ORGANISERS of the Bradford Dragonboat Festival say this year’s event will be the biggest yet, with one of its two race days selling out already.

The event, held on a 200-metre-long course on the river at Roberts Park, Saltaire, will take place over three days for the first time this year.

A youth competition will get the festival under way on Friday, May 5, with teams of youngsters aged 11 to 19 taking to the water. Schools, in particular, have been urged to sign up teams of 17 members, which will cost £250 per team, to pay for boat hire.

This will be followed by a main festival day on Saturday, May 6, with 40 competing teams, each featuring 16 paddlers and one drummer, taking part in two rounds of heats.

They will be racing against the clock, with the three fastest teams battling it out for the title in the day’s final. Crowds will be treated to entertainment including music, during the event.

Participants on the first two days will be encouraged to raise funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, which this year is children and young people’s mental health charity Young Minds, which has been chosen by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Geoff Reid.

Companies have also been urged to sign up for a corporate team building event on Sunday, May 7, where workmates can compete against each other.

Each team will pay £2,000 which funds their participation, including boat hire and food. They can then raise money for any charity they wish. Saturday’s races will also be shown live on big screens in both Roberts Park and City Park.

Companies have also been invited to sign up for sponsorship deals, including a platinum package worth £37,250.

Organisers are also looking to sign up a team of 150 volunteers to help run the event.

Razwana Mahmood, team liaison for the event, said: “We want to make this the biggest one yet. This is its third year.

“It is already the biggest of its kind in the UK and we will be the first to run a youth race.

“One of the main things about this event is showcasing the best of Bradford.

“The event also shows good team spirit. We are sold out on the Saturday already. We have got to try to beat last year’s total raised of more than £43,000.”

Teams and volunteers can sign up for the youth and corporate team building days at bradforddragonboatfestival.co.uk