Water Spectacle: The Dragon Boat Conquers Marina Port Valencia

Marina Port Valencia hosted the spectacular 9th Spanish Dragon Boat 200-Meter Championship this past weekend, featuring races in both DB10 (10 paddlers) and DB20 (20 paddlers) boats. Over 700 paddlers from 29 clubs across Spain competed throughout Saturday and Sunday morning.

The event was organized by Dragon Boat Marina Valencia BCS ACS Club, the Canoeing Federation of the Valencian Community, the Royal Spanish Canoeing Federation, the Municipal Sports Foundation, and Marina Port Valencia, once again becoming a key venue for this nautical discipline that combines competition, inclusion, and solidarity.

A highlight was the participation of more than 80 breast cancer survivors, who helped raise awareness of the disease and demonstrated the rehabilitative power of sport.

The championship included senior, veteran, and paradragon categories, with teams competing in open, mixed, and women’s divisions. Races were held in heats of 4 to 7 boats over 200-meter courses. The fastest times qualified for the A Final, while the remaining teams earned points based on their times.

Top-performing clubs included Canoa Kayak Zamora, leading the medal table with three golds (veteran women, veteran mixed DB20, and veteran open DB20), a silver in veteran open DB10, and a bronze in veteran mixed DB10; Vallkirias del Pisuerga (Valladolid), with four medals: gold and silver in BCP (breast cancer paddlers), silver in veteran women, and bronze in veteran women’s DB22; and the Royal Yacht Club of Torrevieja, with three bronzes in veteran open DB12, DB22, and veteran mixed DB22.

Dragon Boat racing unites tradition and collective strength in a traditional Chinese boat decorated with a dragon’s head and tail, where crews paddle in perfect unison to the rhythm of a drum, led by a steersperson.

This rapidly growing sport is becoming more widely practiced and recognized across Spain. The event was also live-streamed on the Royal Spanish Canoeing Federation's YouTube channel, increasing visibility and offering a unique spectacle at Marina Port Valencia.

Marina Port Valencia is committed to promoting nautical sports and their values of discipline and resilience. The solidarity aspect of this Championship, with all proceeds going to associations supporting victims of the DANA storm, provided a meaningful conclusion to a weekend full of teamwork and camaraderie.