Tuff Girls Take On Wheel Good Paddlers As Dragon Boat Regatta Returns

It was the final race of the day, and the Tuff Girls were just a few strokes behind the Wheel Good Paddlers, who were back to defend their title, this year with the help of New Haven Public School (NHPS) students. 

Oars splashed water against the sides of the two slender boats, red and green, with menacing figureheads of dragons at the bow. On each, 20 life-jacketed rowers moved in unison to the steady beat of a drummer. In a last-minute substitute, the Paddlers raced with a brand new drummer, who wasn’t originally there to race, but to support her Tuff Girl mom. 

Back on the dock, dozens of spectators cheered, leaned over the railing, and squinted to see: Would the Tuff Girls beat their ​“underdog” perception and secure their first gold medal? Or would Wheel Good Paddlers — with the NHPS students, a new captain, and a new drummer — prove their worth as reigning champions?

That was the scene around 6 p.m. Saturday, as the Canal Dock Boathouse hosted the 5th Annual Dragon Boat Regatta along the Long Wharf Pier, after a two-year Covid hiatus.

The event, which started at 3 p.m., featured nine head-to-head ​“dragon boat” races in three heats. Six teams competed for gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as spirit awards for Best Cheer, Best Drummer, and Best Decorated Tent.

The Dragon Boat Regatta has been a tradition since 2016, when former Olympic rower and Canal Dock Boathouse board member John Pescatore got it going. He chose dragon boat racing because the ​“barrier to participating” is very low. Unlike in other water sports like rowing, kayaking or sailing, “​anyone can do it immediately.” 

And, because of the large number of paddlers in each boat, teams can include people with different levels of skill and ability, as long as at least one person knows how to steer. Thus, the water sport is a popular team-building activity, accessible to people of all ages and abilities. 

This year, the Griffin Hospital ​“Planetree Paddlers” entered the race for the first time. Other newcomers included the administrative and production teams from Sargent/Assa Abloy, called the ​“Lock NESS Monsters 1 & 2,” respectively. 

Tuff Girl Fitness returned for its fourth year, this time with two teams: Tuff Girls 1 would have the veteran rowers, and Tuff Girls 2 had more novices. Lastly, the New Haven Bicycling Club, whose team ​“the Wheel Good Paddlers” overcame a rivalry and won in the last competition, returned and joined forces with NHPS students. 

Previous years saw teams from Wilbur Cross High School (the ​“Govern-Oars”), Langan engineering (the ​“Harbor Mussels”), and other local community groups. The ​“Nightmare on Elm Street,” a team of venture capitalists from Elm Street Ventures, were the reigning champions for the first three years of the competition. But, after losing to the Wheel Good Paddlers at the last games, they didn’t show for a rematch. 

From fog horn to finish line, each race took a little less than a minute. Twenty paddlers propelled their 40-foot canoe from the end of the Long Wharf Pier down toward shore. 

Supportive families and friends joined together in the 90 degree afternoon, wrestling for shade or a good view of the race. They sipped beverages from Armada Brewing and snacked on tacos from Holy Guacamole. Kids battled with blow-up swords and chased after loose balloons. People wore sandals or water shoes, or went barefoot. The air was thick with heatwave humidity and sunscreen.

“Very strong girl!” one toddler, Will Roche, kept yelling. His mother, Kristen, was competing on the Tuff Girls. His father, Brian, said that they had been practicing what to cheer.

Board member/Emcee/DJ Elvert Eden kept the crowd satisfied with danceable hits and frequent reminders to stay hydrated. After the sun had mostly gone down and every rower gave it their all three times, Eden quieted the crowd to announce the final ranking:

In Sixth Place ... Griffin Hospital

In sixth place: the Griffin Hospital ​“Planetree Paddlers” with a time of 54:70 in their final race against the Lock Ness Monsters (Team 1). The Planetree Paddlers were also awarded for Best Decorated Tent, and Best Drummer, Meghan Kern.

Fifth: Lock NESS Monsters (Team 1)

Coming in at fifth place was the first team from Sargent/Assa Abloy, the ​“Lock NESS Monsters 1,” named in reference to the key manufacturing the company does. This half of the Sargent/Assa Abloy group was made up mostly of their administrative team, led by drummer Wanda Ortiz. 

Fourth Place to Tuff Girls 2!

The second half of the Tuff Girl Fitness team came in fourth, with a final time of 50:10. Drummer Lauren Castagnola admitted that her team had a lot more newcomers than the other Tuff Girl cohort, calling her team ​“JV.”

Lindsay Boyle was among those first-timers; she joined last minute after the team needed a substitute. Boyle said she wasn’t expecting the adrenaline, and that she’ll join next year.

The Tuff Girls as a whole also won ​“Best Chant,” which you can watch below:

Bronze Goes To...

The Lock NESS Monsters 2: the production team! In their final race against the Tuff Girls (2), the second team from Sargent/Assa Abloy raced the fastest speed of the day so far, at 48 seconds flat. 

“I told you to watch out for us!” said one celebrating member. ​“Just you wait until next year! We’ll be back.”

Silver Goes To ...

The first cohort of the Tuff Girls gave their best effort and ranked higher than they ever had before. Christa Doran, captain and co-owner of Tuff Girl Fitness with her husband Mike, said they were thrilled to place second. Next year, they declared, the trophy is theirs.

Wheel Good & NHPS Get the Gold

With the ultimate fastest time of the day, the Wheel Good Paddlers and NHPS students finished in first place with a time of 47:06. Captain Pescatore, former Olympian rower who organized the first dragon boat race in 2016, joined in on the fun for the first time since the games started. He was grateful for their win, and to have raced against the veteran team of the Tuff Girls. 

Julia Wilson, the last-minute drummer addition to the Wheel Good Peddlers, posed for a picture with her gold medal. Meanwhile, her mom smiled somewhere else, silver hanging from her neck.