Race in the Inner Harbour!

PADDLER INFO

Whether you are an experienced paddler or new to the sport, we look forward to welcoming you to the Inner Harbour in Victoria for the Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival presented by Fairway Market!

Paddles up in the Inner Harbour!

2025 registration is now closed! Race grid will be issued on August 5.

Race in the Inner Harbour with a refreshed and more exciting race course on Saturday August 9, and enjoy one of Canada’s most scenic venues in the heart of Victoria. From start to end, cheer on your team on our exciting sprint course, ending right in front of cheering crowds.

The Festival’s teams- competitive and recreational- from around Vancouver Island, the Mainland, the Interior, Washington, Oregon, and beyond. Victoria’s Inner Harbour is the scenic backdrop to your team’s time with us. If you’re racing with us for the first time and need information, reach out to us at info@victoriadragonboatfestival.com, and we’d be happy to provide support accordingly!

2025 Race Grid V1 - Jul 31

2025 RACE RESULTS

Rules of Racing

2025 Racer Village Map V2

RACE WITH US!

Registration for 2025 is now closed! Race grid will be issued soon.

Race with us on our exciting ~250M race course on Saturday August 9! Register now and join in on the fun!

2025 Race Program

Distance: Enjoy our exciting ~250M sprint race course!
Divisions: Mixed, Women
Number of races: 4 races per team (subject to change)

Specialty Cups: Visiting Team Cup
Equipment: All races are held with IDBF 1222 standard BuK boats seating 20 paddlers, a drummer, and steers.

Please note: Due to the Inner Harbour’s unique nature, breaks are required in the morning and afternoon to allow for the arrival and departure of commuter ferries and airstrip movements. These breaks are built into the race schedule; thank you for your understanding.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

2025 REGISTRATION FEES

Mixed or Women’s Division:

Adult Teams: $1,150
All-Access Teams: $950 (includes Senior, Para, and BCS teams)
Junior Teams: $750
Divisions: Mixed (minimum 8 female/maximum 10 male paddlers), Women: all racers except steersperson must be female

Specialty Cup Races:

Visiting Team Cup: $75

Refunds requested until May 31 are subject to a 25% holdback. No refunds provided after May 31. Transfers subject to space availability and review, and may be subject to an additional processing fee. All prices are plus applicable taxes. Email info@victoriadragonboatfestival.com for assistance.

WAIVERS AND ROSTERS

Waivers/rosters are completed digitally on register.dragonboatbc.ca. Email info@dragonboatbc.ca for assistance with your waivers/rosters.

Paddlers’ Pledge Program and Lights of Courage

Do good in our community. The Paddlers’ Pledge Program brings our community together in support of the BC Cancer Foundation. Take the pledge and raise funds to help fund cancer research and care right here on Vancouver Island. Click here for more information and to donate now.

Medal Presentations

The top three finishers in each division earn medals. Please visit the Race Registrar’s tent approximately 30 minutes after your race to pick up your medals.

And, regardless of if you won a medal or not, visit our photo wall with your team to capture a moment from the Festival with our photographers!

Join a team or start your own- start your paddling journey here!

Did you know that Victoria is one of the few places in Canada that you can paddle all year round? Dragon boat is growing in Victoria, and there are dozens of teams training on our waterways. Join a team with VI Paddling or Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club this year.

Email us at info@victoriadragonboatfestival.com for assistance on joining a team, or starting your own team!

Join a Team

There are many teams in Victoria actively recruiting new members, plus new teams forming every year. From teams that are looking to race at a high competitive level, to community teams looking to race for fun, there’s a team out there for you to start with!

Start a Team

Dragon boat offers a unique opportunity to bring together friends, employees, stakeholders, or communities through a fun team-building activity that includes everyone. With special emphasis on collaboration, communication, commitment and co-ordination, the lessons learned on the water have impact far beyond the finish line.

Previous Race Results

The Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival presented by Fairway Market has brought together our community since 1997 in the Inner Harbour. As we update our digital presences, we invite those with PDFs of older race results to contact us to share their files! Please email info@victoriadragonboatfestival.com to help us update our archives.

Visiting Team Accommodation

Get a good night’s rest before you hit the water; we’ve got a range of hotels nearby so you can enjoy everything Victoria has to offer while you’re in town with us!

LEARN MORE

Festival Programming

There’s more to see and do at the Festival than ever before! Bring your friends and family down to the water for a fun day in the Inner Harbour- full of sun, food, drinks, music, and cultural fun for FREE!