Dragons and paddlers are coming to town. Beaufort’s weekend heat will test their mettle.
If you’re near the water in Beaufort Saturday morning you may sense there’s an invasion happening.
Fear not, it’s dragon boat weekend in Beaufort and with it, money will be raised to support local cancer patients.
Beginning at 8 a.m., the distinctive watercraft will be the highlight of the harbor and the paddlers will be vying for a win.
“It’s going to be hot”
According to organizers, it’s going to be an especially scorching race. The National Weather Service in Charleston is forecasting a high of near 93 degrees in Beaufort with “feels like” temperatures as high as 103.
“It’s going to be hot!” DragonBoat Beaufort announced on its Facebook page Friday.
As usual, spectators can expect a spectacular show when the skinny, 42-foot-long dragon boats glide through the Lowcountry waters where sailboats and fishing vessels are more common sights. Boat teams of 20 paddlers each will be racing each other and the currents of the Beaufort River. Thousands of fans will watch throughout the day from Waterfront Park.
The boats, weighing as much as 700 pounds,. are replicas of boats that date back some 2,000 years to China’s southern Guangdong Province where villages would compete for paddling supremacy. Today races are popular across the world.
During a practice run earlier in the week, the river’s currents and tides contributed to a mishap when one team’s boat capsized. No injuries were reported and the boat was recovered.
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‘Those boats don’t sink’
The incident happened as a boat was practicing on the Beaufort River. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department responded to a call of a capsized dragon boat with 22 people in the water. By the time a rescue crew arrived 2 minutes later, boat race staff and volunteers were pulling the final two people out of the water, Battalion Chief Peter Dontje said. He was impressed by the response safety protocols from DragonBoat Beaufort, the not-for-profit that runs the race, and how it handled the emergency. “They reacted quickly and efficiently and got everybody out of the water,” he said.
A combination of wind, tide and the condition of the city dock where the team was trying to land created a perfect storm of factors that caused the mishap, said Chris Jones, the race director. In September, Tropical Storm Helene ripped a large section of the city’s boat dock away. As the dragon boat approached the dock, the steersman fell into the water because part of the dock was missing. With the steersman in the water, the tide took the boat toward the marina and it flipped when it bumped up against those docks. A safety boat was on the scene and everyone was OK, Jones said. While dragon boats take on water, “Those boats don’t sink,” Jones added, so the boat that was involved was recovered.
Racing for a cause
DragonBoat Beaufort, an all-volunteer non-profit organization, launched the local race 12 years ago, to raise money to assist residents with expenses related to cancer treatment. It’s since developed a reputation on the dragon boat racing circuit, attracting club teams from as far away as Florida as well as local teams that come together once a year to race for fun and a good cause.
“People really like it,” Jones says, “because it doesn’t take the whole entire day to do it and we run it pretty efficiently.”
Teams get sponsors and hold events to get donations and $90,000 was raised last year, with $85,000 already in the bank so far in 2025. The funds are used to help people who are undergoing cancer treatment meet the significant financial obligations whether it be paying electric or insurance bills or gassing up their vehicles, Jones said. Some of the competing teams are entirely made up of cancer survivors.
‘It’s a sprint’
Rowing team members squeeze into the 4-foot-wide vessels with paddles in hand, churning the water furiously and rhythmically to the pounding of a drum, in front of supporters on shore screaming encouragement.
“It’s a sprint for 200 meters,” Jones says.
Each of the 42-foot-long boats have 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steering person who is in charge.
Races times depend on wind and currents but the fastest time ever recorded under a minute, Jones said. Teams load at the city dock and head toward the Woods Memorial Bridge before turning around and race toward the city marina.
Saturday race times
This year, 28 teams from North and South Carolina and Florida are signed up. The field includes local community teams that race once a year battling club teams that compete all year. Three heats of timed races of four boats will produce finalists for medal-round races in cancer survivor, senior and club/community team divisions.
Races begin at 8 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. followed by a medal awards ceremony.
This year, artists Greg Rawls has made over 100 small glass hearts that will be hidden throughout Waterfront Park. Kids will hunt for those hearts as part of the event.
This story was originally published June 27, 2025 at 12:37 PM.
