Charlestown Regatta’s Junior Raft Race – now in its 10th successive year – once again received tremendous support from the young competitors who had spent days designing, building and decorating their creative modes of maritime transport as they prepared to do battle on the high seas around Charlestown Harbour in an attempt to win the coveted Proper Cornish Ltd Perpetual Trophy for the overall winners, together with Carlyon Bay Caravan & Camping Park’s ‘Best Junior Raft Award’ attracting very generous prize money for each category.
The glorious blue skies and baking hot sun provided a stunning backdrop for the junior crews as they paddled, kicked and flailed with limbs, oars and paddles to reach the finish line first.
The competitors’ high spirits, smiles and laughter swept infectiously through the throngs of spectators and the sight of the rafts with Jolly Rogers, St Pirans flags, myriad fancy dress outfits – even a Viking warship and Thunderbird 1 rocket - was a delight to behold. Results.
Sponsored by Proper Cornish Ltd
1st: £25 & perpetual cup: Thunderbirds Are Go! (Cameron Miller, Bryony Goldspink, Makela Far, Matt Searle)
2nd: £15: S.S. White Stripes (Jordan Allan, Rachael Putt, Lauren Robbins, Jack Oliver)
3rd: £10: Charlies Angels Go Back In Time! (Matilda Shields, Adelaide Shields, Lizzy Lawrence, Kathryn Lawrence)
BEST JUNIOR RAFT
Sponsored by Carlyon Bay Caravan & Camping Park
£20 & perpetual shield
Winners: Charlies Angels Go Back In Time! (Matilda Shields, Adelaide Shields, Lizzy Lawrence, Kathryn Lawrence)
Excellent entertainment, as always, and huge support from the stalwart seniors as a battle royale ensued to win the T’Gallants Guest House Perpetual Cup for the overall Winners and Rashleigh Arms Trophy for the ‘Most Entertaining Raft’.
The defending champions, The Rashleigh Rats, retained their crown, under the guise of a new assumed raft name … Blob’s Revenge! However, the competition was stiff and the now infamous high-jinks and skull-duggery from the seniors was in particular evidence between 2 village rafts – much to the hilarity of the spectators. The course was tough with the marker buoy for the first turn being placed a long, long way out from the outer harbour wall, but all the crews finished safely, albeit absolutely exhausted. One capsized crew even re-started from the beach … and still came in 3rd … watch out next year ... the gauntlet has been thrown down!
Special thanks to the Safety Boat – Bruce & James Keeping, Charlestown Watersports.
SENIOR RAFT RACE
1st: £25 & perpetual cup:
Blobs Revenge (Neil Best, Simone Blewett, Justin Hicks, Duncan Powell)
2nd: £20: Monster One (Amy Rowe-Best, Helen Best, Vicky Smith, Peter Smith)
3rd: £10: Thunderbirds (Jason Miller, Matt Sweet, Chris Nutbeam, Steve Searle)
MOST ENTERTAINING SENIOR RAFT sponsored by The Rashleigh Arms,Crate of award-winning Tribute ale, Perpetual Trophy & tees
Winners: Team Shipshape on Plan D (Sam Best, Jethro Gauld, Rory Cowell, Johan Cocks)
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ponsored by T’Gallants Guest House