A club crew is a team of athletes from the same club that train together regularly for high-level competition against other club teams in a progression of competitive races. There are rules that govern eligibility as a club crew.
Generally, athletes must have been a member of the club they represent for a minimum of 6 months prior to CCNC/CCWC. Athletes that reside outside of their club’s reasonable geographic area may also have to prove a minimum amount of practice with the team. For example, an athlete that lives in Montana, but winters in Arizona may have to provide practice logs and travel receipts to prove regular commitment to the Arizona team. Full rules regarding club crew eligibility are provided in race bulletins well ahead of any club crew competition.
The pinnacle race for club crews is the Club Crew World Championship (CCWC), which happens in different international locations in EVEN years. It is presented by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). The United States Dragon Boat Federation (USDBF) is assigned a number of berths for entry to competition at CCWC, in both standard (20-person) and small (10-person) boats. These berths are awarded to the fastest teams in each division and class at the Club Crew National Competition (CCNC), which happens in ODD years.
See our events calendar for dates of races, both local and International.
In addition to CCNC/CCWC, there are two other races for club crews.
The Pan American Club Crew Championship (PACCC) is held in ODD years by the Pan American Dragon Boat Federation (PADBF), at changing locations throughout the Americas. While PADBF represents the nations of the Americas at the IDBF, this championship does not result in berths to CCWC. USA crews are welcome to attend, and it is great experience in international racing. The 2021 race has been postponed to March 16-20, 2022, due to the pandemic. It will be held in Panama City, Panama.
Crews comprised solely of breast cancer survivors have their own race, held by the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission (IBCPC) in EVEN years. The 2022 IBCPC Participatory Dragon Boat Festival will be held March 28 – April 3 in New Zealand.
We may list frequently-used documents here as they are available, but the links above will lead you to the most up to date information, where available.