The teams race the elaborately-decorated boats to the beat of heavy drums. The boats, more than ten metres in length, have ornately-carved and painted dragon heads and tails and each carries a crew of 12-22 paddlers. Sitting two abreast, with a steersman at the back and a drummer at the front, the paddlers are urged on by the pounding drums and the roar of the crowds. We rode the bus to Stanley early on Thursday morning and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the first two hours of the race. An atmosphere of excitement, fun and anticipation prevailed. The weather was mild while we were there -- apparently the "heavens opened" in the afternoon and the wind kicked in.