A raft powered by a hand cranked paddle wheel and two sets of oars crossed the line first at the 11th annual Xtreme Recycled Raft Race, today Sunday 2nd March. Second across the line was Earthrace, skippered by Pete Bethune. An unusual design with four transverse mounted bicyles driving propellers, Earthrace didn’t seem to exploit the tidal current in the first leg of the race and spent the remainder of the race trying to catch up.
The second pack of boats rounded the first buoy together and there was a collision. Later in the race one of the main contenders started to sink and had to withdraw. Raglan Coastguard was on hand to save the craft and crew.
About 20 rafts took part in the race watched by a large crowd. The Maui Dolphin day events continued with music from local bands and DJs, followed by the Project Maui Fashion Show.
Next up was Stand Up and Be Counted 2, an aerial photo on the beach with people forming a human Maui Dolphin message. The day concluded with the prize giving.
