<em>Photo above: Team CrossFit of Beaufort nears the finish line as they get hit with a relentless deluge of water from the sidelines during the annual Water Festival Bed Races along Bay Street. Team CrossFit of Beaufort won the overall race with a time of 38:75. Photos by Bob Sofaly.</em>

The 62nd Beaufort Water Festival has officially come to an end as a new commodore was named and a wreath tossed into the river to honor those who lost their lives in local waters.

While the tossing of the wreath is always solemn, the festival was filled with fun and action, from concerts to bed races (see photo above) to a Lowcountry supper (which included 1,250 pounds of shrimp, 2,800 ears of corn, 1,100 pounds of sausage, 400 pounds of coleslaw and 150 pounds of Old Bay seasoning, according to Craig Reaves of Sea Eagle Market) to sports competitions and much, much more.

“The festival went great,” said this year’s Water Fest spokesperson, Todd Stowe. “The weather behaved and that’s always an unknown.”

One of the official ceremonies is the Change of Watch, which is the naming of the next commodore. To that end, 2017 Commodore Jason Berry handed off the title to Stacey Canaday, who was named the Beaufort Water Festival Commodore for 2018.

Stowe and his fellow festival planners will start meeting again in September to prepare for the 63rd annual Beaufort Water Festival.

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