Saint Andrews Paddling Club members Shelley Hughes-Turner and Caroline Davies are thrilled to be hosting the first-ever Race by-the-Sea dragon boat festival at Katy's Cove in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. 

"We limited this year to a maximum of 12 teams and have teams coming from across Eastern Canada," said Davies.

Spectators have a lot to look forward to too. 

"The comraderie of all the teams is incredible, and watching the teams compete is just as exciting for those who aren't getting on the boats themselves," said Hughes-Turner. "We will have vendors on site similar to a farmers' market as well as face painters and other activities for the whole family." 

The Saint Andrews Paddling Club was founded approximately five years ago and has grown into a community within the community and is now attracting not only visitors to the festival but people are traveling from as far away as Fredericton to be members of the local club.

"It's the first team sport that I actually enjoy," said Hughes-Turner. "You are outside in beautiful surroundings. You can't beat Katy's Cove. It is breathtaking to be on the water."

The local club holds bi-weekly practices at Katy's Cove. Due to the team nature of the sport, dragon boat is a great way for locals to also socialize with one another. Many people join the sport because of its social nature to meet new people and also have a good time and get some exercise. It's not overly strenuous--a good dragon boat team is one that works together more so than it is about muscle. That's what makes it such a fantastic sport for a community like Saint Andrews with a large retired population. Davies is also on Saint Andrews' Age-Friendly Committee, which aims at making the town more livable for people of all ages and abilities. She believes dragon boat racing is a sport that appeals to everyone who wants to be a part of a team despite their age and ability level.