23 November 2006

Dragon Boat safety

I personnaly consider that a safe approach to Dragon boat goes side by side with fun because without it, the greatest day is threatened to turn into drama.

Dragon Boat safety should be taken seriously because no-one wants to turn a fun event supposed to advertise a corporate team spirit into desastrous bad reputation that would spread faster then any good news.

Minimum safe approach to Dragon Boat in short:
A - A disclaimer should be signed by each paddlers and by parental representative for non-emancipated paddlers
B - Paddlers should be able to demonstrate minimum 50m swim with clothes-on and without buoyancy aid
C - Each paddlers should receive a minimum training which ought to include a safety awareness
D - Equipment should be maintained to minimum safe standards (consider yearly inspection certification)
E - A safety briefing should take place before each exercise precising necessety to wear buoyancy aid and safety boat on standby
F - Respect common sense related to weather condition and exercising area especially regarding third party traffic

With this post I am calling on factual safety concerns any paddler or witness could recall and share just replying to this post. I would appreciate if a minimum fomat was followed to allow comparing events amongst themselves.
1 - Geographical place of Dragon boat event
2 - Date of incident (Approximative should be good enough)
3 - External conditions
4 - (if any) Resulting human injury
5 - (if any) Resulting material damage in equivalent USD
6 - Short summary of the incident
7 - Major suggestions to mitigate resulting injury or material damage
8 - Major suggestions to minimize conditions leading to injury or material damage
9 - Any thing else relevant lissed in that list...

I am looking forward to read each other`s feedback, eventually send me on email any incident near misses or safe recommendations which could help our bragon boat community grow with fun and maintain excellent reputation.

On behalf of Oman Dragon Boat Club
Francois Dorleans
Gsm: +968 99826099
OmanDBC@gmail.com
http://omandbc.blogspot.com

OmanDBC invitation to Dubai

I want essentially to thank all Oman paddlers who had responded positively to my ealier invitation, unfortunately, the DB event in Dubai on December 2nd 2006 had been cancelled.

OmanDBC relation with Dubai DB club ¨Dubai Dragon Boats Alive¨ is essentially made of email discussions with Dave Martin [mailto:damartin@eim.ae]

In short if Oman DBC want to join Dubai event we need to get enough paddlers and sufficient funds. Hence,some of you might have noticed OmanDBC banners, cups, stickers, tshirt are now available to grow Dragon Boat in Oman raising funds for the cause.
I hope to get new DB event to offer soon thanks to sponsors starting to get interested to support OmanDBC.

Regards.

On behalf of Oman Dragon Boat Club
Francois Dorleans
Gsm: +968 99826099
OmanDBC@gmail.com
http://omandbc.blogspot.com/

31 October 2006

Oman Dragon Boat Club start-up

To all,

The Status of OmanDBC is not yet decided between the choice of starting outside or inside PDO Ras Al Hamra club (Petroleum Development Oman).

The OmanDBC status with or without PDO RAH will depend on legal terms regarding finance, type of members and the ability to deal with the equipment received from the IDBF and OmanDBC owned equipment.

The main subject at the moment is to find out how many paddlers can commit to support sponsors motivation and organize IDBF free boats shipping to Oman.

- Historically OmanDBC started during a conversation around a table about Team building exercises available in Oman and recalling 1999 corporate Dragon boat shared experience in Europe.

- It was followed (Tuesday, January 20, 2004 17:12) by preliminary investigation to rent DB in Oman from Canada over the winter period. (Thanks to Matthew Smith "22Dragons" website: www.22dragons.com)

- On Wednesday, March 10, 2004 contact was established with Alan van Caubergh (Chairman IDBF Technical Equipment Secretariat EDBF Sec-Gen.)
On Sunday, March 14, 2004 contact was established with Mike Haslam (IDBF Executive President and EDBF Chairman)

- On Saturday, April 10, 2004 Trials had been made to attempt using local (Quryiat-Sur) Oman boat construction and design thanks to Abdullah Al-Shamakhi who also introduced me to the Oman's North Coast 80's single seat-er paddling boat champion (The over 70’s year old person who, I hope, will accept my apologize because his name was lost in translation).

- After 2 year old email relation with David Martin (President "Dragon Boats Alive" (UAE) Mob +971 5581 489) on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 he announced me Dubai was ready to rent boats out to Oman.

- Almost at the same time Wednesday, September 13, 2006, Mike Haslam representing the IDBF offered two boats to develop Oman's club as soon as it will be registered with the IDBF. Ref email "...The IDBF has a number of boats from different manufacturers to help develop the sport in new areas. The IDBF in sports political terms wants to have 75 Members before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. This is the number of Members that we need before we can apply for acceptance as an Olympic International Federation..."

- Saturday, September 16, 2006 OmanDBC was declared to the IDBF represented by Francois Dorleans (IDBF member, author of this long text, and only person supported by a few good friends to bring dragon Boats to Oman ...).

- Since that time OmanDBC is trying to the main action on going (apart from managing emails) is to promote the OmanDBC in order to get 20k USD to start getting boats for training and initiate first events locally around Muscat.

 Advertising OmanDBC started from personal friends drawing (thanks to Paul Shiel who should be remembered for the OmanDBC + (minimum) personal funding. The idea to invest in marketing materials should lead to get as many Oman potential members feedback to email their support or comments using the following link OmanDBC@gmail.com.
 (PDO-UWD) is an initial and major sponsor who is volunteering with the condition that he would like to get in return the Dragon Boat Challenge during the Oman’s fresh season (NB: October to April is the tempered – opposed to April to October during which the heat in Oman so high that it becomes a challenge by itself to stand outside under the sun to have a conversation)
 A first quotation was received from equipment supplier Andy ESSENCE www.dragonessence.org . It was not clear on that quotation the boats should come free of charge thanks to the IDBF offer and details update on the quotation to present to the sponsor.
 Some clarifications about timing are being discussed with mentioned above Mike (IDBF), Dave (Dubai “Dragon Boats Alive”). I should meet Dave in Dubai on November 29th (06)

In short you should see more of the OmanDBC broadcasted in Muscat and even more when boats will be available in the country.

Regards

On behalf of Oman Dragon Boat Club
Francois Dorleans
Gsm: +968 99826099
OmanDBC@gmail.com
http://omandbc.blogspot.com/