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Welcome to the website of Sandy Point Dragon Boat Club.

Dragon Boating is an exciting water team sport where technique and timing are just as important as fitness and strength. If you enjoy working as a team, love being on the water, and are interested in improving your overall fitness, Sandy Point Dragons is the club for you.

Sandy Point is located in Sydney’s south west, on the southern side of Georges River. The club has three boats. We use the scenic river as our training ground, and paddle as far west as the M5 bridge, and as far east as the Alford’s Point bridge. The club accommodates paddlers of all ages, from juniors 12 years and older, right up to great grand masters. Our Club House is right next to the boat ramp, at the end of the main street of Sandy Point. For convenience, paddlers can also be picked up from the Picnic Point side of the river.

Club Aims

Sandy Point is a friendly club dedicated to:-

• Fostering the sport of dragon boating in the adjacent communities in the Liverpool, Bankstown and Sutherland Shire areas.
• Catering for all ages, and all levels of skill.
• Catering for social paddlers interested in improving their general fitness, right up to competitive paddlers interested in paddling at a state or national level.
• Growing as a club in an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie

Upcoming Events

SATURDAY 04th FEBRUARY 2012, CHINESE NEW YEAR - DARLING HARBOUR
SUNDAY 11th MARCH 2012, NSW STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, REGATTA CENTRE
SATURDAY 31st MARCH - THURSDAY 05th APRIL 2012, AUSDBF AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, DOCKLANDS, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

Sandy Point training at dusk, February 2011. A beautiful photo taken by Calvin Ling.

History

The Sandy Point Dragon Boat Club was created by the local community as a sporting and fitness activity that utilised the wonderful waterway on their doorstep. The club received their first boat on Christmas Eve 2004 and attended their first regatta only two months later at Chinese New Year in early 2005. For the first 4 year a neighbour’s backyard was used to store the boat, and was also used as the venue for club meetings and open day activities. This arrangement gave the club a fantastic start with just about no overheads.

Sandy Point achieved its first Regatta success in the 05-06 season bringing home gold from the Ulladulla Summer Games. Three club members made the state team and competed in the 06 national titles at Nagambie, Vic., with Ryan bringing home a silver medal.

In the 06-07 season club membership peaked at 47 paddlers and 7 social members. The club had regatta successes at the Drummoyne 10s with a 2nd place in the Masters, at Ulladulla with a 1st place in the Sports Division, and at Chinese New Year with a 2nd place in Masters Mixed. In August 06 Ryan travelled to Macau to compete in the Australian team at the World Championships, a fantastic accomplishment after paddling for only 8 months. During the season, Vic attended a level 1 coaching course, and the club at last acquired a trained coach.

The 07-08 season was a huge one for Sandy Point. It started with a 1st place in the Premier Mixed at the Drummoyne 10s, the clubs first ever premier class win. Australia hosted the 07 World Championships in September at the Penrith Regatta Centre. Sandy Point contributed 4 medal winning members to the national team, and a host of volunteers for the event. View an extract from the Sandy Point Newsletter detailing the clubs successes at the World Championships here. In Sept 07 Vic, Bev and Peter A were invited to paddle with the Australian Navy team at the Australian Masters Games, and were successful in winning one gold and two silver medals. In Nov 07 Sandy Point combined with Port Hacking for the Roseville regatta achieved a 1st in the Premier Mixed B final, and a 3rd in the Masters Open final. Our Juniors were active during the season, competing at the 08 Chinese New Year, and at the Canberra Festival in March 08. Read about the exploits of the Sandy Point Juniors here. At the 08 AGM Sandy Point was honoured by the attendance of local member for Menai, Alison Megarrity. Alison subsequently gave a speech in the NSW Parliament praising the achievements of the Sandy Point Dragon Boat Club. The Hansard report of Alison’s speech can be viewed here.

The 08/09 season arrived and membership numbers were declining. Our regatta successes were also on the decline, with our only result being in the 08 Dobroyd 10s, with a 2nd in the Grand Masters Mixed final. In order for the club to continue to grow it was becoming evident that new premises were needed so that potential members could be invited from the local communities. Through the generosity of a local member, the club relocated to a more central area - next to the boat ramp. This property was initially quite run down, but through the assistance of members participating in working bees, and through the tireless efforts of John, Dave and Peter A, the club now has a fantastic base of operations. 11 Sandy Point members made it into state teams in 09, and Ryan made it into the Australian team, and travelled to Prague to compete in the world championships.

The 09/10 season started full of promise at the 09 Dobroyd 10s with a 2nd in the Masters Mixed final, and 3rds in the Grand Masters Mixed and Grand Masters Open finals. Sandy Point teamed up with Port Hacking and secured 1st place in the Sports Mixed final at the 09 South Coast Regatta held on the Shoalhaven River. The club however struggled with enough numbers for the next two regattas. To boost membership numbers an open day was held in September 09 which started an inflow of fresh blood, particularly of female members. For the first time ever Sandy Point entered a Premier Women’s team at the December 09 Penrith regatta and the 10 Tacoma regatta. This qualified Sandy Point to enter a women’s team at the 10 Chinese New Year. Our only regatta success for the remainder of the season was at Tacoma where we picked up second place in the Grand Masters Mixed final. 12 Sandy Pointers made it into the state team that travelled to Adelaide for the National Championships.

The 10/11 season started with the fantastic news that Sandy Point had been successful in securing a grant that is part of the State Government's Sport and Recreation Facility Grant Program. The grant of $13,217 would go towards the purchase of 1 new boat, 2 x boat trailers and a sun shade tent. We had some initial regatta successes with a 3rd in the Masters Mixed final, and a 2nd in the Grand Masters Mixed and Grand Masters at the 10 Dobroyd 10s, and a 3rd in the Sports Mixed final in the South Coast Regatta, teaming up again with Port Hacking. The club attended all the remaining regattas of the season with the exception of Roseville, but further regatta successes eluded us. In October the club participated in a BBQ fundraiser at Bunnings, Milperra. Also in October the club hosted members from the Helensburgh Gym for a corporate style dragon boating session. At the end of November, the club took delivery of not one, but two new Swift dragon boats. These wonderful new club assets were gratefully received by the club membership. In December eleven keen Sandy Pointers attended an outrigger canoe corporate day hosted by the Koa Kai outrigger club at Sans Souci. One Sandy Point team was successful with a 1st in the 250m race and a 2nd in the 500m race. To finish off 2010, exciting news was received that Sandy Point was successful in their application for a $16,000 Community Building NSW Grant. The grant went towards the purchase of our 2nd new dragon boat, training paddles, life jackets, security fencing, lighting and a large car port shelter. Our gratitude goes to Eileen, Lorraine, Kerry and Alison Megarrity, for their hard work on the grant application. This season saw the start of an association between Sandy Point and Odyssey House, in which an often varying crew from Odyssey would train with us on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. This culminated in Odyssey members filling out our Premier crew at Chinese New 2011. This season also saw the start of an association between Sandy Point and Danebank Girls School. Starting training in January under the guidance of Peter A, Danebank competed at Chinese New Year 2011, and their performance earned them selection as the NSW Junior Girls B team. The girl’s extraordinary journey took them to the National Championships, where they achieved a 3rd in the state vs. state final, and a 2nd in the 200m club vs. club final. Sandy Point contributed 8 members to the 2011 state team, and came back from the National Championships with a haul of medals in the Masters, Grand Masters, and Great Grand Masters categories. Congratulations to Peter A, Brett, Phyllis, Lofty, Shine, Karin, Shine, Kerry, and Peter W. Brett went on to join the Australian Grand Masters Team, and competed in the 10th International Dragon Boat World Championships in Florida, USA. Sandy Point finished off the season with a social paddle to Flower Power at Milperra, for a sumptuous luncheon, then a leisurely paddle back home.

Sandy Point Premier 10s team at Dobroyd 2011

10th International Dragon Boat World Championships

Brett Bartholomew competed in the 10th International Dragon Boat World Championships in Florida, USA. Australia came back with its best ever haul of medals. Read about Brett's Story on the Brett Page.

Latest News

Step into Life members try their hand at dragon boating

04/02/12
Chinese New Year
The good news was that despite raining all the way whilst driving into the city, the rain stopped when we got to Darling Harbour. The weather remained overcast, but at least it stayed dry. The early bird risers from Sandy Point had staked out a good spot right at the end of Darling Harbour, close to the water’s edge, with a grand stand view of proceedings.
Our first race was a heat/final of the Grand Masters Mixed. The Grand Masters Mixed rated 3 heats and 18 teams, which was a first for that category, and indicates its growing popularity. We got off to a fast start and a reasonably fast rate for the rest of the race. We pulled ahead of DASzlers, and further over Pendragons looked very close, but it was Manning River that pipped us into second place. Our time was 1:06.32. In the overall final result, we came in 5th in the Grand Master Mixed with Nowra, Central Coast and Manning River ahead of us.
Our next race was the Master Women heat 3. The girls had the tough competition of Nowra in the lane next to them. Our women’s team got off to a good start, kept it strong through the transition with no drop off, and then settled into a comfortable rate until the end. It was a nice smooth race and they came in 2nd behind Nowra in a time of 1:08.98.
Our next race was the Masters Mixed heat 1 and Central Coast was our main opposition. Central Coast pulled ahead of us in the start and there was no catching them. It was a nice strong race for us with the rate a bit slower than our first race and we were rewarded with another 2nd place in a cracking time of 1:02.44.
Our next race was the Masters Open heat 1 and we lined up with our mixed team against a lot of boats full of men. We got off to a solid start, and settled into the race proper, paddling strongly at a nice rate, pulling ahead of Pittwater in Lane 1. About mid race, Bei Loon in lane 3 lost it and cut across in front of us. Margaret had to call to stop the boat, and Bei Loon continued on to cut in front of lane 1 as well. By the time we got going again we had lost too much time and we paddled into 6th place in a time of 1:07.35. It was a big disappointment because we doing alright against the all boy boats. There is never a dull moment in dragon boating.

12/11/11
Step into Life tries Dragon Boating
Step into Life is a group outdoor exercise business, with franchises all over Australia. Their normal routines are cardio, toning, boxing and powerflex, but 4 groups banded together to try their hand at dragon boating. After some initial land based instruction, 41 fit participants from Sans Souci, Blakehurst, Miranda and Sutherland piled into our 3 boats. The two Swifts were dressed with heads and tails, drums and seats for the occasion, and the old tub Vendetta was also pressed into service. To keep the competitive spirit alive, the Shire Team were seated in one Swift, and Team St. George were seated in the other, with a mix of paddlers in Vendetta. Out on the water, the teams were soon learning paddling technique, timing, the levels of paddling, and finally race starts. To finish the session off two races were held. In the first race Vendetta was given a head start and the two Swifts tried valiantly to catch her against the tide. Vendetta prevailed in the end coming in first with Team St. George second, and the Shire team third. For the second race everyone was pumped. It was a do or die effort. Vendetta was again given a head start and the chase was on paddling with the tide. As the finish line approached, both of the Swifts managed to edge past Vendetta. With all the paddlers really putting in the effort, Team St. George just managed to cross the finish line ahead of the Shire team by only a dragon head, with Vendetta a close third. So in the end the north vs south trophy went to Team St. George by only a small margin, with the handicap award going to the team in Vendetta, who paddled strongly despite being in the slower boat and having less paddlers. To celebrate all enjoyed the traditional Sandy Point BBQ. A big thank you to all who made the morning successful, strokes Cheryl, Young Nat, and Peter A, sweeps John, Melodee and Peter W, and BBQ and refreshment helpers Charlie, Roberta, Lofty, Peter C, Vic and Bev.

6/11/11
DBNSW Race 2 Hawkesbury River, Brooklyn
For the last two years, Sandy Point hasn’t had the numbers to attend race 2 when it was at Roseville, but due to the fine efforts of our new Regatta motivator, Mel 2, we scraped together a team with 8 boys, and the rest girls. The boys numbers were boosted by Jim and Dwayne from Odyssey, and it was Dwayne’s first regatta racing experience. We had enough girls with a little help from Danebank, to enter a Premier Womens team, but unfortunately, the way the race schedule panned out, we had to cancel out of the Premier Womens races. This was the first time that DBNSW had held a regatta at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River. It was an idyllic bushland setting, in view of the F3 Freeway Bridges and the old Peats Ferry Bridge. The course was somewhere between 250 and 300m long, running towards the bridges, which gave the sweeps plenty of pylons to line their tracks up on.
Our first race was the Premier Mixed heat 3. After paddling out to the start line, we found the current running fast towards the finish line. After a fast 30 stroke start, we settled into our long power strokes. Our timing did get a little out after the transition with the excitement of the first race, but we pulled it together as we paddled strongly next to Pendragons. We had no idea where the finish line was and the race finished before we expected. In the end we came in sixth place in a time of 1:14.90, which was a good result considering we only had one premier paddler in the boat.
Our next race was the Masters Mixed heat 2 with more or less the same crew. On the start line the sweeps were having big trouble lining up the boats in the strong current. The start line set up took a lot of backing up and drifting down, over and over. Finally we were away to a good start. It still took us a while to get the rate down after the transition, but we soon settled in to or strong power strokes. We hit the finish line in second place in a time of 1:08.93 with Central Coast only 0.5 seconds ahead of us.
Our next race was the Masters Open heat 1 and was a bit of a schmozzle. We lined up on the start line close to Bei-Loon who had a very strong all male open team. When the start signal went off we were a bit sideways and Bei-Loon were already 2 metres ahead of us. There was no catching them as they pulled away in front of us, and then for some unknown reason crossed in front of us. Our sweep, Melodee, tired to steer to maintain our lane position, but struggled for control in Bei-Loon’s wake. Near the finish line Melodee called to dig it in because she was worried about losing control and running into Port Hacking. Only half the boat heard her call, and the front half of the boat kept paddling, and dragged us across the finish line sea anchor style. We were running second or third before the incident, but ended up ungraciously in fourth place in a time of 1:15.68.
Our next race was the Premier Mixed heat 10. With tough premier competition we wedged in between Sloths and DSA. The interesting part of this race was near the end where all the boats ran into massive wash. There was nothing else to do but smash through each wave, lifting paddles high to smash through the next wave. Surprisingly at the end of the race, we were still level pegging with DSA. We ended up coming in fifth place in a time of 1:15.63 and about 6 inches of water in the bottom of the boat.
Our next race was the Masters Mixed heat 4. We had a well controlled start with good build. We were strong in the middle of the race and had a great finish. Finally we had the execution of our race plan down pat. We came in second place 2 seconds behind Tsunami, in a time of 1:16.77 and way ahead of the rest of the field.
Our next race was the Masters Open heat 2 and was a replay of the previous race in execution. Bei-Loon were in the lane next to us and did exactly the same as in the first Masters Open heat, and cut across in front of us. This time John was sweeping and he held his line, and we got through the Bei-Loon wash OK. We ended up coming in third place in a time of 1:21.60. This time Bei-Loon's antics did not go unnoticed by the Water Umpire, and they were reported for obstruction, though they received no penalty.
Our two second places in the Masters Mixed guaranteed us a place in the final. This was another well executed race. Though we tried our hardest, we came in fourth place in a time of 1:22.27, behind Central Coast, Tsunami, and Bei-Loon 1.
And so it came down to our last race of the day. As there were only 5 Masters Open teams, we made it into the final. Again we lined up next to our nemesis Bei-Loon. It was another copy book race for us, and the team really put it in and lifted at the end. We couldn’t believe that there were no other boats in sight as we crossed the finish line in first place in a time of 1:34.02. It was only when we got back to shore that we discovered that we had done a Bradbury. Bei-Loon in lane 3 pushed Central Coast in lane 4 into the path of Pittwater in Lane 5. Pittwater lost their dragon head in the collision, and both Central Coast and Pittwater stopped paddling until they untangled. Half of Bei-Loons boat stopped paddling when they realised what had happened, which is why we finished ahead of them. Bei-Loon received a 5 second penalty, but still came in third place. It was bad luck for Central Coast as they probably lost second place because of the incident, and it was great news for Port Hacking because they would not have got second place if not for the incident. And it was great news for us that Bei-Loon decided to tangle with someone other than Sandy Point in the final!
14 Danebank girls attended the regatta and competed in the Premier Womens and Masters Womens heats. Unfortunately it was the peak Danebank exam period hence the low attendance. Most of the girls were not seasoned regatta attendees so this was vital race experience for them. Some Sandy Point women filled out the Danebank boat, but the girls paddled at best with 18 and often with only 16 in the boat. The girls acquitted themselves very well, cheered on by some very enthusiastic parents on the shore. Their best results were a fifth in the Premier Womens heat 1 ahead of Newcastle Hunter, and a third in the Masters Women Heat 3 ahead of Port Hacking and DASzlers.

The victorious Masters Open team at the Brooklyn Hawkesbury River Regatta

29/10/11
Port Hacking Social Paddle
Five Sandy Pointers accepted an invitation to participate in a social paddle from Yowie Bay to “the Basin” near Maainbar in the Royal National Park. Little did we know just how much fun we were to have. The Basin is usually not easily accessible due to the shallow channels that have to be traversed. Fortunately an unusually high tide coincided with our expedition. Two Boats set off paddling east along Port Hacking, one boat knew where it was going, the other boat didn’t have a clue. As we approached Maainbar the water got quite shallow and the boat without the benefit of prior knowledge decided to head back to the main channel. The only problem with this strategy was that it put us on the wrong side of a large sand bar, but we paddled on regardless. Soon we were in the more exposed part of Port Hacking with a bit of ocean swell rolling in. Realising the error of our ways we decided to head into shore whilst singing the theme song to Hawaii Five-O. We couldn’t get out of the boat quick enough before the next wave dumped over the back of the boat filling it with water. After a bit of rapid bailing we managed to drag the boat up high enough that it wouldn't be further swamped. Walking to the top of the sand bar we spied the channel we should have been aiming for all along. Rather than paddling all the way back around, we elected to pick the boat up and carry it over the sand bar which was a bit of a struggle with only 12 people. Back on track we paddled down towards a foot bridge over the channel. A sea wall had been built in from each side so that the channel was quite narrow where it passed under the bridge. There were a bunch of SES people at the bridge preparing to do some sort of training exercise. Passing under the bridge we finally spied the other boat ahead but getting to them was easier said than done. There was much more pushing the boat rather than paddling as the channel had become broader and quite shallow. Finally we caught up with the other boat, and stopped for a snack and a bit of socialising ankle deep in water. We had reached our goal. The Basin was a deeper area of water set in the beautiful bushy surrounds of the Royal National Park. Both boats paddled a couple of laps of the Basin, then carefully picked their way back through the shallows towards the foot bridge. The scene had changed dramatically at the foot bridge, with the tide running very strongly through the narrow gap. If fact the water level seemed to drop about 150mm. The SES were using this phenomenon for flood rescue training, with some of their members jumping into the fast running current, and then being hauled out again with ropes. The wayward boat attempted the run under the bridge first and soon found itself in very soft water that was hard to find any paddling resistance in. Slowly, slowly the boat inched forward as the boat climbed the hill urged on by the cheers of the SES guys. Finally after some very heavy duty paddling, it felt like we were spat out the other side into calmer waters. Next the other boat attempted the challenge. They got the nose of the boat through the gap, and despite their best efforts and the cheers of all the spectators, just ground to a halt. They just couldn’t make it over the hill, and had to give up and slide back gracefully with the current. To be fair the second boat had four new paddlers on board, so Ken, Melodee and Peter W, jumped in to add a bit of horse power to the crew. The extra paddlers made all the difference, and on the second attempt we paddled strongly through the torrent and into calm waters. Compared to the excitement of shooting the rapids, the paddle back to Yowie Bay was long and uneventful. Many thanks go to the Port Hacking club for putting on such an entertaining social paddle. We can’t wait to do it again next year.

21/10/11
State Coach Anouncement
DBNSW have just announced the appointment of the state coaches who will be responsible for training up the various NSW teams to compete in the National Titles in Melbourne in early April 2012. Two Sandy Pointers have been successful in being appointed to coaching positions. Congratulations to Shine who has be appointed Grand Masters assistant coach and to Peter W who has been appointed Great Grand Dragons assistant coach.

18/09/11
Nowra Regatta
It was a beautiful sunny day on the Shoalhaven River for the Nowra Regatta The Nowra Water Dragons do an excellent job of organizing this regatta, with food stalls, local bands playing and a jumping castle and face painting for the kids, which made for a carnival atmosphere. There were a host of community based teams from local businesses, schools and services present looking forward to a fun day of dragon boat racing. Sandy Point’s crew was boosted by Annette, Kay and Denise from Port Hacking. For three Sandy Point paddlers it was their first regatta, so congratulations to Jenny K, Jenny S and Jodie. Melodee was sweeping the first two heats, with the view to completing the required races to get her level 3 sweep accreditation.
In our first heat we lined up against two other sports teams, Komodo Angry from Canberra and Nature Coast, and three community teams. Our start took some time to build, but we were soon rating at a furious pace, a little too fast. Komodo cleared out ahead of us in the fast water of lane 5. Our timing got a little ragged in the middle of the race, but we held it together as the finish line approached. We came in second place in a time of 1m06.88s behind Komodo Angry’s 1m02.81s.
The wind came up soon after our first heat, a westerly blowing straight down the course, and was playing havoc with some of the novice sweeps. Our second heat was a much better race, and it was our turn for the fast water of lane 5. We still found it hard to pick up the pace in the start, but for the rest of the race, the rate was great and the team held the timing together well. We were rewarded with another second place in a time of 1m03.40s closer this time to Komodo Angry’s 1m02.88s in lane 4. Ice Dragons, another crack Canberra team, could only manage 1m07.13s in the slow water of lane 2.
Six sports teams lined up for the final, including two Komodo teams and the Ice Dragons. The wind had swung around to the south, and was blowing strongly across the course. Alas, we drew lane 2, and knew we would have a tough time getting a place. The race felt nice and strong, a replay of the second heat, but our time was much slower. We came in 4th place in a time of 1m10.12s. It was a bit disappointing not to get a place, but that is the luck of the draw. Last year the draw worked in our favour, when we got a 3rd place in the Nowra sports final. All in all it was a fun day, and we should be very proud of the results. Our team only had 5 boys, plus a bunch of new paddlers, so really our 4th place was a great achievement.

21/08/11
Dobroyd 10s
After a long winter of training on chilly evenings it was a pleasure to be at Rodd Point for the first regatta of the season. On arrival, Sandy Pointers were greeted by the sight of the clubs 3 new tents set in prime position to form one big pavilion. This was welcome shelter from the elements, not only for the Sandy Point crew, but also for the 3 teams of Danebank girls plus parents. The rain looked to have cleared of for the day but there was a brisk easterly blowing right across the course.
Our first race was the Grand Masters Mixed heat 2. This was the first ever race experience for Neil. We lined up next to Central Coast, always a tough customer to beat. After a 15,15 start the boat felt heavy with only 10 paddling, but we soon got into our stride, long and strong. As the finish line approached our sweep John called for the team to 'bring it home'. The crew responded with a lift and we came home strongly in second place in a time of 59.06s, behind Central Coast.
Our next race was the Premier Mixed heat 2. This was Peter C and Anna C's first race experience. We were wedged on the far side of the course between Central Coast and DSA. Shine and Ryan stroking led the team of to a fast 5,10,5 start. Central Coast and DSA got the jump on us at the start, and the three boats stayed close together all the way down the course. As the finish line approached, the team lifted to level 5, and clawed back some of the deficit. It was a photo finish with Central Coast just ahead of us, and DSA oh so close in a dead heat for second place in a time of 1m02.27s.
Our next race was the Masters Mixed heat 2. This was Auntie Suzy's first race experience. What a race it was! The first four lanes were all bunched together. Sandy Point was a bit slow off the mark because we were busy maneuvering when the start was called. We managed to make up our lost ground as we tore down the course. All four boats crossed the finish line closely packed together. Sandy Point came in third in a time of 57.13s.
Our next race featured the Danebank girls in the Premier Women heat 1. This team was Danebank 1 and featured Miss B drumming! To be fair, Danebank are a junior team competing in the Premier Division. It was a great effort from the girls for the first race of the season, especially from those who it was their first race ever. Danebank 1 came in sixth place in a time of 1m03.04s.
Our next race featured the Danebank 2 and Danebank 3 teams in the Premier Women heat 2. Peter A was sweeping Danebank 2, and Melodee (with her P plates on) was sweeping the gun team of Danebank 3. Young Nat reported that it was their first time back together since the Nationals. Melodee had the team down and ready on the start line and though the starters call was difficult to hear, they were off for a hard start. Nat said that they couldn't see the finish line looming but they could hear Melodee urging them on. Danebank 3 were rewarded with fourth place in a time of 1m00.47s ahead of the Hawesbury River Dragons, and Danebank 2 in sixth place in a time of 1m05.74s.
Our next race was the Grand Masters Mixed heat 3. This was a tough race, with a fast start and strong all the way. John called us up at the end in his usual fashion, 'bring it home'. Alas we couldn't quite catch Central Coast, but we stayed ahead of Camden Haven. Sandy Point came in second place in a time of 1m00.30s. With the Grand Masters heats completed, the overall standings were determined. Central Coast came in overall first place with two heat first places. Nowra came in overall second place with a heat first and second place. Sandy Point had two heat second places, and Camden Haven had a heat first and a third, so the overall third place was determined on cumulative times. Fortunately we were ahead of Camden Haven by about 1.5 seconds, so Sandy Point came in overall third.
Our next race was the Premier Mixed heat 5. It was Anna's first time drumming. Strokes Shine and Ryan set a furious pace in the start, then into the long and strongs. Despite a level 5 lift at the end we couldn't catch DSA in third place. Sandy Point came in fourth in a time of 1m01.78s
Our next race was the Masters Mixed heat 4. With a few crew changes, this was not our strongest Masters team. But this is what Sandy Point is all about, giving everyone a go. Sandy Point lined up in lane 2 close to Mavs in lane 1. After a good start, the chase was on. Our timing got a little ragged in the middle of the race but the team pulled it together for a strong finish. We couldn't quite catch Mavs who came in third, Sandy Point came in fourth place in a time of 1m02.67s.
And then the rain poured down, and everyone squeezed under our new tents. Unfortunately water started pouring in the joints where the three tents joined. The velcro attached gutters were hastily erected to remedy that. The rain was short lived and the sun came out and the wind dropped a bit.
Our next race featured Danebank 1 and Danebank 2 in the Premier Women heat 3. The girls lined up in lanes 5 and 6 way over on the far side of the course. By the time the start was set up, all the boats had drifted close together over there. After the start Tsunami and UTS cleared out ahead of the pack, but the two Danebank teams stayed close to the tail of Hawesbury River. Danebank 2 managed to edge ahead into fourth place in a time of 1m16.05s, and Danebank 1 came in sixth place in a time of 1m17.19s
Our last race of the day was the Premier Women heat 4 featuring Danebank 3. Some of the girls actually jumped straight out of the boat from the previous race and into the boat for this race. And it was a great race for Danebank way over in lane 6. They soon cleared out ahead of Port Hacking in lane 6, and were hot on the heals of DSA in lane 2. Alas they were edged out into fifth place in a time of 1m07.34s. It was still a great result for a junior team in a premier race. Overall, Danebank 3 came 7th out of 12, based on cumulative times, ahead of 3 premier teams.
All in all Dobroyd was a fun day and a great way to kick off the season. We were well pleased with our GM third place, and as Lofty put it, it was another trophy for our non-existent trophy cabinet!

The Sandy Point pavilion at the 2011 Dobroyd 10s