| June 19, 2007: AIA Stanley Dragonboat Championships 2007 |
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The Liechtenstein Princely Navy has yet again successfully defended its first runner-up position in the B Cup of the Stanley Dragonboat Championships. While winning the Cup outright remains the team’s long-term objective, the defenders of Liechtenstein pride and glory have yet again proven to be a naval force to be reckoned with. As many larger rivals have painfully discovered: you mess with Liechtenstein at your own peril!
Having been robbed of the B Cup title in 2006 by a vastly stronger Philippines team, which should have been classified in the A Cup, the Admiralty was determined to claim the title in 2007. No efforts were spared in preparing all crew for the eventual showdown on Stanley Main Beach. It all started off at Boot Camp in March from where we built the team into a fierce and hungry fighting machine in 25 training sessions, including ten weekday morning sessions at 0630hrs.
While the Stanley Dragonboat Championships have grown to over 200 teams in total, the Expat Men division has actually shrunk over the years as more and more teams decide to compete in the mixed category. However, the Navy remains a clear Alpha Male Team and has no intention to go down that path!
However, we were determined not to let that get in the way of our victory. So determined in fact, that CTA Charlie executed what can best be described as a very ambitious LiechtenStart. The starter called it a false start, but he clearly held a grudge against Liechtenstein, a risk a noisy and highly visible team like ours has to live with.
“PADDLES UP!” and “GO!” A powerful LiechtenStart to get our boat ahead. “READY AND REACH!” to get into the chug piece, “TEN!”, “TWENTY!”, “THIRTY!” strokes. UBS was behind but breathing down our neck. “FORTY!” and the drum set in to power us to the finish. “FIFTY!” Pain in every muscle and slight panic setting in (“POWER!”) as we don’t have a clear lead. “GOOOO!” It can’t be very far “POWER!” and across the line in a tight finish between us, Viva Macau and UBS. While there are celebratory shouts in the other two boats (some teams celebrate coming third...), the Navy sits quiet. It looks like the victory we have been practicing, paddling and praying for has slipped away in the last ten or twenty strokes.
LONG LIVE LIECHTENSTEIN!
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Competing in its seventh season since inception, the Navy has come a long way. From an underdog team that was mainly known for its large Foster’s fuel intake we have grown into the team that nobody wants to lose against; a serious contender, yet with an undiminished Foster’s fuel intake! 
Nothing was left to chance as were competing in a strong field of expat rivals, many backed by significantly larger banking heavyweights such as the Goldman Gondoliers, BNP Paribas, Societe General, HSBC, Bloomberg – and arch-rivals UBS! 
Race Day was going to be a hot and sunny day. Having established our base on the Liechtenstein Yacht, including our massive inflatable Foster’s can – easily visible on satellite images from outer space – we assembled the crews at the beach for our first heat at 0948hrs. Given the size of the Stanley competition – over 200 teams in total – races were held in eight to eleven lanes. We were squeezed in lane 9 between The Pru (backed by Prudential) and Red & Black Angels (SG), neither of which we considered a serious threat – especially not the French! But UBS was lurking in lane 5 and was clearly the team to be beaten. On the starters signal we exploded out of the water, soon to be over a boat length ahead of everyone else and crossing the finish line as a clear winner. 
However, it was all a bit too easy. Unbeknownst to us – except the drummer facing the other way – lanes 4, 5 and 6 had somehow crashed into each other shortly after the start, forcing a re-race of the entire heat, a decision we were clearly not happy with since a) we had nothing to do with the crash and b) we had fully raced the distance while three other teams were relaxing in the water after only twenty paddle strokes. 
As we finally re-started the re-race, it was a two boat competition against UBS to the finish line which UBS won by a slight margin. However, the result could easily be explained by the fact that we obviously held back at the re-start in order to avoid a possible disqualification for twice jumping the start and the fact that UBS had not paddled through the first heat of the day. We could very much live with this result so early in the day. 
Meanwhile, the Navy tried to retreat to our base for lunch and relaxation, but the crowds at the shuttle boat pier had grown ridiculously large, making coming and going to the junk an impossibility. The Navy has already complained strongly to the organizer and the Marine Department for the poor sea traffic arrangements (read our 
Back at base, the crew huddled in the air-conditioned confines of the junk and enjoyed an excellent risotto lunch prepared by Chief Galley Officer Stefan Herzog. As is tradition in the Navy, after lunch it was time to announce the 
Our second heat was scheduled at 1524hrs against the top four finishers of the morning races. The Navy was determined to put its foot down this time and show the competition what a land-locked country can do with sufficient determination! Our start was flawless this time and the chug piece fast and furious. Maybe too fast, but it didn’t matter as we crossed the line in a clear first position! Victorious shouts of LIECHTENSTEIN could be heard across the entire bay! Interestingly enough Viva Macau, whom we considered a serious threat in the competition, finished a distant third after having come only fourth in their morning heat. 
Thus we found ourselves yet again in the Expat Men’s Cup Final for the third year, against the Germans of Loreley and BASF, the French Red & Black Devils, UBS, Offshore Without a Paddle (ex HSBC), Fimat Fast and Furious and Viva Macau. It was all eerily quiet on the Liechtenstein boat at the start: every Sailor knew exactly what to do, knew what was at stake. Calm and collected we waited for the start as other teams nervously shouted commands up and down the boat. 
After a painful wait, the result is confirmed: Viva Macau snatched the title, but Liechtenstein has defended its runner-up position, beating UBS into third. Finally, the Liechtenstein optimism and party spirit is returning. We may be Perennial Seconds, but at least we beat every large banking team out there! And nobody parties harder than the Liechtenstein Princely Navy, as we proved again when the entire crew showed up at the post race party in Stanley in full white Navy uniform – despite stifling heat and humidity. 
