By Delayna Earley
The Island News
BEAUFORT – Twenty-three teams were drawn to the Beaufort waterfront with their life jackets and paddles early on Saturday, July 15, for one reason – to compete in the Beaufort Water Festival Raft Race.
The participants hope for one thing, to win the annual race and with it a year’s worth of bragging rights.
The teams are comprised of local businesses and organizations in the Beaufort area, and while the morning’s events are fun for those involved, they do take a physical toll on those involved, especially once it gets down to the last few teams.
“The hardest part is having to turn around and race back-to-back with no time to rest,” said Darius Whitte of Beaufort who was on the Sewer Rats team.
The final race came down to two teams from Humidity Fitness, Bad and Buoy and Deadliest Snatch.
It was a very close race, but in Bad and Buoy ended up pulling out the win despite one of their paddlers breaking their paddle mid-race.
The Raft Race was not the only competition happening on Saturday morning in downtown Beaufort, there was something for everyone.
At the same time, there was also a Badminton Competition, a Bocce competition and the Children’s Toad Fishing Tournament.
Raft Race Results
Overall Winners
1st – Bad and Buoy
2nd – Deadliest Snatch
3rd – Sewer Ratz
Beaufort Memorial Hospital
1st – Smokin’ Joints
2nd – Pirates of the Perineum
3rd – Code Rummers
Nonprofit
1st – Smokin’ Joints
2nd – Fit Fo
3rd – Pirates of the Perineum
Commercial
1st – Bad and Buoy
2nd – Deadliest Snatch
3rd – Sewer Ratz
Flying Dolphin (Fastest Time)
Bad and Buoy – 43.91 seconds
Shark Bait Cervical Sailors – 1 minute, 26 seconds
Most Spirited Team
Coccolami’s Pluff TWS
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She joined The Island News in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
Max Faulhaber, 8, of Port Royal, smiles as he catches a toad fish while fishing with his brother, Luke, 6, during the Children’s Toad Fishing Tournament on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Beaufort. The fishing tournament is part of the 67th Annual Beaufort Water Festival. Faulhaber won for the smallest fish category with the fish pictured, which measured 3 inches. Delayna Earley/The Island News
