Sappi wins the battle
The 46th annual Tugela Raft race saw 30 teams battle it out on the water.
Adrenaline junkies from as far as Mozambique took part in the Tugela Raft Race which was held in Mandeni on Saturday.
The 46th annual Tugela Raft, themed ‘Battleship,’ proved to be a spectacle of ambitious engineering and a whole lot of fun as 30 teams fought for the top spot in the 17 kilometre race.
The race was organised by the Mandeni Municipality, Mandeni Round Table, Enterprise Ilembe and their multitude of sponsors including the Renckens Spar and PowerSpars. This year’s theme was battleship.
The 2013 champions, Sappi, took home the trophy and bragging rights, followed by the International Police Association and a group of friends from Durban.
Mandeni Round Table chairperson, Donavan Paton was on the jet ski making sure that everyone respected the river and did not become the meal of the day for resident crocodiles.
“It was an enjoyable weekend with lots of old friends and making of new ones. We are slowly moving towards restoring the race to its former glory when the race attracted over 150 teams,” said Paton.
Hugo Graeff came all the way from Mozambique to catch up with friends he used to raft with in the early years of the race.
“I have been coming here since 1988 but I no longer go to the water. I just come here for the great company,” said Graeff.
Bjorn Rencken owner of Renckens Spar said companies should start viewing the Tugela Raft Race as a team building programme that is cheaper and “loads of fun for the participants who sometimes have to spend five hours in the water”.
The proposed date for next year’s Tugela Raft Race is April 18 and Rencken said it would be great if more local companies participated.
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