Team P.A.L.M Raft Racing at Llandysul !!! The British Raft Race Series gets underway.

The British Raft Race series came to Mid Wales for Remembrance Weekend. It was a weekend of  rafting, partying and meeting loads of fab new people, and old friends, and enjoying this awesome sport together. It was a truely international affair this year as we had the First Ladies Irish Rafting Team come over to race as well, and 20 teams of varying degrees of experience hoping to win the coveted Llandysul slate medals.

 What makes this race series so ‘Oarsome’ is that it is an open event for anyone who wants to have a go! There are Mens teams, Mixed Teams and of course Womens teams. But with most never having rafted before, the first thing we did on the morning of the first day was give people a few tips on how to raft, and we couldn’t resist giving them a demo

 There were so many people taking part it felt like we were at a major competition in Europe!! And not wanting to let an opportunity for training pass us by, we treated it like one too – except obviously for the partying, and fancy dress, and getting a bit too tipsy and the horrible horrible hangover on the Sunday just in time for our endurance race…

The races completed were a Time Trial around the lake followed by the Head to Head on the SLalom course, Slalom on the River Teifi course and Endurance, also on the river. The pressure was on though when we had to do the Slalom demo…you really don’t want to mess it up when everyone is watching…

…but we didn’t, PHEW!

We came first overall in the Women’s teams but were really inspired by all the other teams who took part and gave it their all, especially if it was their first time! It was a really chilly weekend but you wouldn’t have guessed from all the smiling and warmth that people were showing.

It was an Oarsome weekend, with Oarsome company doing an Oarsome sport!! A HUGE thanks to all who helped organise it and also to all who took part. And a HUGE thanks to Palm, I think we were the warmest and driest team on the river.

The next open race of the series is in London on the 15th and 16th December. Come along and get involved!!!

Words by Fran Kohn

Photos by Jason Pacey