Kit PetersMUMBLES: Raft race returns for 40th anniversary as event prepares to showcase revamped seafront
The race takes place on Saturday 19 July, starting and finishing at Knab Rock at noon. Teams compete on homemade rafts — often elaborately costumed — paddling a course off the Mumbles seafront while spectators line the promenade.
The event was first held in the 1980s and has run most years since, becoming one of the most recognisable fixtures on the Mumbles summer calendar. Last year’s race was cancelled due to bad weather, making the 40th anniversary edition all the more anticipated among organisers and regulars alike.
At the most recent event to go ahead, teams collectively raised more than £10,000 for the RNLI. Organisers are aiming to surpass that figure this year, with the milestone anniversary expected to draw larger crowds and more entries from across South Wales.
Teams and their homemade rafts line up at the start of a previous Mumbles Raft Race, with spectators packed along the seafront.(Image: RNLI / Adam Gilbert)
Tony Bowen, a Mumbles RNLI crew member and one of the race organisers, said the event had become a cornerstone of the local community.
“The raft race is a big part of Mumbles,” he said. “It’s a great day where people get together, laugh and support the RNLI. Reaching 40 years is a real milestone, and every pound raised helps us carry on saving lives at sea.”
This year’s event will take place against the backdrop of Mumbles’ transformed seafront. Swansea Council’s coastal flood defence scheme, which has reshaped the promenade over several years of construction, gives spectators clear sightlines along the bay — making it one of the most watchable settings the race has had in its four-decade history.
Alongside the racing, the day will include a lifeboat demonstration giving the public the chance to see the station’s vessels in action close up, water safety advice, choral entertainment, and further shoreside activities suitable for families.
Mumbles RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Roy Barker IV (RNLI 16-27) alongside the station’s inshore lifeboat at Mumbles Pier — both vessels will feature in a demonstration at this year’s raft race. (Image: RNLI / Adam Gilbert)The RNLI’s Mumbles station has one of the longest histories of any lifeboat station in Wales. A lifeboat was first placed at Mumbles in 1835, provided by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, with management later taken over by the RNLI in 1863. The station now operates from Mumbles Pier and covers the waters of Swansea Bay and the Gower Peninsula year-round.
The charity relies entirely on donations. Every pound raised through events like the raft race goes directly towards funding crew training, equipment, and callout costs at stations across the UK and Ireland.
The race is organised by the Mumbles Lifeboat Crew Association (MLCA), a volunteer-led fundraising body that supports the station, with backing from Mumbles Community Council and local volunteers.
Teams and individuals wanting to enter can email [email protected] or call 01792 361268. No specialist experience is required — previous entries have ranged from corporate teams to community groups, all building their own rafts before race day.
The event is free to watch and open to all. Organisers say the revamped promenade makes this year’s race particularly accessible for families, those with pushchairs, and spectators with mobility needs.
Entries are open now. More information is available at [email protected] or by calling 01792 361268.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Mumbles lifeboat named busiest in Wales as RNLI issue funding Mayday call
The Mumbles station was identified as the busiest lifeboat station in Wales, as the RNLI launched an urgent appeal for funding.
Broken-down yacht marks 1,000th launch for Mumbles RNLI deputy coxswain
A Mumbles crew member reached a remarkable personal milestone after a routine callout to a stricken yacht in Swansea Bay.
Mumbles coastal flood defence scheme officially opens
Swansea Council’s multi-year sea defence project along the Mumbles seafront was officially declared complete and open to the public.
New Mumbles seafront play area opens as part of coastal revamp
A new play area opened along the redesigned Mumbles promenade as part of the wider coastal regeneration works.
