Pirates and firemen, superheroes and the white rabbit all dived in to make the 2019 raft race one of the most colourful events of the year.

The Wye river was filled with rafts of all shapes and sizes, some more bouyant than others, as crews from near and far made the annual Rotary Raft Race another fund-raising success.Sponsored by Mandarin Stone, Siltbuster and Harrison Clark Rickerbys, the 54th race saw The Old Nags Head’s ’Sir Bouncealot’ finish the 6.5 mile course in 1hr 27 minutes, just 10 minutes behind first-placed Farm Days and just ahead of ’Mighty Mandarin’ one of two craft from a main sponsor.The most creatively-themed craft was Henson’s Heroes’ Hogwarts Express, complete with a smoking funnel, the crew also raised the most sponsor money, £1,400 and came 19th.HMS Top Totty, a Monmouth ladies’ crew , achieved a tremendous 14th place, with the balloon-festooned Landy Paddlers, Whitebrook Wind-up and the all-female St Arvans ’superheroes’ following them to the finishing line at Whitebrook, where the Cullimore family had again kindly given permission to use their fields. Tri-Wall were set for speed and not for beauty and finished eighth in just over 1hr 30m. The Border Counties Vintage Club entered two rafts, finishing 37th and 47th.One of the noisiest rafts, Jupiter, was built by the town firemen who had the blues and twos heralding their send off and arrival in Whitebrook at the finishing line in 2hr 13m.If anyone was in need of a doctor, there were plenty to choose from with the Alice in Wonderland-themed Monnow Vale Hospital raft, The Royal Gwent’s ’Festival Recovery’ and Llandogo’s Priory Care Home ’The Priory Floaters’.Plastic Free Monmouth’s entry was mostly made out of empty recycled bottles from bins and litter picks, not much chance of that one sinking!Donald Trump and Boris Johnson took the day off and helped the Chepstow Round Table raft finish 47th in a time of 2hrs 23 mins, doubtless forging new deals along the way.Caldicot’s R&R site services came 23rd, just ahead of Caldicot’s rugby team’s ’Sailing Swan’ in 30th placeAward for Men’s First Place went to Mighty Mandarin, Women’s First Place went to Farm Days Crew.The proceeds of the raft race will be split between St David’s Foundation Hospice Care (receiving 75 per cent) and other charities supported by Rotary Monmouth.