ENTRIES are flooding in for the 46th annual Monmouth Raft Race with organisers hopeful that 2011 will be a bumper year for the competition.

The Rotary Club of Monmouth, which organises the annual event, says entries are already up on last year with one entry signing up for the 2011 event from as far away as Manchester.

If the trend continues it could be very good news for this year's nominated charity the St David's Foundation.

Last year's event was the most successful on record with a mammoth £24,000 raised for charity.

The nominated charity last year was also Gwent hospice at home the St David's Foundation which received a cheque for £19,500 from The Rotary Club of Monmouth. The remainder of the money raised went to a variety of other local charities.

The event has again attracted sponsorship from The Crown at Whitebrook the Michelin star restaurant, near Monmouth, who are once more entering a team with Chef James Sommerin at the helm.

Raft race organisers have set themselves the target of getting a hundred rafts on the river this year. Entries have already have been registered from teams in Cardiff, Bristol, Newport, Chepstow Barry and Abergavenny, as well as Manchester.

Kris Broome, of St David's Foundation, said: "We have early entries from teams stretching right across the area and way up to Manchester. Some teams have competed in the past but others are completely new to the event. The interest is phenomenal and we're extremely grateful."

Details on how to enter and also how to build a raft are all on the Monmouth Raft Race website http://www.monmouthraftrace">www.monmouthraftrace. com