Sponsors for the 2025 Westwood Lake Dragon Boat Regatta
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Partnerships
Site Map
2025 Westwood Lake Dragon Boat Regatta
Registration is open, click here: Registration
Introducing the Westwood Lake Dragon Boat Regatta—Nanaimo’s newest race weekend, July 19–20! Get your paddles ready for two days of intense 200m and 500m sprints, with top crews battling for glory and a festival vibe you don’t want to miss. Music, food trucks, vendors, and more, all set against the stunning backdrop of Westwood Lake. Race, watch or just come for the party.
Westwood Lake Dragon Boat Regatta is happy to present a theme this year – Disco 80’s! We have a committee working on bringing you a variety of activities with the focus on this theme, with more info to come soon.
| Saturday, July 19, 200 m | Sunday, July 20, 500 m | Early Bird, May 1 | |
| Adult Standard | $695 +GST | $695 +GST | $595 +GST |
| Breast Cancer Survivor / Para | $595 +GST | $595 +GST | $495 +GST |
| Register for both days and save 10% |
The Westwood regatta is also set to feature 10-person qualifying races for teams needing a Dragon Boat Canada sanctioned race, an Open team exhibition, 2-person Dragonflies, and so much more
If you’re interested in entering a team for a 10-person qualifier or want to participate in the Open exhibition races, reach out to info@vipaddling.com to learn more.
Is this festival replacing the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Regatta?
For over two decades, dragon boat events have been a staple at Maffeo Sutton Park, and VI Paddling hosted the first Nanaimo Dragon Boat Regatta there in July 2024. To guarantee top-quality racing alongside great onshore festivities, VI Paddling—alongside the City of Nanaimo—made the decision to have an additional dragon boat festival at Westwood Lake.
What does the site look like?
Surrounded by forest and offering stunning panoramic views, Westwood Lake is a breathtaking setting for dragon boat racing—just a 10-minute drive from downtown Nanaimo. Expect a lively festival atmosphere with food trucks, local vendors, and a DJ keeping the energy up all weekend. Paddlers’ gear will be safe in a fenced-off village, but be ready for water launches—this gorgeous little beach doesn’t have a dock!
Is there going to be a beer garden?
Westwood Dragon Boat Regatta will have a post-race beer garden on Saturday only, brought to you by the folks at Longwood Brewpub. Entry is limited to event ticket holders, and all attendees must have two pieces of valid government ID and a Westwood Dragon Boat Regatta wristband. All registered paddlers will automatically receive an event ticket and athlete wristband, with additional tickets and supporter wristbands available upon request.
I want to support our BCS teams fundraising for the Nanaimo Hospital Foundation oncology department. Will there be a carnation ceremony?
We are pleased to confirm that we are able to have a carnation ceremony at Westwood Lake. The City of Nanaimo did an environmental assessment, and has confirmed we are able to proceed with this ceremony.
————
We have also having a breast cancer survivor dinner planned for Friday night. This is for breast cancer survivor teams, but also includes teammates on these teams.
Where: Westwood Lake, Second Beach (same beach as the Regatta)
When: July 18, meeting around 5pm with dinner around 5:30pm
What: Picnic style dinner
Theme: Disco 80s – there will be prizes, so consider joining the fun!
Looking for a place to stay? Check out Vancouver Island University’s summer residence hotel!
Choose from:
1. 20 bed townhouses (with a common kitchen and lounge) and single or double rooms OR
2. 4 bedroom apartments that can sleep up to 8
All accommodations include:
• Linens & towels
• Complimentary shampoos
• Complimentary coffee, tea
• Free parking
Check out more details on the VIU brochure here: brochure download
Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/
or, email Megan.Fisher@viu.ca
Additional lodging info:
We are happy to share with you a promo code for the Best Western Dorchester Hotel. Located at 70 Church Street in Nanaimo, this hotel is approximately 15 minutes from Westwood Lake, and about 10 minutes from our shuttle stop. If you are traveling across from the mainland, the Hullo Ferry shuttle stops directly in front of this hotel.
Promo code – SPPR
Travel Info
Heading over from the mainland?
Hullo is BC’s new passenger only fast ferry service connecting you downtown Vancouver to Nanaimo in only 75 minutes. With up to 14 daily sailings, super convenient downtown locations, and high-comfort modern vessels, we’ll have you traveling with ease. www.hullo.com
Use discount Code “VIPADDLE” for travel between July 16-22.
* Discount: 20% off regular fare sailings, offer extends across all fare types and service levels, excluding applicable taxes, mandatory fees, and optional services (e.g. luggage).
Parking
Westwood Lake (located on 381 Westwood Road) has limited parking (100 stalls), is open to the public, and is available on a first come first serve basis. We will have traffic management to assist with the parking lot, and anticipate it will fill early. There will be a drop off/pick up section for equipment and paddlers, and a shuttle set up between Vancouver Island University and Westwood Lake to assist with the limited parking. The shuttle will be free, but will require individuals to reserve their spot. Reservation information will be shared with the registration package after registration is closed. For now we are encouraging drivers to plan on dropping off equipment and/or paddlers, then going to VIU to take the shuttle up. VIU is less than 10 minutes from Westwood Lake.
Shuttle Parking Lot
Vancouver Island University is located on 900 Fifth St, and has kindly allowed us to set up our shuttle in Parking Lot E. On the campus parking map (click here for link to map), all of the parking lots with the green and yellow dots are free for paddlers to park during the festival weekend.
Shuttle Drop Off/Pick Up
The shuttle will be dropping off paddlers at Leighton Rd, which is approximately 350m from Paddlers Village.
Contact us now to learn more
Come try 2 practices for free before signing up for the season!
