Teams invited to register for SNPA’s 2019 ‘Raft Race for Charity’ |18 September 2019

The popular annual charity raft race event, organised by the Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA) and the Global Vision International (GVI) in collaboration with Seychelles Tourism Board (STB), is scheduled to take place on Saturday November 23, 2019 in the Baie Ternay marine park.

The event will again this year be part of activities organised for Seychelles Ocean Festival.

The SNPA has officially launched the registration process for the race this month given the requests which it has been receiving from organisations and individuals who are keen to secure their place in the race.

Last year’s ‘Raft Race for Charity’ saw the participation of 19 rafts, after 20 had confirmed, which was the highest number recorded in the history of the annual event.

There are 25 slots available for this year’s event, and the SNPA is calling on all individuals and organisations alike who are interested to participate to secure their place as early as possible to avoid any disappointment.

The race, in which teams of four build rafts from recycled materials and then race them from the beach at Baie Ternay, out to a buoy 800 metres from shore, highlights the importance of marine protected areas and the threats they face from pollution and plastic waste. The main purpose of the event remains the raising of funds for the President’s Village orphanage in nearby Port Glaud. The difference this year is that the winner will be able to donate part of the funds raised to a charity of its choice.

The Baie Ternay marine park, a national park, falls under the jurisdiction of the SNPA. It is treasured for its astounding vistas, with pristine seashore fringed by calm turquoise shallows and abundant marine life. All of the first three rafts to cross the finishing line in the 2018 event broke the previous records. The Skychef team, which crossed the finishing line first, managed to set a new challenging record of 27.57 minutes for future races to attempt to break. The team from Cable & Wireless won the price for the most innovative raft, the team from Ephelia Security won for best costume and the Island Boys team won the prize for raising the most funds.

Interested parties are reminded that the rafts can be made from re-usable items, but materials such as polystyrene that could disintegrate while in the ocean are prohibited, resulting in disqualification. Teams must cross the finish line with a complete raft and all four team members, using paddles.

Register for the Cap Ternay Raft Race for Charity

• Teams must comprise of 4 members – no more, no less.
• Cash Contribution per Team: SCR500
• Deadline for registration: October 16, 2019
• Race Date: Saturday November 23, 2019
• Meeting Point & Time: Cap Ternay at 11am
• Race Commences: 14:00pm
• Contact Info: 2813979 / 2813992/ 4224115 | E-mail: i.ravinia@gov.sc, n.dufresne@gov.sc