The first competitive dragon boat race was held in the United Kingdom in September 1980 during the Hong Kong in London Chinese Festival. The races which were held on the River Thames were won by the Richmond Canoe Club in both the Men's and Women's classes.

In 1981 racing featured in the World Canoe and Kayak Racing Championships, held at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham. The Lincoln Imps crew won this 500 meter event.

The formation of the Dragon Boat Racing Club of Great Britain (DBRC) in June 1985, was the first serious attempt to organize the sport on a national scale in the British Isles.

With the three Hong Kong wooden boats imported for the London Festival in 1980, the DBRC raced fairly regularly from 1986 to 1987, and with the support of the HKTA, built the first fiber-glass dragon boat in the UK.

After making its debut on the BBC TV's 'Blue Peter' program, in May 1986 a dragon boat was raced from London to Nottingham via the canal system by a crew of soldiers in aid of charity. The crew paddled 180 miles (including 180 portages for canal locks) in 9 days and raised over £4,000 for Sport Aid en-route. In 1986 and early 1987 specialist dragon boat groups were formed in Sheffield, Liverpool and Tyneside.

In July 1987, following an initiative by the DBRC, these groups came together to form the British Dragon Boat Racing Association - the BDA, which was formally constituted as the governing body for the sport of Dragon Boat Racing in the UK at an inaugural meeting held at the National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham.

The 1st National Championships were held in October 1987 on the Serpentine Lake in London's Hyde Park, where 19 crews contested the 500m races. Elmbridge Kayak Club were the first BDA National Champions over this distance. During 1988 the sport expanded rapidly when over 20 events were held in the UK and the BDA was recognized by the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) as the sport's governing body and admitted into its membership.

However, the sport of Dragon Boat Racing was not recognized by the Sports Council until 1992 and the BDA as its Governing Body had to wait until 1994 for such recognition.

Regular television, radio and newspaper coverage of Dragon Boat Racing has been a feature of this colorful and exciting water sport, which has also involved members of the Royal Family. In June 1987, The Prince of Wales started a Dragon Boat Race in Shadwell Basin, London and a year later Queen Elizabeth, launched a Dragon Boat for the Tyne and Wear Dragon Boat Association, which was aptly named the Bowes-Lyon.

In the 1990s the 'Royal' connection has continued with Prince William racing regularly in the annual Eton College Inter House Competition and Prince Charles carrying out an eye-dotting ceremony at Shadwell Basin in 1997.