RACINE - The fifth annual Midwest Dragon Boat Festival got off to an interesting start for two teams Saturday morning.

What began with a rough late start, soon halted to a stop when two boats capsized.

"The first heat, four went out and two came back," said volunteer Bob Oertel.

Volunteer lifeguard Alyssa Bauer, 21, was there to pull the capsized rowers out of the water.

"We saw the first boat go under and we were really far away, so we started to paddle over and the second boat went down right in front of us," Bauer said.

The waves were so large they swamped the boats and pulled them under, Bauer said.

Bauer didn't hesitate to help the two sunken teams, named Insured Hangover and McLane Foodservices.

"I didn't really think anything," Bauer said. "I just got in and helped the people that needed help."

After helping all the paddlers return to safety, it took Bauer a while to get herself grounded. Shivering for almost an hour and vomiting a little bit, Bauer slowly recovered from a combination of sea sickness and the shock of cold water, she said.

Wrapped in a blanket, Bauer hadn't decided yet if she will volunteer again next year.

The races already were off to a late start after poor weather conditions Friday night and Saturday morning prevented organizers from setting up, said Race Director Charlie Rice.

Once the races finally started, two hours after they were supposed to begin, organizers had to postpone races again to recover the capsized boats.

Event organizers have one spare boat for the 400 meter race course, but there is not much that can be done quickly when two boats capsized, Rice said. The races had to be postponed again.

To lessen the risk of sinking another boat, organizers decided to get rid of as much extra weight as possible, Rice said. That meant eliminating the drummers and four paddlers, as well as the dragon heads and tails from the boats, Rice said.

After hearing about the first few capsized boats, Frank Mejia's team from In-Sink-Erator was determined to finish the race unharmed.

"We knew what not to do," Mejia said. "We were going to listen to the instructor, our guide. Our steersman gave us the commands, kept us steady and we took it from there."

The water, which had a temperature of about 50 degrees, splashed into their boat as they paddled, but the boat stayed afloat and they kept paddling.

"We know how cold it is on our feet and we don't want our whole body in it," said team member Tom Cacciotti, 47.

"I think the energy took over. Once we started stroking … I was so pumped," Mejia said. Everyone that had the energy to yell was counting the rhythm, he said.

The team didn't want to end up in the water, but their biggest motivator was beating their In-Sink-Erator co-workers, who had beaten them two times in the past.

By less than a second, they accomplished that goal. The factory workers beat the office workers, Mejia and Cacciotti proudly proclaimed.

But their competitors from the office didn't despair.

"I'm so proud of all of you guys," InSinkorSwim captain Steve Hesse told his team after their first race. "I told you guys it's intense."

Dragon boat racing runs through September.

Racine Dragon Boat Club

WHEN: Through September

Cost: $5 per session, $40 year membership, $75 for family

Competitive and recreational sessions are available

INFO: For more information, contact Jennifer Strohm at (262) 763-4465, or via e-mail at jstrohm2@wi.rr.com or visit the Web site

http://www.racinedragonboatclub.org/

Dragonboat Winners

Winners of the Racine Dragonboat competition are based on time and ability. Three seeds are configured based on ability, with the top 19 teams comprising the Diamond Division; the Jade Division consists of the next 19 seeds; and the Pearl division starts with the 40th-seeded team.

Here are the final results and times from the championship rounds on Saturday afternoon:

Diamond Division (Seeds 1-19)

1. Angelfish, sponsored by Master Appliance and St. Catherine's High School, 1:38.35

2. Kenosha West Row-tarians, Kenosha West Rotary Club, 1:38.62

3. People Powered Propulsion, sponsored by Twin Disc, 1:46.39

4. Calvary Clippers, Wilson Funeral Home and Calvary Memorial Chapel, 1:46.79

Jade Division (Seeds 20-39):

1. Pale Ale Paddlers, Belle City Home Brewers and Vinters, 1:43.01

2. West Kennels, self-sponsored, 1:43.17

3. Team RFD, YOC Strap and Racine Fire Department, 1:44.28

4. WIN Dragons, Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network, 1:52.68

Pearl Division (Seeds 40-59)

1. Red Hot Rebels, Frank Sterbin, CPA and Horlick High School, 1:46.58

2. Aquaholics, self-sponsored, 1:53.75

3. Rowing Stones, self-sponsored, 1:49.01

4. I Tappa Keg, Ivanhoe Pub and Ricky's tavern, No show