At the Dragon Boat Cup on the Toeppersee in Duisburg, the team from Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) narrowly missed out on victory in the "Company CUP" category. The SWG "Rohrlegern" were less than a second behind the winning boat from Essen. The paddlers are now looking forward to the next big event - the Dragon Boat Cup at the Ringallee outdoor pool on 7 June.
Wind, rain and cool temperatures dominated the Toeppersee Dragon Boat Festival in Duisburg last weekend. But the "Rohrleger" dragon boat team from Stadtwerke Gießen defied the bad weather. For the first time, the 21 SWG hobby paddlers took part in the regatta on the Toeppersee and prevailed against enormously strong competition. Only the "Greenhorns" from Essen were beaten in the final. A successful start to the season, as team captain Oliver Lassika emphasises: "We've been training since March and I didn't expect such a result - four strong races and second place as a reward. I know that we have a strong team and that we can definitely hold our own against the competition. But to do so well after just two months of training was overwhelming. So a big thank you also goes to our coach Björn Lehrmund, who prepared us perfectly."
Outstanding in the pouring rain
48 dragon boat teams competed on a 250-metre course in Duisburg. There were also participants from neighbouring Belgium. Each team first had to complete two races. The times were added together to produce an initial ranking list, which was used to divide the starting field into four categories.
The SWG dragon boat qualified for the "Company CUP" and initially even took the lead in this category. In the following finals, the "pipers" left their direct competitors behind in the water. The Giessen team's best time was 1 minute and 2.66 seconds. Despite this top performance, they narrowly missed out on victory. The "greenhorns" from Essen needed 0.78 seconds less for both final heats and won by a wafer-thin margin. "We now know that we are well prepared and are looking forward to the upcoming races," explained Oliver Lassika.
Season highlight at the Ringallee outdoor pool
The next highlight is coming up on Saturday, 7 June - the first SWG outdoor pool CUP in Ringallee. During the Stadtwerke Gießen water adventure day, dragon boats will be paddling for victory in the large swimmers' pool.
"Anyone who wants to cheer on the dragon boat cup or take part themselves is cordially invited," explains Michael Rösner, Head of Sales for Private and Commercial Customers at SWG.
Experienced teams and newly formed crews can register now. A team should consist of at least ten paddlers and a pacemaker. Coxswain, boat, paddles and safety equipment are provided and are included in the entry fee of 120 euros per team. Please note: At least three women must be on board each boat for the races. The closing date for registration is 28 May.
If you would like to find out more about registration or the regatta programme, please contact Michael Rösner directly: Phone 0641 708-1490, e-mail mroesner@stadtwerke-giessen.de