In pictures: ‘Several hundred’ spectators turn out for Dragon Boat Festival

Dragons took to the water in the form of water-based craft as the 17th annual Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival, supported by the Cambridge Independent, was held on on the River Cam at Fen Ditton last Saturday (September 9).

Thirty-four teams competed over the 200m race, watched by several hundred spectators, confirmed Joe Sagoe, corporate lead at Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) – the main beneficiary of the festival.

He said the event was “fantastic” but noted that Saturday’s stifling heat proved too much for some spectators.

On what made this year’s festival stand out from previous editions, Joe spoke of the “energy on the day”, adding: “Even though it was very hot, people were very excited – there was a really good buzz around.

“Everybody was there to come together and enjoy the event and raise money for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.”

The money raised for ACT from this year’s Dragon Boat Festival is still being counted, but Joe was able to confirm that it is known to be more than £10,000.

He added: “We had lots of teams say that they can’t wait for next year’s event.”

The winning team was The Pirates of the LDS, from LDS Cambridge Ltd, while the Sea Section team from The Rosie were named best dressed winner. Biggest fundraiser went to Screenworks tribe, from Screenworks Limited.

Dragon boat racing is the fastest-growing water activity in Britain today. Up to 10 people paddle each 30ft boat with a drummer at the front beating time and a helm at the tail steering a straight course.

[Read more: Dragon boat race returns to the River Cam]

For more information on the Cambridge event, go to dragonboatevents.co.uk/cambridge-dragon-boat-festival/.