THE 48th annual Monmouth raft race took place on Sunday (1st September) with our Buoyant Beaconettes winning second place in the women's category.

Sixty-four rafts entered the race, organised by the Rotary Club of Monmouth, rowing their way to the finish line six-and-a-half miles away at Tump Farm, Whitebrook.

The Buoyant Beaconettes were first in the water at Monmouth Rowing Club and raring to paddle their way to victory.

However, after the foghorn sounded and the girls began watching many rafts pass them by, they realised that they needed far more than just high spirits, they needed strong arm muscles.

As the girls were taking in the beautiful scenery of the River Wye in perfect weather, and despite the occasional splashing by fellow rafters, the Beaconettes were able to appreciate the sheer time and effort that had gone into making the rafts.

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One particularly good looking raft was the Squadron, winning the award for the best dressed team.

Gareth Maxfield, creator and builder of the Squadron, said: "My friend had the idea. It was recently the 70th anniversary of the Lancaster bomber so we wanted to do something to commemorate that.

"I've been pottering for about a month in the garden with it. I've collected bits and pieces over time, and used those to build the raft.

"All our money went to St David's Foundation Hospice Care."

Thanks to new electron timing, updated results were displayed as the rafts completed the course.

Competitors crossed the finish line to cheers and waves from spectators at Tump Farm, where everyone enjoyed a family festival with music from Twisted River, food provided by Abbey Mill and St David's with beer from Kingstone Brewery.

After two hours and 39 minutes, the Buoyant Beaconettes crossed the finish line and were tired and achy as they dismounted their raft, but found solace in a tasty hog roast.

The winner of the raft race was Light it Up, steered by CU Phosco Lighting, who finished with a time of one hour, six minutes.

SARA had to rescue one man who was taken to shore, then to Royal Gwent hospital with minor injuries.

A 17-year-old girl was also taken to Nevill Hall hospital with minor head injuries after a white lorry crossing the Wye Bridge in Monmouth collided with her.

She was released from hospital a short time later.

The Buoyant Beaconettes and everyone at the Beacon office would like to thank Hale & Co for building the raft for the girls; it served them very well and even had enough room for the Beacon bear, who unfortunately did take a devastating blow from an egg thrown off the bridge.

Thankfully, he is recovering quite nicely.

The Buoyant Beaconettes were rafting for the charity SARA, who mercifully didn't need to rescue them.

Special thanks goes to everyone who donated to the charity on the Beacon's JustGiving page, so far £130 has been raised for SARA.

giving.com/BeaconNewspapers