It's Coracle World Championships time again in Shrewsbury
It's all hands on deck as the final preparations are made for the 12th annual Coracle World Championships which takes place at the Pengwern Boat Club.
With good weather forecast, hundreds of spectators are expected to come and enjoy the entertainment and excitement of teams competing to be crowned coracle champions of the world.
Tomorrow's event starts with the first coracles racing across the river at 2.30pm with the final taking place at about 6pm.
Teams from businesses and organisations across Shropshire have entered for the 2019 Macmillan Coracle World Championships.
Chief organiser Jayney Davies is excited at this year’s entry. She said: “We are ready for another fantastic day on the river and the event has become a part of the Shrewsbury calendar.
"We are very grateful to everyone who have entered teams or sponsored the coracles, bibs and race card. We also thank a host of volunteers who give freely of their time to make the event a success and to Galliers Homes for once again being headline sponsors of the event.
Incredible
“The World Coracle Championships was started by the late Richard Bayliss back in 2008. It was his inspiration that developed the idea to have this extraordinary opportunity to have a lot of fun with lots of capsizing and splashing about on the river, but at the same time raising funds for a fantastic cause.
"Since it started, the Championships has raised over £276,000 toward Macmillan Cancer Support, which is incredible. We are looking to exceed our total for last year and smash £300,000 this year.
"Many participants will take to the water in outlandish fancy dress, for which there is a prize. Supporters are very welcome to watch either from the Quarry or the Pengwern Boat Club."
The event has heats, with teams of four competitors lining up against five other teams in the brightly coloured coracles and they race via a relay across the river to the Quarry bank and return to the landing stage. The first team home in each heat is timed with the hope that the world record time set last year will be beaten. Semi-finals and a final lead to the winning team being crowned World Champions.
If anyone would like to support the event and donate to Macmillan Cancer Support the Just Giving page is justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/macmillan/coracle2018 or for more information go to coracleworldchampionship.co.uk
