War Canoe
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A War Canoe is a type of flatwater racing canoe.
War canoe is a largely Canadian sport, with some teams coming from the northern United States as well; it is not sanctioned by the International Canoe Federation. It does not enjoy the massive popularity of Dragon boating, but is nonetheless an important part of most Canadian canoe club racing programs. The term 'war canoe' is likely derived from large Native American canoes intended for war.
A war canoe holds 14 paddlers and one coxswain, or cox, for steering. As the total crew size is 15, war canoe is sometimes referred to as C-15, with the 'C' standing for 'Canoe', or 'Canadian', depending on location. The paddlers, 7 to a side, kneel on one knee while paddling; paddlers on the left will kneel on their left knee and vice versa, as in a Sprint canoe, and the foremost paddler, whether on the right or left, will set the stroke. Boats are most often constructed of wood, although some older boats will be made of fiberglass. Races will typically be of 500m or 1000m. The paddles used can be made of wood, but carbon fibre paddles are becoming standard, as their reduced weight leads to improved performance.
War canoe is seen as a prestige event at regattas where it is held, as it allows a significant portion of a club's racing program to be in the boat at once and compete together. It is a large team event in a sport that typically focusses on individual achievements. Crews will be taken from the appropriate age range (eg Bantam, junior, masters, etc), and races are held for mens, womens, or mixed crews.
Typically, a war canoe will be faster than dragon boat over any given distance, because of a better hull shape (narrower and without the characteristic 'w' shape of dragon boat hulls), lighter construction, and the kneeling position allowing for a fuller, more powerful stroke than the sitting position used in dragon boats.
