This year’s charity raft race tested the nerve of competitors and back-up crew as they paddled through torrential rain, thunder and lightning storms, and at times brilliant sunshine.

The race, the 40th and final one, took place over a distance of 75 miles from Turners Boat (above Bredwardine) to Huntsham, near Goodrich,

This year’s winners were Patricks Raft from Marlbrook Farm, Leominster, Herefordshire on a 10 person raft. They completed the distance in a time of 7 hrs 18min 52 sec.

The river Wye charity raft race began in 1978, originally as a bet between two 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 four 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 still 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 three days with the winning crews covering the course in just over seven hours, many of the 10 strong crew members spend months in the gyms to gain maximum fitness.