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2009 - Chairman's Report
Last year we celebrated 30 years of charity raft racing on
the River Wye. This was a huge achievement both for the race
itself and for the many people who have taken part, and
still are, some 20 years later and still paddling.....!
I would like to thank you all for the beautiful piece of
glass art and the Ali Baba pots. It was a lovely gesture and
one I will appreciate for the rest of my life, and of course
a permanent reminder of this special and unique event.
Some of you will remember Metal Nicky raft from the Black
Country. They brought with them a wide range of potential
rafters including policemen, company directors, bikers and
the lad who swept the factory floor. CHAR enjoyed their
company, (each year we could guarantee the bar would make a
good return!) and their sense of humour was incredible.
Friendships were built between Committee members and Metal
Nicky rafters which remain to this day.
Alas, in June last year Metal Nicky suffered the loss of two
of their veteran rafters. Ian Graham raised around £40,000
during the 3 yrs he was rafting, one of the highest
individual fundraisers over the last 30 years. Some weeks
later Jean Sprague from the ladies team passed away. Both
were in their 50s.
There was another sad loss earlier this year, Peter Griffin
passed away. Pete first rafted in 1980 on B.T.s Early Bird
raft. He then joined the Committee in 1981 and served until
1999. He loved being involved in the race and played an
active part in its organisation. Lots of great memories.
So many people have been involved in this event as
participants, back-up, family, supporters or spectators. Its
impact on Herefordshire is enormous, I don't meet many
people who haven't in one way or another been touched by the
race, a great testament to its uniqueness.
The administration of the race is an enormous burden,
regardless of whether there are 60 entries or 20. The same
volume of work is needed. Sandra Willetts has once again
taken on the mammoth task of writing to landowners,
obtaining quotations, booking equipment and so on, the list
is endless. My grateful thanks go to Sandra for ensuring
that everything is organised and ready for another year's
raft racing. Last year we stood at Monnington Falls, where
there was a problem with the Ambrosia raft and things got a
little stressful. Sandra looked at me and said 'this is
definitely my last year'. OK said I! Then as we stood in the
torrential rain on Sunday morning lowering rafts on ropes
into the water Sandra whispered 'I am never doing this
again, we are agreed aren't we' OK said I!
Last year there were a lot of new faces helping with the
organisation of the race weekend. We worked as a team and
laughed our way through the race come rain or shine. And
then the immortal words were uttered to Sandra - a rafter
said 'next year will be my 20th year, you will have another
race wont you'? And she replied 'YES - I am sure we will'
Caught hook, line and sinker.
On the sprint race I went on river safety. A sobering
experience as the river was low and the engine was out of
the river more than in. However we managed to stay with the
last raft until at Huntsham a simple mistake became a
humilitating experience when, by accident, I was knocked
over the side of the boat and ended up in the middle of the
river with water upto my chest! I apparently somersaulted
out of the boat and landed on my feet with my hair
completely dry! Just like a Baywatch Babe - ok we can all
have our dreams! I won't be doing river safety again. I am
just so grateful there were no camcorders on the bank that
day!
Once again my thanks go to all the people who work behind
the scenes to make this race happen, especially the
landowners who trust us onto their land and the many people
who donate equipment for the weekend, especially Mike & Liz
Patrick, who year on year provide tremendous support.
Special thanks also go to Val Savoy and her colleagues from
St. Johns Ambulance Brigade who
provide us with an excellent first aid service. They travel
from all over the country and are an integral part of the
organisation.
Well, good rafting, enjoy the weekend and whether you win or
lose just remember it's the taking part that is the real
reward!
2008 - Chairman's Report
This year we celebrate 30 years
of charity raft racing on the river wye.
What does CHAR stand for -
'C' = CONTROVERSIAL. Raft
racing on the Wye has been an extremely controversial sport.
Only by taking a professional line and communicating with
many different factions have we been able to keep rafting on
the river. The problems continue, last year it was an
issue about otters purportedly at the start field at
Winforton, numerous organisations were involved including
the police who threatened to stop the race. I found it
interesting that after the many years of working with this
race it takes one person to make an unfounded statement to
out this whole event in jeopardy.
'H' = HELP. Many elderly
or disabled people have benefited from the enormous amount
of money the races and projects have raised over the 30
years which stands in the region of 3 million. In 1986
The Plynlimon Trust charity was registered with the charity
commission to ensure all funds raised by the raft races were
used and administered according to the charities rules.
'A' = ACTION. Many people have acted in a
generous way by sponsoring the rafters to complete the
arduous course. Through raising money for good causes,
rafters can take great pride in knowing that they have
ultimately made a difference to their community.
'R' = RECOGNITION. There are not many
people in Herefordshire who do not know about the raft race
and the good works it has done over the last 30 years.
The race is recognised by the people of Hereford and beyond
but sadly has never been given any official support or
status by statutory powers except for the Environment
Agency.
Many people have
contributed to this unique event and made it into a sport we
can all be proud of. Thousands of people from all over the
country have entered the raft races over the years, each
person will have their own story to tell about the event,
some have loved the challenge, others have said never again
but they all have one thing in common - everyone still talks
about it today.
Much water has flowed under the bridge since those first
rafts were launched at Hay-on-Wye en route for Chepstow in
1978.
Huge numbers of people were and still are involved every
year. I would like to thank everyone who has rowed, paddled,
worked behind the scenes or even cheered from the riverbanks
in support of a phenomenon known as the 100 mile raft race.
I have met some wonderful people over the past 30 years and
have the pleasure of calling many of them friends. It
becomes more difficult each year for raft captains to raise
a team of people who have the drive to take part in the
event, somehow though the event continues albeit in smaller
numbers than in the 80's and 90's, but it has managed to
turn out a larger field year on year than the first races in
1978 and 79.
In 1978 the winning raft took 28 hrs to complete the event,
I doubt if the slowest would take this amount of time now.
The fastest raft completed the 100 mile course in 12 hours.
I am proud of my association with this fantastic event, but
none of it could be possible without the support of the many
committee members over the years.
Barry Megson, Don Millar, Peter Hales, Derek & Diane Jones,
Patricia Hales, Brinley & Gill Thomas, Diane Jones, Pip &
Jennie Clark, Tony Nottingham, Harry Sprague, Clive & Sandra
Willetts, Richard Price, Ron Sell, Sallyann Hales, Bob
Higham, Evan Meredith, Graham Meredith, Mick & Pat Pugh,
Alan & Shirley Stokes, Jan Vallelly, Val Myatt, Alan
Charles, Les Smith, Darren Milward, Jenny Cole, Kit Hodges,
Rez Goodarzi, Pete Griffin, Len Lewis, Alan Foulds, Tony
Preece, Stuart Powell, Ken Charles.
My grateful thanks go to everyone connected with the event
through thick and thin, some stayed a year or two, others
have supported, rafted and worked behind the scenes for over
twenty years. Without any of you this truly special event
would not be possible.
We can all say one thing 'WE DID IT, AND WE DID IT WELL!'
2005 - Chairman's Report
The 100 mile River Wye
charity raft race began in 1978, originally as a bet between
2 pubs.
The first race saw ten ill-assorted home made craft make
their way down the river from Hay to Chepstow.
The race was designated 'self sufficient', i.e. rafts
carried not only the crew but also tents, clothing, bedding,
food, etc. The winning time in 1978 was 28 hours and that
was over 4 days!
One of the most striking
developments in rafting since races started on the River Wye
is the design. From the pioneering efforts of the first
crews, on simple craft - barrels of any size strapped
together, some with sails, some with a crude form of bow,
the race has seen the evolution of craft to the standard
specification rafts we see today, designed to withstand the
rigours of a long race and sill home made!
CHAR rules for design govern
the materials used as well as the method of construction,
but as in all sports, designers use their ingenuity to the
full.
The race is now run over 3
days with the winning crews covering the course in 12 hours,
many of the 10 strong crew members spend months in the gyms
to gain maximum fitness.
In 1986 there were 86 entries
into this, the most prestigious raft race in the world and
the longest. Each year hundreds of people from all over
Great Britain, and occasionally from around the world take
part in this unique event.
2004's 100 mile raft race
maintained a low entry field and cutbacks were implemented.
It was decided that this years race would be shortened to 60
miles in the hope it would encourage more new entries into
the event.
Farmers won the event on a 6
person raft, another 'first time' precedence of this size
raft winning the 100 mile race. They completed the distance
in a time of 12:30:11.
I would like to thank
everyone who was able to contribute to the Mountain Mayhem
marshalling. This provided us with over £2,000 towards
publicity for next year's race.
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