Menai Bridge Raft Run, North Wales

Main sponsor - CHUBBS CARS - Tel 01248 35 35 35 - www.chubbscabs.co.uk

Results - The Great Strait Raft Run 2008

Overall winners - Groundhogs
Ladies winners - Death Rowers
Endevour - Murphys
1st Pub - Ty Gwyn and Aukland (jointly)
Best Raft - Hawaii 5-0
Elim trophy for the raft that raised the most money for charity - to be announced very soon
 

The Great Menai Strait Raft Run has only recently been resurrected with the first of the new raft races taking place in 2002, over 20 years since the inaugural event.
Committee chairman Scottie McLeod explained the history: "In 2001, locals at the Mostyn Arms in Menai Bridge approached the Bangor and District Round Table, with a view of re-establishing The Great Menai Strait Raft Run. After consultation with the Caernarfon and District Round Table, it was agreed the run would be resurrected in June 2002. Until this year it was hosted as a joint venture between Bangor and Caernarfon Round Tables. Now it is run soley by Menai Bridge residents.
While this was being discussed, the late Bill Hughes, head of the Menai Centre, suggested it would be more of a feat to raft from Y Felinheli through to Menai Bridge".

From the original outset in the 1980's, the raft run was to be a fundraising event, with the original concept being to find sponsorship for one raft to paddle or sail from Porth Penrhyn across the Menai Strait and back.
The first raft race was held on a warm Whitsun Bank Holiday in the early 1980's when 27 rafts turned up to the start, as did the Coastgruards, Beaumaris lifeboat, St. John's Ambulance, Radio Cumru, HTV and thousands of spectators.
All rafts succeeded in completing the run raising £13,000 for a variety of causes. Each year the run got bigger; becoming the largest charity fundraising event in North Wales, raising over £100,000 in the first four years. The Bangor Round Table in conjunction with The Raft Committee took over running the race, and having peaked with 50 entrants, the numbers began to wane with the Lions eventually dropping the race in the late 1980's.

Welcome ye all to a day of fun and fundraising for local charities

Once again as chairman I welcome you all to another day of fun, and to Menai Bridge. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr & Mrs Jones and family of Period Interiors for being this year's sponsors - as they were 20 years ago, and also to all the other businesses that have and continue to support this major fundraising event here in North Wales; also to the Menai Bridge Chamber of Commerce for their offer of support.
A special thanks to the crews of our safety boats for providing the necessary safety cover for the rafts. Thanks go to Ynys Mon and Gwynedd Councils, the Coastguards, Caernarfon Harbour Trust, Menai Bridge pier master, local Police, Fire, Ambulance, the volunteer paramedics, Dr. White and the local organisations who have all provided essential contributions in allowing us to stage the event this year.
Finally I would like to thank my committee, who once again have generously given up their time over the past 12 months. Thanks to Marc (Josg) for revamping all the graphics and programme; and a special thanks to Punch Taverns for their generous contribution towards printing costs.

Have a wonderful day and let's make lots of money for local charities!

Scottie McLeod
Cadeirydd/Chairman

Croeso I bawb i ddiwmod o hwyl a hel arian at elusennau lleol.
Unwaith eto rwyf yn eich gwahodd i gycl i ddiwrnod arall o hwy), ac i Borthaethwy. Fe hoffwn
i ddiolch i Mr a Mrs Jones a'r teulu o Period Interiors ein prif noddwyr eteni - fel yr oeddent
20 mlynedd yn 61. Dtolch hefyd i'r busnesau sydd wedi, a sydd yn dal i gefnogiV digwyddiad
mawr yma yng Ngogledd Cymru. Hoffwn gymeryd y cyfle hefyd i ddiolch i Siambr Fasnach
Porthaethwy am eu cynnig o gymorth.
Dtolch arbennig i griwiau ein cychod diogelwch am roi eu hamser yn rhad ac am ddim i sicrhau
diogelwch y cystadteuwyr. A dtolch hefyd i gynghorau Ynys Mon a Gwynedd, Gwyiwyr y Glannau,
Ymddiriedolaeth Harbwr Caemarfon, pier-feistr Porthaethwy, yr Heddlu, Y Frigad Dan ac
Ambiwians lieol. Yn ogystal dtolch i Dr White a'r cyrndeithasau lleol i gyd am eu cyfraniad sy'n
ein galluogi i redeg y res eto eleni.
Hoffwn ddiolch Fr pwyllgor, sydd unwaith eto wedi rhoi eu hamser drx)st y fiwyddyn diwethaf,
ac i Marc (Josg) am ailwampio'r graffeg i gyd a rhoi'r rhaglen at ei gilydd. Yn olaf dtolch arbennig
i Punch Taverns am gyfrannu'n hael at gostau'r argraffu.
Mwynhewch eich diwrnod...a be' am wneud lot o arian at achosion da lleoll

The Route

From the Beach at Y Felinheli, all rafts must head North East towards the Bridges-Rafts must then pass under Britannia Bridge, mainland side arch (the right hand side) and then leave Ynys Gorad Goch and the Swellie Rock on the port side (left hand)-then under the main span of the Suspension Bridge
.
The finish is at the end of Menai Bridge Pier

To qualify as a finisher each person, in all rafts will then proceed to the Mostyn Arms to hand in their Numbered Tally Band to the Count Marshal (this is a very important safety check)