THE Mayor of Llandrindod Wells Cllr Jon Williams set a raft racing challenge on Llandrindod Lake last weekend for anyone game enough to build a raft and race across the lake and back.

Thirteen teams took up the challenge with one team of young people even coming from Birmingham to participate.

Groups of four rafts took to the water at a time and the winning rafts in each group went through to the final race where they took on a raft built and manned by the Cllr Williams and his family.

Having competed in their heat the Llandrindod Wells firefighters remained in the water for the duration of the challenge to help other rafters to get onto their own rafts and make sure others came to no harm during the race.

Such was the support from the locality that a couple of hundred people turned out to either watch or participate in the challenge. Amongst those who came along was the High Sheriff of Powys Cllr David Price who together with his wife Elaine, and Lee Percy of Insta Scram, Llandrindod Wells, who donated most of the trophies for the event, judged the best dressed raft.

The chairman of Powys County Council Cllr David Meredith also attended and started the first heat in the challenge. Other sponsors included Adam Tyler Car Sales of Llanfihangel-Nant-Melan, and Knillco of Llandrindod Wells. Stuart Ingram acted as the safety officer with his boat out on the lake ensuring nobody got into difficulties.

The winners of the three heats were the Adam Tyler Car Sales raft, Creatures from the Deep Blue Sea by the Corson and Greaves families of Temple Drive, and the Tremont Toads who went on to be the overall winners in the final.

The afternoon’s proceedings were compered by Andrew Morgan of Corporate Fun, who also provided the public address system, music and some inflatable games. Amongst the stalls and supporters were the Inky Sparkles with their glitter tattoos.

The Llandrindod fire fighters’ raft was awarded the best decorated raft prize and Mark Hughes received the award from the High Sheriff Cllr Price. The award for the first raft to sink went to Helen Morgan and Andrew Griffiths. The overall winning raft, Tremont Toads, all dressed for the part and consisted of Helen Dudley, who received the trophy from Lee Percy of Insta Scram, together with her fellow toads Sarah Mason, Hay James, Steve James and Matti James.

It is believed by some of those present that this is the first time in nearly 30 years that a raft race has been held on Llandrindod Wells Lake.