National Rally Raft Race – 22nd June 2008... Raft race or cake mixing competition – you decide………

Our Team:

Tracey Cramond (Cox & oarswoman)

Arthur Henderson (Chief Oarsman)

Grant Cramond (Chief Cake Mixer)

Paul Heslington (Assistant Cake Mixer)

Grant and I attended the briefing session, along with Joanne, on the Saturday afternoon ahead of the planned race the next day, didn’t sound too complicated, and having already seen some of the competitors crafts, we were not particularly concerned that we would struggle to pull our raft together and give the others some stiff competition. So we mooched around the cars and stalls on the field and then it was back to the camp site to start preparing the raft ready for the next day. In pretty much 5 mins, Grant had already assembled a frame, complete with a mini bar (for me of course) and then both Grant and Arthur started securing the barrels to the craft. What an amazing effort. Our raft looked very professional and pretty robust for the task at hand. Next day loomed bright and sunny, and our new member Ken kindly offered to transport our raft from the camp site down to the waterside on top of his big blue van.

Well done Ken – no-one had a clue how we were going to get it there once it was built. It was a helluva long way to trek down with it on foot. We launched our spectacular craft and rowed to the start line – what a monumental feat that was!

The wind and the current of the water were working against us and it was a huge effort to stay on the starting line. The marshall ordered us to be ready and then the gun went off! Oh boy! It seemed we ere rowing for a lifetime and not even moving anywhere, again plagued by the wind and current of the water. Anyway we shouted orders (or rather I shouted) and we started to make progress. I seemed to have assumed the role of cox for the raft and kept shouting to “pull-pull-pull”. I think the guys were sick to death of me, but it worked! We managed to win our first heat. This was totally amazing and we had a team of two rowers and two cake mixers on board. Well done oarsmen! Back for the second heat in the afternoon. Again set off from the shore and struggled to stay on the starting line. We huffed and puffed, grunted and groaned, and I even screeched my cox orders, we put in a valiant effort for our North East club and remarkably came third place overall for the Raft Race cum Cake Mixing event, which we were very proud of ourselves. But I’m almost sure a couple of the lads would have happily drowned me if they had half the chance on the water. It was heartening to hear that our supporters were well impressed and I believe this is the first time since heaven knows when, that the North East Branch has pulled together such a team and participated in a National event like this – so well done guys!

You made us all proud!          Tracey Cramond