Following the success of 2025, Aoraki Dragons brings you the 2026 South Island Regional Dragon Boat Championships at Lake Ruataniwha, in Twizel. 

Here are some details:

Aoraki will tow the trailers of Dragon Boats and the Setup/Chase Boat to Twizel on about the Wednesday before racing, which means that training at our Christchurch sites will be severely limited. The Board and OC will then start to assemble the Start Pontoons (stored at Ruataniwha) on the lake to give us 5 (or 6) lanes of racing. If the weather is too bad, we may revert to using line-of-sight floating starts, with the option of reformatting to 4 lanes of racing. However we are also hoping to have a second set of pontoons built, and in place, for the 200m Races. We are also working on purchasing Loading Pontoons, to make it easier, safer and faster to load/unload, with less boat damage.

Competing teams can travel down at their leisure, and will be able to set up their tents/ Marquees on site the night before, from 4pm Friday. Note, they are likely to extend past the rope fence, rather than curl into a U-shape like in 2025.

The following is based on 2025, but Aoraki reserves the right to change it. For example, we hope to add another set of pontoons for the 200m Races, which could mean that we start with 200m, then pull those pontoons aside for the 500m Races to proceed, and then finsh with the 2,000m Turns Race - although that raises questions of being able to measure the elapsed times, check and process the results, including application of penalties, and protests.

We expect that the South Island Champs will officially open at 07:20 on Saturday, with a Sweeps and Managers Meeting at 07:30. 

Loading for the first race will be at 07:45, with the first Races due to start at 8 am.

These will be the 2,000m Turns Races, run per Division. Slowest boat starts first (from a pre-start line, about 20 to 30m back), then next fastest starts 15 seconds later, etc. Race Starters will be Shane and Lisa, and Jimmy will operate the drone camera.

After the Turns Races, we go into the 500m Straight Line races, which will be followed by a Prize Giving at the lake's edge for 500m races.

While that is happening, we will reposition the Start Pontoons for the 200m Sprints. This will double as a Lunch Break.

Last race is expected to be around 5pm.

Then teams can take a quick shower before heading to the "Top Hut" (17 Tasman Rd, Twizel) for the main Prize Giving and the After Party, from about 5:30pm. You are welcome to order drinks and food at the Top Hut. We will be aiming for prize giving to start at 7pm.