A decade on the water in Panama. A first on the water in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Panama Celebrates a Decade on the Water

On April 25–26, 2026, the Calzada de Amador in Panama City hosted the 10th anniversary edition of its Dragon Boat Festival — one of the country’s most emblematic sporting and cultural celebrations. Cervecería Nacional marked ten consecutive years as the event’s presenting sponsor.

As part of the anniversary, the traditional Copa Rotativa (Rotating Cup) was awarded to the top team in each category, and teams accumulating the most combined points across this year’s April and October races will additionally receive a special 10-year commemorative trophy.

Jamaica Delivers Its Biggest Dragon Boat Festival Yet

The second Jamaica Dragon Boat Festival took over Kingston Harbour at the Grand Excelsior Hotel, Port Royal, on June 13–14, 2026, with 54 races run over two days — the federation’s largest edition to date. Organizers Neil Yap Sam and Dalton Yap, working with the federation’s partner the Chinese Benevolent Association, again raised the bar for the event: every competing team received its own tent, table, and chairs this year, a hospitality standard other Caribbean festivals are already being encouraged to match.

As part of the weekend, a Caribbean Cup exhibition race brought together national teams from The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. The Bahamas posted the fastest time in that race, 1:06.24 over the 200-metre course, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (1:11.59) and Jamaica (1:15.07). The weekend’s fastest time of all belonged to club crew BahaMar Buoys and Gulls, the only team to break one minute, clocking 58.07 seconds.

In April 2026, the Bahamas Dragon Boat Federation received eight IDBF-certified dragon boats — a milestone that puts the federation on equal footing with the international standard its athletes race under abroad. Certified boats mean consistent specifications for training and competition, and give the federation the infrastructure to host races at a higher level going forward, rather than relying on borrowed or rented equipment.

Progress is strongest when athletes, officials, organizers, and institutions move in rhythm toward a shared goal. We value opportunities to work with our member federations and event organizers to honor the cultural roots of the sport, expand participation, strengthen race standards, and create meaningful experiences for paddlers at every level.

Jomarie Martínez, President, PADBF

Source: Bahamas Dragon Boat Federation, Facebook video, April 2026.

Among the most talked-about crews at the Jamaica Dragon Boat Festival was McKay Security’s mixed team — a boat that included four martial arts world champions, two national bodybuilding champions, a powerlifter, and a Major League footballer, racing alongside dragon boat regulars. The crew clocked 1:00.62, the fastest time ever recorded by a local mixed team, before a 15-second penalty dropped them to third behind Trinidad and Tobago’s Vanguards DBC and the Jamaica Defence Force Wave Riders.

A sport that requires total teamwork, perfect technique and a great degree of strength.

Jason McKay, team captain, on dragon boat racing

Team captain Jason McKay — who has represented Jamaica in rugby and martial arts, and sponsored the country’s first Olympic taekwondo competitor — said the mix of disciplines works because “should you put some of the world’s greatest sportsmen together, they can do anything as long as it’s power-based,” while noting that “technique can be taught and synchronicity will come by training.” It’s a small but telling story about how dragon boating pulls athletes from completely different backgrounds into a single boat.

BCDA Turns Festival Success Into a Cancer Society Donation

Following the success of its 5th Annual Bahamas International Dragon Boat Festival, held May 2–3, the Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Association (BCDA) presented a donation to the Cancer Society of The Bahamas — a gesture the Association says reflects its commitment to hope, healing, and community in The Bahamas.

This year’s festival brought together 48 teams, including 17 visiting teams from the USA, Canada, and Jamaica. BCDA was especially proud to sponsor the Cancer Concherers, who won gold, as well as teams from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Defence Force, Department of Immigration, Prison Officers, and youth groups — all of whom received free registration, practice, and full equipment support.

The Association thanked its major sponsors, supporters, and the Chinese community for helping make both the donation and the festival possible, along with the Cancer Society of The Bahamas for its ongoing work in screening, patient support, education, and cancer awareness. Looking ahead, BCDA invites the public to join its practices in preparation for the 6th Annual Bahamas International Dragon Boat Festival, scheduled for May 1–2 next year.

Source: Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Association, Facebook, May 21, 2026.

The Americas’ Role in a Global Movement

The “Pink Rowers” racing in Brazil this quarter are part of something much larger: as of 2026, roughly 20,000 breast cancer survivor paddlers compete across 403 teams in 42 countries and six continents, with the United States and Canada among the largest national contingents in the world. The Americas will be well represented again at the 2026 IBCPC Participatory Dragon Boat Festival in Aix-les-Bains, France (August 24–30) — a reminder that the Breast Cancer Paddlers (BCP) community connects PADBF member countries to a truly global sisterhood on the water.

Technical Committees Corner

PADBF’s four Technical Committees — Championships Hosting, Training & Coaching, Officiating, and History & Archives — introduced in Vol I continue their work supporting consistent standards across the Americas. Committee chairs are invited to submit a short progress update for Vol III.

Every festival in this issue happened because of volunteers — officials, safety-boat crews, registration teams, and local organizers who rarely make the headlines. Starting with Vol III, we want to recognize them by name.

Not every dragon boat race in the Americas is run by a PADBF member federation — and that’s worth recognizing. Clubs, cultural associations, and private race producers put on dozens of festivals across the region every year, introducing new paddlers to the sport and building the grassroots base PADBF’s member federations grow from.

This directory is a standing feature, not a one-time list — update it as new organizers emerge or existing ones expand.