built throughout the season.
See the video here: 🎥
A huge thank you goes to our much loved Coach Lesley and Vince our Steer, our supporters, family, and friends (including several furry four-legged fans!) whose encouragement keeps us moving forward. We might have our 'game faces' on when we're on the water, but you better believe we can hear you cheering us on!
This event was another reminder that success isn't measured only by medals, but by the company we keep on the start line, the progress we make together, and the confidence we gain for the races still to come.
Paddles Up from Sync Or Swim! 🐉
