Teams create a spash in Leamington Rotary Raft Race

The good weather was greeted with huge sighs of relief after the club was forced to cancel last year’s race due to the river being in flood. Setting off from Jephson Gardens teams had to carry their rafts down the weir at Princes Drive so it was no surprise that the winning raft, Blue Bird, was by far the lightest raft in the race, made from four plastic animal feeding troughs bolted within a timber frame. Skilfully paddled by a four person crew, it romped home first in 51:10 minutes. Overseeing the raft launching down the Elephant Walk ramp in Mill Road,

Leamington Spa Rotary president George Dick was full of praise for the rafters. He said: “ Far from being the encumbrance and cost disincentive that we had feared buoyancy aids might create, the jackets seem to have given the rafters unrestrained freedom to have a thoroughly carefree day. Of all the races we have organised over the past 11 years, I will remember this one as being so very full of good humoured spirit and enthusiasm.” It is thought around £6,500 was raised was the teams’ chosen charities.