Another successful Rotary Dragon Boat Challenge!!

24 teams entered this years Challenge supporting more than 20 different charities as well as those supported by the Rotary Clubs involved. At the time of writing final details of the amount of money raised towards those charities is still being calculated and indeed still coming in. (An update on this site as soon as the final figures are available will be made.)

The Rotary Clubs of Chantry (Wakefield), Normanton and Horbury & Ossett Phoenix are proud to have been involved once again in the organisation of the 14th edition of this hugely popular annual event. 

Pugneys Country Park again hosted the event with the lake providing a wonderful backdrop to the days racing. Each team paddled 3 times in the heats with up to 16 Paddlers and a drummer manning each boat. Heats were run with 3 boats in each race and the times for each boat counting towards qualification for the finals. 

We were honoured with a number of VIP Guests on the day. The Mayor of Wakefield, Cllr Darren Byford and his partner, The Mayor of Normanton, Cllr Alison Bones and her Consort and Rotary District Governor for Yorkshire, Richard Greenwood and his wife Trish. 

Each team nominated a charity of their choice to receive the sponsorship raised by the team members. On the day there were multiple fund-raising initiatives on the team pitches along the banks of the lake. Cake sales, tombola’s, Childrens games amongst a host of others. 

Teams also made a huge effort with their fancy dress. The Trophy for best dressed team was judged by the VIP’s with Team SIGMA winning by a very narrow margin!!! (See the Gallery for images of all of the fancy dress teams)

2 categories of teams were offered, including those with at least 50% women. At the end of the day after 24 heats the teams in the finals were 

Main Final winning the Stuart Wardell Memorial Trophy for one year

1^st Sigma

2^nd Mayors Mighty Warriors

3^rd Stuarts Big Kiss

4^th Musical Mariners

5^th Vistry Vikings

6^th Extract Rowbots

Ladies final

1^st Stuarts Big Kiss

2^nd Division of Surgery

3^rd Give a Duck

4^th Totally Oarsome

All of the results are published on the Results page of the Dragon Boat Challenge web site including all race times.

Click here for full photo gallery

The Ladies final was won by Stuarts Big Kiss who received a Dragon Trophy to keep.

The overall final was won by Sigma who received a large Dragon Trophy to keep and the Stuart Wardell Memorial Trophy to retain for one year.