Scores of people are going for a paddle in the River Ouse tomorrow. And they're getting most competitive about it. CHRIS TITLEY reports on The Great York Dragon Boat Challenge.

WE don't want to scare you, but watch out if you're planning a riverside stroll in York on Sunday. There be dragons about...

Don't expect a squadron of the mythical beasts to descend from the skies, however. This particular breed are floaters, not fliers. They do go like the clappers, mind, powered by the frenetic paddling of a dozen or so oarsmen and women.

The Great York Dragon Boat Challenge is set to bring a splash of colour to the city centre from 10am to 6pm tomorrow. This much-needed addition to the rather sparse river event calendar is the brainchild of the Rotary Club of York. It aims to raise thousands of pounds for the major charity, St Leonard's Hospice, plus big sums for many other nominated good causes.

The event has caught York's imagination. It didn't take long to attract the 30 teams needed, and some eager would-be dragon racers had to be turned away.

Among those taking part are staff from BBC North Yorkshire (the team is known as BBC Behemoth), Browns (The Mohicans), GNER (Crouching Tiger, Sinking Dragon), and Ged Bell's Growlers, from a York family butcher.

Pre-race favourites must include the teams from the armed services, including Merlin Misshapes, representing the Army HQ 15 (North East) Brigade; and Coppers Lot, made up of members of the county constabulary. Meanwhile, teams particularly familiar with the water include the Swimming Samurai (from Tadcaster Swimming Pool Trust) and the Environment Agency, flood experts extraordinaire.

They will all be taking part in a tradition which stretches back millennia. Dragon boat racing began, so the story goes, to commemorate the life of the Chinese poet Qu Yuan (340-278BC).

He was banished from his home state for dissent and wrote poetry expressing concern for his country. One day he wandered along the banks of the Mi Lo River and was never seen again. To commemorate the day when people rushed to the river to look for Qu Yuan, residents of South China made it an annual event to race boats.

These days, dragon boat racing is a fast-growing athletic event around the globe. The annual world championship is held in Hong Kong. Many more people take part in fun charity events such as the one in York tomorrow.

Frank Paterson, who completed his year as president of the Rotary Club of York on July 1, said the idea came from club member Mike Saville, of Saville Audio Visual. He had read of the success of a similar Rotary event down south.

The rules are simple enough. Each team consists of between ten and 16 paddlers and a drummer.

The organisation which oversees the event and brings the boats, called, simply, The Organisation, provides someone to steer each vessel.

Every heat is between three teams on a 300 metre stretch of the River Ouse between Scarborough and Lendal Bridges. After 30 heats, there is a semi-final and a final, due at about 5.45pm. There are also prizes for the best-dressed team (fancy dress is encouraged) and for the crew raising the most sponsorship.

It should be a real money-spinner, with a possible total of £40,000 not far-fetched. Each crew member has to raise at least £50 in sponsorship, and the entry fee for every boat is £250. The cash is divided between St Leonard's and a charity of the team's choice.

But won't the teams who have only ten crew, instead of the maximum of 16, be at a disadvantage? Not necessarily, says Frank, who developed the dragon boat race as a key part of his Rotary presidential year. It depends on the weight-to-power ratio.

And that's not the only consideration. "One of the team captains I was speaking to said 'my problem is whether I go for the team which is likely to win, or the team which is likely to have brought in the most sponsorship'."

And expect the standard of racing to improve during the day, says Frank. "When they start paddling the first time it's hilarious, they're all over the place, you have never seen anything like it.

"By the time they are into their third race, they really have mastered it."

Expect a gala day atmosphere. There are stalls, a bouncy castle and face painting on the river's north bank and in the Museum Gardens, which will also host band music from the St Chad's Greys Scout Band and others. Food and drink will be on sale.

So why not join the volunteers from the Rotary Club of York, the York City Rowing Club and all the competitors and roar on the dragons tomorrow.

For more information see www.yorkrotary.co.uk/dragonboat.htm

Updated: 12:42 Saturday, July 12, 2003