Kingston Royals Dragon Boat Club (DBC) is based in Teddington on the non-tidal Thames. Kingston Royals DBC was founded in 1988 as the dragon boat racing section of the Royal Canoe Club (RCC), and was one of the first dragon boat clubs to race in the UK. The section was formed from a mixture of RCC members and members of Kingston Rowing Club. The club obtained one of the original teak racing boats brought into the country by the Hong Kong Tourist Association to promote dragon boating in the UK. This boat, still in existence and now donated to a club in Germany, was used for racing and training prior to the introduction of the new glass fibre racing boats.