SEAFARING skills were tested to the limit at Minehead's annual raft race when high winds buffeting an incoming tide created some of the most challenging conditions in the event's 32-year history.

As thousands of people lined the seafront, the RNLI-organised Blue Anchor to Minehead race came within a whisker of being cancelled.

The start of the fundraising event last Sunday was delayed as winds picked up in the late afternoon and organisers had to make a final decision on whether to let it go ahead when many of the 30-plus entries already had their bows in the water.

Organiser Derek Williams said safety cover was eventually the crucial, deciding factor.

"We knew it was going to be tough because we had reports coming in of quite rough conditions around the middle point of the course," he said.

"But what was concerning us was whether we would have enough safety boats in the water to cope with a large number of casualties."

In the end, what was described as "a wonderful response" from local boatmen who turned out in force enabled the race to go ahead.

"We are extremely grateful indeed to them," said Mr Williams.

However, the tough conditions - not helped by a freshening north-westerly wind - claimed a number of victims even before the starter's flag went up.

"We had to bar two or three less well-designed rafts from starting at all because it was clear they weren't going far in those conditions," said Mr Williams.

"I know it was a great disappointment to them after they had put so much effort into building the rafts and had travelled so far to take part.

"But at the end of the day we are an organisation that is all about safety at sea and to have allowed them even to start would have been reckless."

As it was, a number of rafts attempting the five-mile course ended up beached part-way along it, while others had to be towed in after finding it too difficult to make progress in the strong headwinds.

Meanwhile, two or three competitors had to be helped ashore suffering from hypothermia and were treated by St John Ambulance personnel.

Keen rafters travelled from as far as Milton Keynes to compete in the event, now a favourite on the raft-racing circuit.

The ten-man Wonder Y team from Tring, Hertfordshire, claimed the winner's award, the Stan Rawle Trophy.

Second place and the Ron Greenslade Cup went to another regular contender, Patrick's Gulpers from Leominster, while the Butlin Cup for the first local raft home was awarded to the six-man Black Pig team from Minehead.

The Wonder Y rafters completed the double when their all-female team took the Ladies Cup while the Just Quackers raft from Wotton-Under-Edge collected the Minehead Glass Plate for the first mixed team to cross the finishing line.

A six-man team from the Valiant Soldier, Roadwater won the Louisa Cup for the first pub entry past the post and Minehead's Rusty Bullet Hole entry took the Fancy Dress Shield.

The title of best dressed support boat went to Michael Martin and the Scuddy Memorial Trophy for the last raft home unaided was awarded to an eight-man entry from the Valiant Soldier.

Huge crowds also watched the shorter race across Minehead Bay for novelty crafts and stayed around to watch the now traditional spectacular firework display which brought the event to a close.

Organisers have yet to tot up the amount raised but since it began the event has brought in more than £250,000 for RNLI funds.