Fifteen teams competed in the 2024 Salford Charity Dragon Boat Challenge on Saturday 11th May.  Held in Ontario Basis at the Salford Quays Watersports Centre, each team competed over three qualifying heats for the chance to be one of the top nine to go through to the final races.  During the course of the qualifying heats, it was pot luck who each team was up against in each race.  The other two teams could have been very good, very bad or very similar?

The three final races however were each Peer Group races, where nine teams got to compete one more time, but this time against two opponents that were similarly ranked to them - it was everything to play for as the winners of each Peer Group were awarded trophies. 

Peer Group 2 was for the teams ranked 9th, 8th & 7th.  Peer Group 1 was for the teams ranked 6th, 5th & 4th, whilst the final Peer Group (the Grand Final) comprised the three fastest teams from the qualifying heats.

Peer Group 2 qualifiers were; Property Tub from Property Hub, who were supporting Barnabus in Lane 3, Rowing with the Flo from Wood Street Mission, who were supporting Wood Street Mission in Lane 2 and Pulling Together from Barnabus, supporting Barnabus in lane 1.  In a dramatic race that saw all three teams post their fastest time of the day, it was Pulling Together who qualified as Peer Group 2 Winners, with Rowing with the Flo in second place and Property Tub coming in third just half a second behind.

Peer Group 1 qualifiers were; Keep Rowing from Barnabus, who were supporting Barnabus in Lane 3, Sinking Solicitors from Glaisyers, who were supporting Barnabus in Lane 2 and The Cerberus Fire Breathers from Cerberus Group Ltd., who were supporting Once Upon a Smile in lane 1.

In what was the closest finish of the day, it was Keep Rowing in Boat 3 who with 1.04.70, just pipped The Cerberus Fire Breathers' 1.04.82 in Boat 1 and Sinking Solicitors 1.04.91 in the middle lane.

The Grand Final comprised A boat damn time in Lane 3, The Hut Group in Lane 2 and Oarsome Olympians in Lane 1. 

In the qualifying heats, it was the Hut Group that had the fastest time and Oarsome Olympians who were third fastest team.  Sadly for the Hut Group, they quickly faded off the start as both A boat damn time and Oarsome Olympians powered through with both team posting their fastest time of the day.

The Grand Final winnes were:

First placed (and the only team to do a sub minute):  Oarsome Olympians with 0.59.46.

Second placed were A boat damn time with 1.00.40.

Third placed were The Hut Group with 1.01.93.