Crowds Turn Out for RNLI Festival Fun

How much fun can you have on the inland waterways?

Well, judging by the turnout at the recent Overwater RNLI Festival the answer is lots! Overwater Marina and Touring Park recently hosted its 9th annual fundraising festival which was this year accompanied by the Autumn Boat Share Show.

The weekend, attended by over a thousand people kicked off with the Overwater Big Fish 'n' Chip Supper Quiz night, and the following evening moorers and visitors were entertained by the fabulous vocalist Lucy Barlow, entertaining the crowds by singing everything from jazz to rock, and the uplifting Funky Choir, an exciting fun loving community choir based in South Cheshire. The weekend culminated in the family funday Sunday with the very popular Leonard Brothers dog show – the prize for best in show being taken by Dairy Peek and her puppy 'Dream'. Throughout the day, everything from ferret racing to fishing kept the crowds busy as well as the Audlem Community Marquee and the very popular artisan marquee market which was filled with a wide array of local groups and crafters.

The Raft Race

This year saw the return of the hotly contested raft race which was sponsored by Hibberts Solicitors and Watts Mortgage & Wealth Management. Eight rafts took to the water to battle it out to be first past the winning line. The large watching crowd were particularly amused by the unplanned sinking of the Rhyl RNLI raft who were fortunately rescued by the RNLI safety boat. The race was won resoundingly by the young crew led by Harry Cottrell, grandson of the festival's founding organiser – Rodney Cottrell.

Marina owner Janet Maughan said "A huge thank you must go to all the volunteers, visitors and moorers who made the festival such a success, but particularly on behalf of all those groups, a very special thanks must go to the crew of the Rhyl Royal National Lifeboat Institute station who not only made our weekend so special but who put their lives on the line to save others every time they launch."

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