Felix Fund hosted its first Dragon Boat race on Sat 6 July 2024.

Eleven Teams, representing the EOD community, veterans, defence contractors and local businesses took part in a number of timed heats before the fastest two teams went head to head in the grand finale.

The teams had to battle challenging weather, their own coordination and the sight of Navy divers in speedos as they paddled their boats down a stretch of the river Avon in Chippenham, Wiltshire. With over 120 competitors and a large number of supporters the event generated a great atmosphere and attracted a number of locals to come and see what was going on. With a “bomb truck” and “robots” on display (with thanks to Tidworth Troop, 11 EOD Regt).

There was plenty of interest in the raffle for a wheelbarrow of booze. The wheelbarrow was not part of the prize although many asked!

With 18 heats the competition was fierce from the outset. Race 1 saw the 11 EOD Regt Team narrowly pip the Navy Divers and set the tone for some competitive racing and the times began to tumble. In their 2nd heat the Navy Divers set the fastest time of the day closely followed by the DGM team who surprised even themselves to record the 2nd fastest time of the day.

The final race produced a photo finish with the Navy Divers narrowly taking the win.

Huge thanks to all the teams and to Talk Talk Business for their generous sponsorship. So far the event has raised an amazing £19k with funds still coming in.