Man your battle stations

The battle lines have been drawn as teams prepare for this year’s Tugela Raft Race in Mandeni on March 29.
Multi-time champions, Renkens Spar and Powerspares, who are also sponsors, have started putting their armour together in line with this year’s theme, Battleship.
“We have been entering the race for the past 13 years but missed last year’s competition because of unavoidable circumstances. This year we are read to take the trophy,” said director of Powerspares, Shokes Naidoo.
Naidoo will not be rafting with his team for the first time this year as he will be riding a jet-ski to assist rescue teams safeguard participants. He said he is not worried though because his team has “the blood of rafting champions running through their veins”.
“This year’s race is in honour of former president, Nelson Mandela and what greater way for us to pay our respects to a great leader than winning the Tugela Raft Race,” said Naidoo.
Renkens Spar’s managers, Grant Griesel and Henry Mclean said their teams have won the race five times without any pre-race training.
“I have personally taken part 17 times but have been part of the whole Tugela Raft Race experience for 19 years through the Mandeni Round Table,” said Mclean.
Mclean told the Courier about the times when the race used to attract over 700 rafting teams.
“It was packed and close to uncontrollable but the fun we had surpassed everything that we had to go through to make sure that everything went accordingly,” said Mclean.
The entry cost is R850 per raft with two to 12 crew members per raft. Companies entering three or more rafts will pay R600 per raft. Life jackets are compulsory.
The race starts at 10am on Saturday, March 29 at the nursery. Registration is open from 5pm to 9pm on Friday, March 28 and 6am to 9.30am on the day of the race.
For information contact Mduduzi Manzi on 032-4568200/ 078 655 1347 or Phumulile Mhlongo on 073 175 3650 or Donavan Paton 083 796 7032.