IT was a battle of the paddles as a World War 1 tank fought it out with Viking ships and Gangsters and Molls down a shallow River Wye in Sunday’s 53rd Monmouth raft race, alongside assorted Hawaiian crews, hospital ships and floating pubs.

Despite recent rain, rafters found themselves bumping into rocks and jumping into the water to get over rapids at several points of the six-mile race to Whitebrook, much to the amusement of some 2,000 specators along the course.

Sixty nine rafts launched out from the town rowing club in the Monmouth Rotary-organised event.

Fifty six made it to the finish, although several sank and capsized with one coming to grief just yards below Monmouth’s Wye Bridge when it ran aground and broke up on the rocks, leaving its crew to swim for it.

And it was high fives all round for Henson’s Heroes, a family and friends entry from Woodcroft, which scooped the most creatively-themed raft prize for the fifth year running with their highly realistic World War 1 tank, marking the cenetenary of the end of the conflict.

In the past, they’ve created Titanic, Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka, HMS Victory, Noah’s Ark and London bus rafts, raising more than £15,000 in the process.

And crew member Vicki Henson, headteacher of Primrose Hill CofE Primary School in Lydney, said: “We’ve entered a raft for the past 11 years in tribute to my late father-in-law Mervyn Henson, who was looked after so well by event charity St David’s.

“It’s a great way to give something back to St David’s and this year we were especially pleased to also receive the award for the most sponsorship money handed in on the day of £1,420.

“It took a couple of weekends all working and painting together to make the tank, and the ‘poppies’ decorating it were made by melting down old LPs and painting them red.

“We’re delighted again to have won the creatively-themed prize with our tank, which bumped its way down the river for most of the way, getting stuck on boulders and rocks lurking beneath the surface. 

“There were many stages when we had to abandon ship and push it off, and at one point we were going backwards. Frequent collisions with rocks and other crews meant we lost a bow, several poppies and sustained damage to the side guns, but it was a great day. We love being part of it, even though it was one of our slowest times at nearly two and a half hours.” 

Fastest raft in 1.20.28 was Abandon Ship from Bristol, who also took the mixed crew honours, wih Farm Days from Newport just over nine minutes behind in second scooping fastest women’s prize, local entry Monmouth’s Old Nag’s Head third fastest in 1.34.41 taking best pub entry and second in the mixed class, and Chip Endales from Cwmbran in 1.47.05 taking quickest men’s raft.

Raft race co-ordinator Norman Williams said: “It’s fascinating to see the imaginative designs and different approaches taken by raft crews, some of whom had travelled from as far away as Rugby and Barnsley to take part.

“We’re hoping to raise in excess of £20,000, which will be split between St David’s Foundation Hospice Care and other charities supported by Rotary Monmouth.”

David Evans described the scene on the tannoy as the rafts entered the water, with Monmouth town mayor Terry Christopher giving the ‘off’ at 12 noon and SARA providing on-course safety cover.

Crews were cheered by large crowds under Monmouth’s Wye and Redbrook Railway bridges to the finish at Whitebrook, where the Cullimore family had given permission to use their fields for the finish, and stalls, fairground rides, burgers, a hog roast, Kingstone brewery beer and live music from The Forfeits provided a festival atmosphere.

Full results at www.monmouthraftrace.com

See www.oarstruck.co.uk/f615800360 for photos of every raft.