Entries needed for festival raft race

July 29, 2011 - PRLog -- The annual festival is run by non-profit organisation MARLENS offering something for the whole family and this well established festival is an opportunity for the community to enjoy the lake and celebrate its existence.

The festival raises funds for much needed repairs to the lake.

Chairman of MARLENS, Joe Norman said: “We are enthusiasts for Clevedon Marine Lake, determined to ensure that this sea front jewel is kept in service and used for the benefit of people in Clevedon and North Somerset.”

“This will be the seventh Marine Lake Festival and it is expected to be the best yet. The community really gets behind us every year, and the feedback we’ve had so far says everyone is really excited about the event.”

The raft race on Sunday September 25, will start at 1pm and offers the opportunity for teams of two to six people the chance to compete in home made rafts for cash prizes.

Joe Norman said: “We have a number of entries to the raft race already however we'd like more to make it a good spectacle. Like the rest of the MARLENS Festival, we'd like people to join in and enjoy themselves, so it will be a friendly, informal event.”

Rafts must be manually propelled across the lake by participants placing a strong focus on teamwork. The use of mechanical aids such as engines, oars and double ended paddles is disallowed as participants are encouraged to use pre-made single paddles.

As well as the raft race, the festival will offer attractions and entertainment which have been popular in previous years, with music acts and dance troupes, including the fun-loving burlesque dancers who were such a hit last year.

The music line-up this year is even better than ever, with an additional stage added due to popular demand at the Victorian Bandstand on the seafront. The music timetable will be posted on the MARLENS website along with links to some of the bands appearing.

Charity and commercial sellers will form a ‘village street’ of stalls to cater to those interested in browsing and there will be a chance to check out vintage cars and take part in dog agility training.

Have-a-go activities include those taking place on the water itself such as model boat racing, sailing, and canoeing, as well as zorbing where participants can ‘walk-on-water’ inside giant inflatable balls.

Promising to be bigger and better this year, the festival will offer a variety of entertainment chosen by the local community for the thousands of people that flock to Clevedon sea front every year for the event.

Entries to the raft race are welcomed until September 17 as it will not be possible to enter on the day, and a small fee of £10.00 will be asked per team/raft for entry to the race. Entry forms are available to pick up from The Curzon Cinema and Clevedon Library. Entrants can also email Carol Price at pricecarol@yahoo.co.uk

Further details on the Marine Lake Festival can be found on www.marlens.org.uk