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.

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?

VI Paddling has been a proud part of Nanaimo’s dragon boat community for years. 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. While Maffeo Sutton Park is an amazing festival space, shifting sandbars and restrictions around sea plane flight paths have made it harder to ensure safe and fair racing on the water.

To guarantee top-quality racing alongside great onshore festivities, VI Paddling—alongside the City of Nanaimo—made the decision to move the regatta to its new home 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 and Sunday, 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.

A special breast cancer survivor dinner is also planned for Friday night!

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/AJFJKk5TiR

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.