Team Composition

In previous years Oarsome intellect has competed in the Corporate grade. however recent developments have resulted in a promotion to the open Grade. This means that we are no longer required to have a set number of students and staff in the team. However priority will be given to those that are staff or students. This is to ensure that the ethos that Oarsome has been governed by in the past remains intact for the future.

Teams are mixed with a minimum of eight of either sex in each crew. As long as you are older than 14 (minimum age to paddle in a Dragon Boat) we can use you in the team. If you are a bit on the young side, we can always find you a role as a surporter. A team can not function without them and Oarsome is no different.

The boat can hold up to 20 paddlers (during competitions we are required to have 8 men and 8 women minimum), a steerer called a 'sweep' who keeps the boat balanced and going in a straight line and a shouter called a 'drummer' who calls out instructions for the paddlers. on the land we have the remainder of the team and surporters, friends and family.

At festivals we all need a Shore Crew, things like a timekeeper, a nominated organisation contact and our photographer. The team is organised into the Crew Team and the Shore Team....

Shore Team

Are people who want to contribute to our success but who choose not to compete for a place in the crew (partners, ex-partners, or people with time, family or sanity commitments). The Shore Crew are an essential part of the team organisation. Without these supporters there would be no racing. Shore team members get involved in publicity, marketing, team and event managmeny, fund raising, team accommodation and transport duties as well as acting officials at regattas. Often these people do not realise how valuable they are.

Crew Team

Members are people who aim to be in the crew and participate in fitness preparation and water training. Members are drawn from the team pool. They have to pass all the fitness assessments, must have contributed to the fund raising activities and show commitment to the team. To get into the crew you must be in the team, so the first thing to do is register your interest with the team manager. You can do this by mailing us directly. In any case, do conact us - we want you.

Crew Selection

The crew is selected from the pool of team members so as to build the strongest team for each meeting. This means there may be different crews for each festival event. The basic requirements for the crew selection are fitness, skill, enthusiasm and attendance at water training. However, there are certain other commitments required for each crew member - enterprise, discipline, fundraising, team spirit - and these are taken into consideration along with fitness and availability.