Scarborough Hosts Traditional Boxing Day Raft Race

Intrepid crews are preparing to set sail in Scarborough today for the traditional Boxing Day charity raft race.

The event, which follows the annual football match, takes place at the resort’s South Bay and attracts hundreds of spectators.

Presented by the Fishermen and Firemen Charity Fund, the football match has been held since 1893 and the raft race since 1971.

This year, the event has received funding from North Yorkshire Council’s member for the Castle division, Cllr Janet Jefferson, through her locality budget.

Each of the council’s 90 members has a budget of £10,000 a year to respond to local needs by allocating small amounts of funding to support activities to promote social, economic, or environmental well-being in the communities which they represent.

Funding can be used for projects undertaken by external organisations or for additional services provided by the council. Each member is responsible for determining how they wish to seek approval to use the money from their locality budget.

Cllr Jefferson, who is also Scarborough’s Charter Mayor, granted £810 from her budget to pay for 10 safety stewards and marshals who will manage crowd safety on the harbourside.

In addition, North Yorkshire Council also awarded a one-off payment for the event to ensure that it was able to go ahead safely and securely.

Cllr Jefferson said:

“This event is synonymous with Scarborough. It is a fantastic tradition which involves people both young and old and attracts a great many visitors to the town.

“It brings people together and does so much good for those within the town who need a helping hand. It would be almost unthinkable for it not to go ahead.”

Scarborough Sub Aqua Club took over the organising of the raft race in 1972.

Race co-ordinator, Matt Newsome, said:

“The money raised goes to the Fishermen and Firemen's Charity Fund.

“The charity was set up in 1893 to raise money for the widows of five fishermen who were lost when the Scarborough smack trawler Evelyn and Maud sank with everyone on board.

“Thankfully, since then fishing has become much safer and to keep the charity relevant, they have evolved with the times and the benefactors are now the elderly and less fortunate in Scarborough's Old Town.

“The financial assistance is usually in the form of food vouchers which can be redeemed in the indoor market hall.”

Mr Newsome puts the longevity of the event down to its quirkiness with homemade rafts and competitors in fancy dress.

“It's the adventure of building and then racing the raft while wearing optional fancy dress, Of course, everyone is always wondering, and even hoping, that they see a raft sink!

“Two years ago, we had a raft turn up at the very last minute and they were hurriedly assembling it on the slipway. They managed to build it just in time for the start of the race, before it sank under the weight of all the crew!

“We see all sorts of different designs appearing and it's interesting trying to guess which rafts will do best.

“It's very competitive and we do have to make sure that rafts don't cut corners during the race as everyone is hungry to do well.

“In terms of winning, I tend to find lightweight rafts which have little underwater surface area tend to be the fastest - if they are strong enough not to sink.”

One competitor who has taken part in dozens of races is Edmund Ulliott, who is nicknamed Spud.

He has been giving his ageing, but reliable craft, the once over ahead of the big day.

Mr Ulliott, who is a member of the Scarborough Sub Aqua Club said:

“I think it’s 16 years old, We did snap a big section off it at one stage and had to rebuild it.

“It’s not a very fast vessel, but it never sinks. We have gathered other crews up out of the water before because it’s pretty invincible. It’s not very pretty after having to soak up years and years of flower and eggs which other crews have thrown at it. It’s pretty battered, but it still keeps going.”

Mr Ulliot described the event as

“sheer madness”.

“It’s great fun. I am probably getting to the end in terms of rafting as I am 60 next year so I might call this one the last one,” he said. “We have never won, I think the best finish we have had is third place, but we are just in it for the fun of it. It is mayhem.”

The football match begins at 10.30am on South Bay beach and will be kicked off by Cllr Jefferson, while the raft race is scheduled to start at 12.30pm. There will also be live music and a line of pennies along the seafront which will be collected for charity.