CHESTER DRAGON BOAT RACE
On 12th June 2011, a number of Moneysupermarket employees braved the cold and wet to compete in the annual Chester Dragon Boat race and raise money for Wales Air Ambulance. Moneysupermarket entered 2 teams - Moneysuper Dragons and Dragon Supermarket, with each team consisting of 16 rowers and a drummer.
The event took place on one of the wettest days of the year so far and was a great challenge for all employees involved. Each team took part in three qualifying heats against another team and the fastest time of all three heats was taken for a chance to compete in the final.
At first the Moneysuper Dragons seemed to have the edge, winning their first heat. Dragon Supermarket, on the other hand, struggled to get a good rhythm going in the first heat. Both teams won their second heat with Dragon Supermarket achieving a great time which put them in the top 3 teams of the whole event.
The third qualifying heat saw both Moneysupermarket teams compete against each other. Paddling down to the start line there was plenty of banter between the teams both desperate to win the Moneysupermarket Dragon Boat title. The race was close but Dragon Supermarket pulled away on the second half of the course and were victorious.
With all the heats completed, the Moneysuper Dragons were unfortunately out of the competition but Dragon Supermarket made it to the final. There were four teams in the final, one of which was the Royal Navy. This was the toughest challenge yet for the Dragon Supermarket team. By this point the team were very wet and cold but were determined deliver their best performance in the final. The team got into a great rhythm from the start and were in a great position for the entire race. The race was one of the closest in Chester Dragon Boat history and was a photo finish. Dragon Supermarket finished in second place with a time of 1.23.83; what's more they beat the navy by 0.4 of a second!
All the Moneysupermarket employees who took part helped raise an amazing £3,600 for Wales Air Ambulance.