Abreast from the rest

One of the 1,000-plus vessels that took part in the Diamond Jubilee Thames flotilla was a dragon boat from Vancouver, crewed by breast cancer survivors. Abreast From the West endured awful conditions—a cold rain drenched everyone for most of the event—while having to maintain a consistent paddling speed and position in the flotilla. One of the Abreast paddlers was Leanne Jacobsen, who recounts what she and her fellow Canadians saw and experienced while travelling through the heart of London: