DirectRooms.com – Watch the dragons on Hamburg Alster Lake between 21 and 22 August 2011

DirectRooms.com reports that dragon boat racing will be coming to Hamburg in August where teams will be battling for prizes in a series of races across the water of the city's Alster Lake.

The Dragon Boat Festival 2011 will see close to 100 teams taking to the water made up of experienced clubs to amateurs and corporate teams that look to raise money for charity. The races will vary in length, ranging from 250 metres to 1,500 metres but each one is sure to be filled with adrenaline as the teams compete for glory.

Each team is set to feature a standard crew of 22, with 20 paddlers sitting in pairs along the long boat, aided by a steerer at the back and a drummer at the bow.

The aim will be for the crews to paddle in unison and the drummer has one of the most important roles as they provide the dragon's heartbeat by setting the stroke rate.

Visitors checked into a Hamburg hotel can see the races on 21st and 22nd August 2011 and aside from the water activities there'll be children's entertainment, performances with an Asian theme and plenty of food and drink.

Lek Boonlert, marketing head at DirectRooms.com commented: "With so many teams and large crowds of spectators, getting into hotels is likely to be more difficult over this time. All attendees needing accommodation should search online first and be sure to make reservations early to be guaranteed a room."