Dragon boat glossary
Thirty-five terms you will hear in the boat, at practice and on race day, from what the drummer does to what zongzi are. Short definitions with sources.
Boat and equipment
- Dragon boatDragonboat
A long, narrow paddled racing boat with a dragon's head at the bow and a tail at the stern. It comes from the boat races of the Duanwu festival in southern China. At Bursa Dragon Cup every boat carries 12 paddlers, a drummer and a steerer.
- Dragon head and tail
The carved pieces fitted to the bow and stern that give the boat its name. By tradition the dragon wakes once its eyes are painted red.
- Paddle
The single-bladed paddle used in a dragon boat. It is not fixed to the boat: one hand holds the top of the shaft and the other holds it just above the blade. In that respect it is closer to canoeing than to rowing, where the oars are fixed to the boat.
- Steering oarSweep oar
The long oar mounted at the stern. The steerer uses it to keep the boat in its lane.
- Drum
The drum mounted in the bow. The drummer uses it to give the paddlers their rhythm. The story goes that fishermen beat drums while searching for Qu Yuan, and the drum in the boat is a memory of that search.
- Life jacketPFD
A vest that keeps a person afloat if they fall in. At Bursa Dragon Cup everyone in the boat wears one in practice and in races, and no boat goes to the start until every jacket is fastened.
Crew and roles
- Paddler
An athlete who sits in one of the paired rows and paddles. Corporate crews have 12. The front rows carry the rhythm, the middle rows supply the power and the back rows keep the boat running.
- DrummerCaller
Sits at the very front facing the crew, sets the rhythm on the drum and drives the boat to the finish. Since they are the crew's voice, company crews are advised to pick a drummer from their own team.
- SteererHelm, Sweep
Stands at the stern, holds the course with the steering oar and calls the commands from start to finish. At Bursa Dragon Cup the club can provide a steerer for companies that have no experienced one.
- PacersStroke seats
The two paddlers in the front row. Everyone behind follows their rhythm, so the seats go to the most consistent paddlers rather than the strongest.
- Engine roomMiddle rows
The middle rows of the boat. Most crews put their strongest paddlers here, since these rows do most of the work of moving the boat.
- Team captain
The person on a company crew who deals with the organisers. The season's technical instructions go to captains before race day, and captains are the first to hear if weather changes the programme.
Technique
- Stroke
One complete paddle stroke, in five phases: reach, catch, pull, exit and recovery.
- Catch
The moment the blade is buried fully in the water without a splash. If the blades do not go in together the boat slows, which is why crews drill this part of the stroke the most.
- PullDrive
The part of the stroke where the blade moves back through the water parallel to the boat. The power comes from the back and legs more than the arms.
- Exit
Taking the blade out at the hip. Pulling further back lifts water and slows the boat.
- Recovery
Carrying the blade forward through the air. The faster the recovery, the higher the stroke rate.
- TimingSynchronisation
Every blade entering and leaving the water at the same moment. In a dragon boat timing gains more speed than individual strength, and it is what new crews spend most of their practice on.
- Stroke rateSPM
Strokes per minute. The drummer and pacers adjust it through the race: high at the start, longer and steadier in the middle, high again into the finish.
- Start
The first strokes that get the boat moving from a standstill. Crews begin with short, quick strokes to get the heavy boat going and lengthen them as it picks up speed. Over 200 metres a good start can be worth several boat lengths.
Racing
- 200 m sprint
The distance raced at Bursa Dragon Cup and at most corporate festivals. A race takes about a minute: the 2026 champions ASMAR won the championship final in 00:56.27.
- Lane
The strip of water each boat must stay in. A crew that leaves its lane and gets in another boat's way can lose its time.
- Heat
A crew's first race of the day. Heats are raced against the clock, and the times decide which semi-final and final each crew goes to.
- Semi-final
The races after the heats that decide who goes into each final.
- A, B and C finals
Finals that group crews by time, so every crew races a final against boats of similar pace. In 2026 a Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Cup (B) final was raced alongside the championship final.
- Race officials
The official judges who run the races. At Bursa Dragon Cup they apply Turkish Canoe Federation rules, take times by stopwatch and camera and hear any appeals.
History and culture
- DuanwuDragon Boat Festival
The festival held on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, where dragon boat racing began. UNESCO added the Dragon Boat Festival to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2009.
- Qu Yuan
A Chinese poet and statesman of the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. The story goes that after being exiled he threw himself into the Miluo River. The Duanwu festival and its boat races are held in his memory.
- Zongzi
Sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed. The story goes that rice parcels were thrown into the river to keep the fish away from Qu Yuan. Today it is the traditional food of Duanwu.
- Eye-dotting ceremony
The ceremony in which the dragon head's eyes are painted red. By tradition the boat does not go on the water before it. At big festivals the honour usually goes to a guest of honour or the title sponsor.
Organisations
- IDBFInternational Dragon Boat Federation
The international federation for dragon boat racing, founded in 1991. The modern sport is usually dated to the international races held in Hong Kong in 1976.
- ICFInternational Canoe Federation, Paddle Worldwide
The international federation for paddle sports, which includes dragon boat as one of its disciplines. It now goes by the name Paddle Worldwide.
- Turkish Canoe FederationTKF
The governing body for canoeing and dragon boat in Turkey. Bursa Dragon Cup races are run under its rules by official judges, and the federation supported the 2026 festival.
- Bursa Dragon CupBursa Dragon Festival, BDC
Bursa's inter-company dragon boat festival, held every year since 2022 and organised by Master Rowing Club and Master Planner Organizasyon. The first edition was at Gököz Reservoir in Keles, later ones at Dağyenice Reservoir in Osmangazi. The 6th festival is on 5 June 2027.
- Master Rowing Club
The water sports club that organises Bursa Dragon Cup. Its base on the shore of Dağyenice Reservoir offers rowing, canoe, SUP and dragon boat.
Book your place for 2027
The 6th Bursa Dragon Cup is on 5 June 2027. Registration is open, so book now to get the early-entry advantages.