Fox Team WIN Dragon Boat Racing
Fox Print raise in excess of £2000 for Hospice in the Weald
A cool and blustery day was not enough to stop our team at Bewl Water on Sunday 13th September 2009 in the Funraisers 9th Annual Dragon Boat Festival. The hand-picked, highly trained team (the first 16 to be volunteered!) won all three of their races in only our second year of entering on the way to the final with a best time of 1 minute 11 seconds. Tension mounted, beer and food were consumed and eventually the best 6 boats of the 30 original entrants took to the water for the Grand Final. Five O Fox Print had drawn the number one starting position but were up against some serious opposition including last years winners. Even with their best start to date under their belts we were trailing after just 10 metres. But the positive attitude of Fox Print and the strength and determination of the whole team saw them accelerate in to the second half of the course and slowly but surely gaining on all of their competitors! Cheered on by work colleagues, friends and family we were all hopeful that they had crossed the line first – it certainly looked that way but we had to wait for final confirmation from the judges. Were we to be disqualified as Ashley our drummer boy had been tipped overboard before we got back to shore?
The results were announced in reverse order with the biggest cheer reserved for second place confirming Five O Fox Print as the winners destroying their previous best time by an incredible 9 seconds and winning by over 1.5 seconds! With the trophy safely in our hands the champagne was sprayed in time honoured fashion and the conquering heroes were cheered incessantly, before making their way home, tired, but elated.
Whilst having so much fun we also managed to raise in excess of £1,500.00 for our chosen charity, Hospice in the Weald, plus £500.00 added by the organisers for winning.