WEST Somerset's annual raft race - billed as the district's biggest charity event - will set sail on a new course next year.

And although the summer attraction, run by Minehead's lifeboat crew, will now be the culmination of a weekend of live music and other fund-raising activities for the RNLI, it will be missing its traditional finale of a fireworks display.

In the 35 years it has been run, the event has raised more than £300,000 for lifeboat funds.

But now significant changes have been introduced to counter a decline in income in recent years.

This year's race was marred by bad weather which prevented competitors setting off from Blue Anchor.

But 2013 will turn out to be the last time the challenging three-mile course along the coast was followed.

In 2015 the race will be held within the confines of Minehead bay.

All teams will start from the beach at Warren Road with the 'fun' rafts following a course straight to the finishing line in the harbour and serious competitors taking a longer seaward course to be set on the day, according to weather and tidal conditions.

Joint organiser Richard Gay said serious rafters – who travel from all over the country to take part - would still find the event every bit as challenging as it always has been.

"But for us – and particularly from a safety point of view - this will make it a far more manageable event," he said.

"There have been times in the past when we have struggled to find enough safety boats to accompany the race and although we've been able to call on support from our flank stations at Burnham-on-Sea and Barry Dock there is always the possibility that operational demands will prevent them turning up.

"Restricting the race to a smaller sector of the channel while making it just as enjoyable for competitors and spectators seemed the obvious thing to do."

Losing the fireworks display was described by co-organiser Jim Whittaker as "an incredibly tough decision" for the crew to take.

"The fireworks have become part of the raft race tradition but the cost of putting on the display has grown steadily to a point where it cannot really be justified," he said.

"Street collections have dropped off quite dramatically in the last few years as people have had to curtail their spending and from being a money-earner the fireworks have effectively become a drain on the income we get from the race.

"We have ended up putting on a free show subsidised by sponsors with cash that would be better used going straight to RNLI funds."

But the 2015 event should be an even bigger attraction, with two days of live music and other RNLI fund-raising activities now being planned, all centred on the harbour and the Old Ship Aground.

Landlord Julian Abraham said he was determined to make the race even more of a money-spinner for the RNLI, which has annual running costs of £144 million.

"I've been closely associated with the Minehead crew ever since I took over the pub and when you see the amount of time and effort they devote not merely to training but to running the station and fund-raising you cannot fail to be impressed, particularly when you remember they are all volunteers," he said.

"Unfortunately all charities have been experiencing a squeeze in recent years and most have now realised you have to do something more than hold out a collecting box and ask people to drop money into it.

"I'm delighted to be working with the crew for next year and hopefully the plans we are drawing up now will deliver an event which is bigger, better and more enjoyable – and will also reverse the decline in income."

Despite the difficult weather conditions that hit this year's race it is expected to net a total of more than £5,000 for RNLI funds.