SUCH is the reputation of Derby River Derby super-multi team Russell’s Raiders that they were unchallenged in the top class this year, and went on to claim their seventh consecutive victory.
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The annual rafting race down the Ringarooma River is part of the wider North East Rivers Festival and festival director Lynden Russell doubles as the Raiders’ team captain.
Things were more challenging in the multi-class, for rafts with up to 12 crew, where Southern hopefuls The Love Boat made their Derby debut.
Captain Stephen ‘‘Sausage’’ Roll said that the crew had a ‘‘fairly successful’’ sea trial on the Derwent River before heading North.
‘‘We do accept that there could be some damage, but we’re not too concerned,’’ Captain Roll said before the start.
‘‘There’s a good strong breeze, so we’re fully expecting to set a course record with the help of our sail, but as we have no idea what the record time is, we’ll just assume we beat it when we finish.’’
Alas, The Love Boat’s optimism was ill-placed and they finished a valiant sixth, from six rafts.
‘‘There were some very bad technical issues with our design — it didn’t fall apart, but the canoe, the main structural part, sunk,’’ Captain Roll admitted.
‘‘We’ll be back again next year, stronger and keener, but I won’t be the captain — there was a bit of a mutiny when we got stuck on a rock and I jumped out to free us and the rest of the crew just sailed away.
‘‘Oh yes, the sail fell off too and lies at the bottom of the Ringarooma River.’’
But action was not restricted to the river and pseudo-Russian father and son acrobats Mark and Jiemba Sands, aka Pop-Eyed, kept the crowd entertained between the races.
There were also tug-o-war events and apple bobbing for the children.
Scottsdale’s Harry Summers showed how it was done in his apple bobbing event.
His mother Tamieka said that she was confident Harry would do well because ‘‘he has a big mouth’’.