Ok since it's always east coast predictions on here how about doing a west coast prediction for Victoria's big festival this weekend .Here are the teams :


Mercedes-Benz Sliver Arrows
Golden Dragons

River Spirit

TDBA - Destiny Dragons

Alpha Dragons

Wasabi Mixed

Sistership Dragonhearts

Specialty Subaru WRX

Canadian Construction Women

Kai Ikaika

Blu By U

Hampton Woods

Multnomah

Chilliwack Thunder Strokers

Phillbrooks Boatyard

Paddlers of the 5th Moon

St'Keya

Precision Impossible

Dragamuffins (Stew 1)

Sticky Wicket Whalers (Stew 2)

Going Commandoes (Stew 3)

Blazing Paddles

Crouching Dragons

Absolut Adrenaline

Xtreme Reach

Miarsis Dragon

Selkirk Serpents

Snogard Dragons

Scales of Justice

Island Breaststrokers - Dragon Spirit

Island Breaststrokers - Free Spirit

Koi Dragonauts

Gorging Dragons

Excalibur

Dragon Flies

sssSteam Heat

Dog Paddlers

Strange Brew

VCKC Victorious Secret Tsunami

VCKC Victorious Secret Caliente

Komodo Dragons

VCKC Storm

VCKC Heat Wave

Flying Dragons

Fairway Markets Dragon Express

Capital Iron Dragons

Navy Dragon Anchors

Anderson's True Grits

Tub Warriors

Ocean River 1

Ocean River 2


Dragonflies

Seattle's Team SAKE

Dragon Boat Charleston

Team X-Calibre

Blind Ambition

Eye of the Dragon

Acme Canoe Club

Army Dragon Forces

Survivor SAKE

Survivor SAKE Sistahs

Team Absolute Shaken

Stumptown Paddlers

Survivorship

Hot Sake Red

Hot Sake Black

Sunshine Dragons

Spirit Abreast

Angels Abreast

Pacific Reach

Pacific Reach Echo

False Creek Grandragons

Grandragons Too

Canadian Abreast

Abreast of Life

Starbucks Waverunners

Team Storm

Breast Friends

Portland Fire Dragons

San Francisco Dragon Warriors 1

Para Huti Huti

Hope Afloat Canada

Penticton Paddle Pushers

The Castaways

Survivor Thrivors

Starbucks Dragon Boat Racing Team

Fresh Off the Dragon Boat

Saggin' Dragons

Alberni Wave Riders

Nothin' Dragon

Golden Dragons

River Spirit

TDBA - Destiny Dragons

Alpha Dragons

Wasabi Mixed

Sistership Dragonhearts

Specialty Subaru WRX

Canadian Construction Women

Kai Ikaika

Blu By U

Hampton Woods

Multnomah

Chilliwack Thunder Strokers

Phillbrooks Boatyard

Paddlers of the 5th Moon

St'Keya

Precision Impossible

Dragamuffins (Stew 1)

Sticky Wicket Whalers (Stew 2)

Going Commandoes (Stew 3)

Blazing Paddles

Crouching Dragons

Absolut Adrenaline

Xtreme Reach

Miarsis Dragon

Selkirk Serpents

Snogard Dragons

Scales of Justice

Island Breaststrokers - Dragon Spirit

Island Breaststrokers - Free Spirit

Koi Dragonauts

Gorging Dragons

Excalibur

Dragon Flies

sssSteam Heat

Dog Paddlers

Strange Brew

VCKC Victorious Secret Tsunami

VCKC Victorious Secret Caliente

Komodo Dragons

VCKC Storm

VCKC Heat Wave

Flying Dragons

Fairway Markets Dragon Express

Capital Iron Dragons

Navy Dragon Anchors

Anderson's True Grits

Tub Warriors

Ocean River 1

Ocean River 2

Heres the race grid for sat's first race :

http://www.victoriadragonboat.com/documents/race_format.pdf

and to help you w/ your decisions the results for 3 past big events

Alcan D/B festival this summer :

http://members.shaw.ca/dragonboatwest/results/2004/2004%20ADBF%20Mixed%20Division%20Results.pdf

Results from last weekends Van Island regatta:

http://www.f2000p.org/database/img_41159fe0cd14e.pdf

and Nanaimo festival results :

http://www.nanaimodragonboat.com/


take your best shots :

I say the top ten will be in no paticular order

Gorging Dragons -
Pacific Reach - these 3 will make the top 3 final
Kai lkaika -
Dragonauts
Pacific Reach Echo
Wasaibi mixed
Capital iron
Subaru
Fresh off the dragonboat
Alpha

Prediction: No one will care.

...I care! I heard Kai has brought in some of the False Creek Paddlers - this same combination won last year - they have my vote to win! Gorging will be second - Pacific Reach always chokes so who knows where they will place!

Sorry about post number 2. That is just ignorant. Who ever said that is just a sad sad little person.

It was a close race for first last year, and Gorging is a lot better this year. Have to go with Gorging.

Yes... Victoria festival come and gone. Gorging takes the cake

Platnium - Final
1.) Team Victoria Gorging Dragons
2.) Koi Dragonauts
3.) Kai Ikaika
4.) Pacific Reach Echo
5.) Wasabi Mixed

Platnium - Conso.
6.) Pacific Reach
7.) Capital Iron
8.) Fresh off the Dragon Boat
9.) Specialty Subaru WRX
10.) Acme Canoe Club

That festival had some serious problems w/ no marked lanes .With the race course having a slight bend to it in lane 1 you could cut the course and make a straight line and force lane 2 way over gain a couple of seconds at least by doing this and forcing lane 2 almost into 3 .This happened numerous times and clearly lane 1 was the faster lane .In the race between Kai and Capital it was a near colision just off the start as each was fighting to make there own lane due to the fact they weren't marked and teams were trying to take what appeared to be the shortest route to the finish .1 good example we saw of this was the semi final w/ Pacific Reach and sister team Echo .Echo in lane 1 clearly forced Reach over and almost into Gorging's lane and making fight serious wash from the Gorging boat and costing them time as they had slalom around trying to clearly establish some form of lane between the 2 as Echo came closer and closer making a straight line out of a curved course.This appeared to have cost Reach the semi and Echo advanced .Gorging as well in another race forcing the lane to their right way out as they made their own lane to the finish.Victoria in future needs to establish clear lane markers to make this event fair .There were lots of collisons and near collisions as a result of this mistake.Congrat's though to the top 3 teams .It looked like Kai was in panic mode w/ underdog Echo right beside them all the way to the finish as Echo again appeared to try to make a straight line to the finish as echo was in lane 1 again and it worked against reach and it almost put away Kai as well.