Looe raft race raises £2,600 for the RNLI as 24 crews compete

Twenty-four rafts. One river. A crowd packed onto the Banjo Pier in the sun. The Looe raft race delivered again.

On Sunday 21 June 2026 the sun shone as crowds lined the Banjo Pier and the quaysides to watch 24 rafts of all shapes and sizes take on the Looe river. The town was packed with visitors. This year’s race raised over £2,600 for Looe RNLI Lifeboat Station.

📷Starmageddon Pizza Eight - Photo credit: RNLI / Ian Foster

The route up the river and back

The rafts set off from East Looe beach, headed up to the bridge, turned, and came back down to finish at the lifeboat station. The juniors took a shorter route.

📷Photo credit: RNLI / Ian Foster

Twenty years and counting

The race was organised by Looe Boat Owners Association alongside Looe Lifeboat Station’s fundraising team, under the auspices of the RNLI. It is the brainchild of Dave and Vicky Peat and has been running for over twenty years with the support of local businesses.

Over that time the raft races have brought in around £28,800 for Looe RNLI. This year’s total of over £2,600 came from entry fees, sponsorship and a bucket collection.

Dave, Vicky and the LBOA thanked everyone who rowed, cheered and gave.

📷Photo credit: RNLI / Ian Foster

What the fundraising team said

Christine Magnowska, chair of the RNLI’s Looe and Liskeard fundraising team, thanked everyone who came along to support the race. She said the event would not be a success without the rafts taking part and the crowds cheering them on, and that RNLI volunteers were out collecting funds throughout the day.

Christine gave special thanks to Looe Boat Owners Association for their help organising the event, and to Peter Friend of Welcome to Looe and Mike Allsopp of Liskeard & Looe Radio for being part of the planning team, along with the Harbour Master and team.

She also thanked the financial sponsors: Looe Sea Safari, Trelay Holiday Park, Looe Walking Tours, The Portbyhan Hotel and The Beach Cafe, as well as The Mayflower Studio and The Warehouse. The money raised, she said, enables RNLI volunteer crews to continue saving lives at sea.

📷Looe Foot Club - Photo credit: RNLI / Ian Foster

The results

Adult Elite

1st Starmageddon, Looe Old Farmers
2nd Pizza of Eight, Dads for Father’s Day
3rd Tipsy Tanic, The Tipsy Cow

Adult Fun

1st Grog One, Grog and Ale House
2nd The Kracken 2, a group of friends
3rd Team Dottys, Dotty’s Cafe

Junior

1st No Clooe
2nd 1st Liskeard Scouts
3rd Looe Football Club

Special awards

LBOA Special Award went to Aquatics Anonymous, a team from the NHS, for perseverance. The Fancy Dress award went to Looe Pioneers. The Sponsorship Shield went to Pizza of Eight.

📷Pizza of Eight - Photo credit: RNLI / Ian Foster

📷The Grog - Photo credit: RNLI / Ian Foster