Another popular event made a triumphant return today – and the York Dragon Boat Race brought more than a splash of colour to the city.
Thirty-one teams did battle with their paddles along a stretch of the Ouse between Lendal and Scarborough Bridges.
A procession of teams in various brilliant, bizarre and bonkers costumes, raced against each other in a series of heats.
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And they raised tens of thousands of pounds for a raft of fantastic causes at the same time.
Organised by the Rotary Club of York, the event was a big success, with both bridges and river banks lined with people cheering on the competitors.
Among those competing was a team from YorkMix, raising money for The Island. Ben Fry, from the YorkMix Breakfast Show, drummed out the beat at the front of the boat. And Olympian Scott “Scottput” Lincoln, the shotputter, joined us for the first race.
Alas, it was not enough to power us to the final, which featured the six fastest teams.
And in a terrific finish, the 2 Signal Regiment team took the title.
Sgt Leon Bradley, skipper of the team said it was tough: “The first race, we were just obviously getting used to the flow of the river and how it all worked. The second race really gave us the kick up the rear that we needed, because we got beat.
“However, we came together in the final and eventually worked as a team brought it home.”
With so much fun and fundraising, everyone turned out to be a winner!
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