Raft Race 2005
Raft Race Breaks All Records
Organisers of Sunday’s 26th Blue Anchor To Minehead Raft Race are hailing it as the best ever as record entries and perfect weather raised over £6000 for RNLI funds
A record 52 teams tackled the four and a half-mile race from Blue Anchor Beach to Minehead to raise money for the Minehead Lifeboat Station redevelopment fund.
Fastest raft home was the Patrick’s Gulpers team from Leominster with raft race stalwarts The Valiant Soldier picking up the prize for fastest local entry. The Tring rafting team from Hertfordshire won the fastest female entry.
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As well as the competitive entries there was good support from the traditional and fancy dress teams with Aimon Sully’s Crusty Crusaders winning the award for best fancy dress entry.
Thanks to the support of the local business community Spectators were treated to a carnival atmosphere with The Old Ship Aground providing a disco and live music from the Gloria Lawrence band. While the Red Lion hosted musical comedian Pete Lafette. Miles Tea and Styles Ice Cream offered refreshments all pledging donations to the RNLI.
At dusk over 10,000 spectators were treated to firework spectacular from the harbour bringing the towns biggest event to a fitting close.
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| All firework photos by Steve Guscott | |
Raft Race Chairman Derek William’s paid tribute to the local businesses that had given so generously “ without the support of the local businesses, West Somerset District Council and Minehead Town Council we would not have been able to raise the £7000 needed to put on the fireworks display the town enjoyed this evening”
Asked about next years event Derek added “ people have already committed to enter next years event and every year it seems to gather momentum, we are already looking at ways to make it bigger and better”.
