Success all round at the Portrush Raft Race 2024
Karl Simmonds – General Manager of PYC has announced that Portrush Raft Race 2024 has raised £14,000 for Portrush RNLI in the 200th year of the RNLI.
Earlier in the year it looked as though the Raft Race was going to be cancelled but the Committee at Portrush Yacht Club and a small bunch of volunteers got together to organise the event at very short notice.
The committee headed up by Karl Simmonds (General Manager of PYC) and Beni McAllister (Portrush Lifeboat Operations Manager) met and agreed that this iconic event which raised much needed funds for the local RNLI station had to go ahead. The event has been such a feature of the Portrush season for over 30 years and has attracted spectators and competitors from all over Northern Ireland, and farther afield.
The Yacht Club have supported Portrush RNLI for many years so was a natural partnership. PYC volunteers, Jim Blee, Carl Kennedy and Jonathan Anderson completed the small committee organising this year's event.
Because of the short time frame, it was agreed for this year to concentrate on the Junior Raft Race, the Main Raft and the West Bay Swim. Portrush RNLI and PYC have been delighted with the response from our local community and dedicated Rafters who have been coming year on year to have fun as well as supporting the RNLI. Within a very short time frame local businesses answered the appeal for sponsorship and Raft Race 2024 was go!
The weather was kind and certainly helped to attract a huge turnout of spectators who loved the Lifeboat display and commentary by RNLI veteran Mark Mitchell.
Alan Simpson helped to keep the crowd entertained and up to date about the all the activity and craic.
Karl Simmonds General Manager of PYC said: “We all agreed to reduce the entry fee this year to make the event affordable and fun and this has certainly paid off. After all our expenses have been paid we are delighted to hand over £14,000 to our local station in the 200th year of the RNLI.
"We, at PYC have a close relationship with the crew and team at Portrush RNLI and are just pleased that we could step in to save this fabulous event. I’d like to thank the Committee of PYC for their support and the crew and fundraising team of Portrush RNLI for their help and support.
"We are also delighted to announce that we will be supporting RAFT RACE 2025 and the planning has already begun."
Beni McAllister LOM at Portrush RNLI added: "As a charity we depend on events like this to raise much needed funds for the station and we are delighted that our neighbours at Portrush Yacht Club steeped in to save this most important event in or calendar. We are thrilled that they have agreed to take on the event organisation for 2025."