mmg.com.au

Hundreds of people braved gusty winds and choppy waters to race in the second annual dragon boat regatta yesterday.

About 400 paddlers took to Victoria Park Lake to raise money for Community Fund Goulburn Valley.

Community Fund chief executive Lisa McKenzie said the event was a great spectacle and a promising addition to the Shepparton activity calendar.

‘‘I think it’s fantastic, it’s a great social event, it’s healthy and it’s active and it’s not elite sport, it can involve all ages, all fitness levels, men and women, there’s not many sports like that,’’ Ms McKenzie said.

‘‘It’s windier than we would have liked, (but) the wind’s blowing from the south so the wind is coming from behind the boats and giving them a helping hand.

‘‘The paddlers don’t seem to mind at all, they’ve had a lovely time.’’

Buddhist monks from Melbourne were on hand to perform the Blessing of the Boats ceremony, and traditional Chinese lion dancers took centre stage as part of the cultural event.

‘‘It adds an interesting dimension,’’ Ms McKenzie said.

‘‘We’re not just racing boats, we’re doing it as part of a really ancient cultural tradition.’’

Co-captain of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority Water Dragons team Helen Murdoch said her friends and colleagues had such a ball last year they were excited to join in again.

‘‘We started better this year than last year,’’ Ms Murdoch said.

‘‘We had a boat full of water but when we got out there it all sort of fell into order.

‘‘It was just such a buzz doing it, it just felt so good coming over the line.’’