Dry land: Before departure, each rafter will sign to say they have read and understood the race rules and regulations.  At the start field both rafts and their passengers are checked to ensure they comply with the safety rules (buoyancy aids being worn, raft number visible etc).  Tedious stuff surely but there are reasons.  The best reason is that we have not lost a rafter in over 30 years!

On the river: Each raft is timed down the river not just to see which is the fastest, but also as a check to see who has passed through a check point and who has not.  Radio communications along the length of the course allow us to ensure where each raft is located on the river, and if one is taking too long to reach a check point we can send a canoeist to see if there is a problem.  The divers at each weir will assist you safely over the weirs with minimal damage to your raft.