26 and 27 September 2026, Het Hof and the Voorstraathaven, Dordrecht

The Dordtse Waterhelden

Name: De Dordtse Waterhelden — De wedstrijd en de huldiging
Start: 2026-09-27T09:30
End: 2026-09-27T18:00
Location: Voorstraathaven

Build a raft with your team, enter the water arena and compete for the Golden Bailer. The whole city is watching.

Watch the teaser

Who are the Dordtse Waterhelden

Dordrecht has always had its water heroes. The Watergeuzen who entered the city from the water, the pontonniers who were stationed here, the Redders van Dordt who sail out when things go wrong. We live on an island in the delta and we do not shy away from the water.

So we are putting a new generation of water heroes in the spotlight. Teams from all over Dordrecht take each other on under their own banner: on, in and around the water. Who dares, who is prepared, and who works together best when it gets exciting?

The winning team receives the Golden Bailer, the right to show it off for a year, and their own weight in sand.

During Festival Voor de Vloed the Voorstraathaven turns into a churning water arena. Real Dordrecht teams build their own raft on Het Hof on Saturday 26 September and compete for the Golden Bailer on Sunday 27 September. The city watches from the quays, the bridges and the stands.

Admission is free for spectators.

Visitor crouching in a floating tub on the water at Het Hof

How it works

Saturday: building and the raft parade

On Saturday your team builds its own raft on Het Hof, right among the festival crowd. We provide the barrels and the paddles; the rest you build and decorate yourself. When building is finished, the organisation checks every raft for safety; your raft and your participation remain your own responsibility. Teams with a safe raft finished on time earn an extra point and then help the teams that still need a hand. At the end of the afternoon the ship’s horn sounds and the raft parade sets off: your whole team carries the raft through the old town to the harbour. After that, there is a party.

Sunday: into the water

Sunday is when it really happens. After a shared brunch and the safety briefing, the rafts go into the water. Your team is tested on speed, strength, stamina, teamwork and, of course, agility in the water. Every team sails its own course: one goes for pace, another for clever tactics.

Two visitors climbing over an obstacle with lifebuoys while the crowd cheers

Who can take part

For Dordrecht clubs, groups and companies who reckon they are the most fun, the strongest or the smartest in town. Think of:

sports clubs and gyms
neighbourhood and street associations
student associations, scouting and youth groups
water sports enthusiasts, rowers, divers and water polo players
companies and business clubs
the regulars at your local pub

You do not need experience on the water and you do not need to be an athlete. Every participant does need a swimming certificate. You need a group that wants to build something together and see it through together.

Visitor climbing over scaffolding between the festival flags

At a glance

When: Sat 26 and Sun 27 September
Team size: 6 to 10 people
Costs: €50 per team + €20 per participant
Sign up before: Monday 7 September

All the practical details

Practical details
When	Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026. Your team takes part on both days.
Saturday hours	09:00 to 17:00 on Het Hof. Building until 15:00, safety check and clearing up until 16:00, raft parade from 16:00 to 17:00.
Sunday hours	09:30 to 18:00. Coffee and brunch in the Kloostertuin on arrival, then the programme in the Voorstraathaven.
Team size	6 to 10 people per team.
Age	All participants are 16 or older.
Team colour	You sail in your own colour, because that is how the jury, the commentator and the crowd recognise you. When you sign up you give a first, second and third preference. Every team gets its own colour, so whoever signs up first has the best chance of their favourite. You will hear your final colour when your participation is confirmed.
Builders and sailors	Your building crew and your sailing crew do not have to be the same people. When you sign up you only give the number of people in your team; we will ask for names, shirt sizes and dietary needs later, after the selection.
Costs	50 euros per team, plus 20 euros per registered participant. A team of eight therefore pays 210 euros. That includes: a sports shirt per participant in your own team colour with your own team design, brunch on Sunday morning and a packed lunch out on the water, drinks during the event, and the barrels and paddles for your raft.
Registration closes	Monday 14 September 2026.
How to sign up	Through the form on this page. Above all, tell us why your team in particular should take part.
Selection	Places are limited. The organisation makes a selection from the entries and will let you know by Wednesday 16 September whether your team is taking part.
We provide	The barrels for your raft (one per two team members, plus two spare), four paddles or oars per raft, the building spot on Het Hof, a sports shirt per participant in the team colour, food and drink on Sunday, and supervision on the water by Reddingsbrigade Dordrecht.
Bring yourself	The rest of the building materials, your decoration, your team flag and your good mood. Plus dry clothes to change into, ideally only after the awards ceremony, so your team is still in its own colour there.
Clothing on Sunday	Close-fitting clothing that can get wet and closed shoes with grip. Long hair tied back, and no jewellery, watches or loose pendants. Loose clothing and jewellery can catch in nets and ropes.

Read the terms and safety rules

This is a sporting event on and around the water. You take part at your own risk and on your own responsibility.

You sail on a raft you built yourself. You go onto the water knowing you may get wet, that your raft may not hold, and that you may fall in.
All participants are 16 or older. Participants under 18 need written consent from a parent or guardian.
You need to be fit and steady on your feet. There is climbing, paddling, lifting and hauling. If you have doubts about your health, check with your doctor first. Taking part with an injury or a medical condition, or under the influence of alcohol or medication that affects your reactions, is not allowed.
A dress code applies on Sunday: close-fitting clothing and closed shoes with grip, long hair tied back, and no jewellery or watches. Anyone not following it can be excluded from an element.
All participants have a swimming certificate and can keep themselves safe in the water.
You always follow the instructions of the organisation, the game leader and Reddingsbrigade Dordrecht immediately.
Your team watches the safety instruction videos beforehand, all participants. The team captain confirms this.
The organisation may reject a raft, exclude a participant or cancel an element if safety requires it. In bad weather the water element may be cancelled.
The organisation is not liable for damage to or loss of your raft, your materials and your personal belongings.
Photos and video are taken during the event for reporting and communication. By taking part you consent to this.
The organisation may take a participant or a whole team out of the competition during the event, for example if safety or sportsmanship is at stake.
Additional requirements and rules may follow. They will be in the team pack you receive after the selection, or will be communicated during the competition.
The outcome of the selection and of the competition is final and not open to discussion.

By signing up, the team captain confirms these terms on behalf of the whole team.

Sign up your team

Above all, tell us why your team in particular should take part. Places are limited; the organisation makes a selection from the entries. We will ask for the names, shirt sizes and dietary needs of your team members later, once your team has been selected.

About the team

Team name *

Type of team *

Name of the club, company or group

Team colour: first, second and third choice *

Give us your three preferences.

First

Second

Third

Why should your team take part? * (max. 150 words)

Contact

Name of the team captain *

E-mail *

Phone, also reachable on 26 and 27 September *

Team composition

Number of participants * (6–10)

Names, shirt sizes and dietary needs are requested later, once your team is selected.

Everyone is 16 or older *

Anything the organisation or first aid should know?

Confirmations

Read the terms and safety rules first

As team captain you confirm the following on behalf of your whole team:

I have read the terms and safety rules and confirm them on behalf of my whole team
All participants are 16 or older, and for participants under 18 I will provide written consent from a parent or guardian
All participants are fit, steady on their feet, hold a swimming certificate and take part at their own risk
All participants will watch the safety instruction videos beforehand
I agree to photos and video being taken and used
I agree to the participation fee and will pay after our participation is confirmed

I confirm all of the above on behalf of my team *

We only use your details to organise the Dordtse Waterhelden: the selection, the team pack, the shirts, the catering and safety. We do not share them with anyone else.

For spectators

Watching costs nothing. On Saturday you can see the rafts take shape on Het Hof, and at 16:00 the raft parade moves through the old town. On Sunday the spectacle is in the Voorstraathaven, from 13:00 to 18:00, with the final and the award ceremony at the town hall. You watch from the quays, the bridges and the stands. There is food, drink and music.

Every team sails in its own colour, so you can see straight away who to cheer for. And cheering pays off: there is also a prize for the team with the best fan club. So bring your neighbours, your friends and your banners.