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Reporter Kristian Harrison paddled out to Al Bander Hotel & Resort last Friday to find out why everyone was rolling out the barrel at the 42nd
Annual Charity Raft Race, organised by the Rotary Club of Salmaniya.
When I think of rafts, my brain conjures images of straggly-bearded castaways floating listlessly on an open sea with nothing but the odd bird flying overhead and the occasional salmon leaping out of the water.
What I don’t associate with these aquatic crafts are teams of muscle-bound athletes powering their way to victory in a series of races that stretch the limits of possibility on such flimsy constructions.
The raft race is one of the biggest charity events in Bahrain, with all proceeds going towards various charities and diverse community projects across the kingdom. This year, the motto ‘Stop Plastic Pollution’ focused on raising awareness of pollution and its negative impact on oceanic eco-systems.
This commitment to the environment could be seen on the day, with numerous volunteers sweeping up and down the beach to pick up any plastic bottles, wrappers and other paraphernalia from the event, leaving the sand and sea both squeaky clean after the event had concluded.
The rafts themselves were quirky, painted in a variety of colours such as red, green, pink and orange. Far from a few planks of wood tied together with bamboo, these rafts are designed to be as aerodynamic as possible and essentially looked like two oil drums tethered together with a thin metal bar.
Quite how eight people managed to perch themselves on these is incredible, never mind paddle as fast as possible with oar in hand!
Overall, 24 teams competed in the races, of which there were two – the open sea race for all-male teams and a lagoon race for mixed teams.
The open sea category was won by APM Terminals, who narrowly beat out Yateem A, with Bahrain Airport Services in third.
The lagoon race winners were Marshals 2, followed by Alba 1 and Marshals 1.
The event raised around BD30,000 for charity, a sum which pleased the Rotary Club’s incoming president, Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa. He explained: “We’re delighted to see such a great turnout, not just with so many teams but with their friends and families who have come down to offer their support as well.
“The environment and how we treat it is a highly contentious issue globally, so I hope with raising some awareness and money that we can combat it and work together for a healthier planet.”
