The Lanes raft built for speed is pipped on the line!

Hard-paddling raft racers from Lanes Group plc have finished second in a Thames Water charity race – despite a crash on the start line.
A Lanes Group team was taking part for the first time in the annual Thames Water raft race on the River Thames in Reading in aid of WaterAid.
A total of 45 teams took part in mile-long race held on Thursday July 7 2016.
The event raised a hugely impressive £40,000 towards a four-year Thames Water project to support WaterAid in transforming water management in two large towns in Malawi.
Many of teams of six paddlers used conventional methods to construct their rafts, with plastic drums lashed together with planks of wood and rope.
But Lanes Group had come up with a revolutionary design – two sleek hulls made from offcuts of sewer pipe lining glass fibre, made waterproof with lining resin.
The result was a very light, but very strong raft, definitely built for speed.
The Lanes team members were: Ben Draycott, Special Projects Manager; Adam Cadmore, Pollution Project Manager; Joe Taylor; Operations Planning Manager; Molly Hooper, Projects Administrator; Daisy Whitby; Personal Assistant; and Matt Hughes, Planning Manager.
The raft, named Lanes Endeavour, was designed by stores manager Richard Yunko.
Team captain Ben Draycott said: “We got a lot of looks and shakes of the heads from other teams when we arrived.
“It was clear our raft was a bit different, a bit like the time New Zealand turned up at the America’s Cup with a revolutionary catamaran.”
But disaster struck at the start of the race said Ben: “There was a lot of jockeying for position and we got t-boned before we’d got going.
“We ended up in some trees, while the leaders raced off into the distance. It took us two to three minutes to extricate ourselves and chase after them.”
Once on the move, though, it was clear the Lanes Endeavour and its paddlers were a class apart.
By the halfway stage, they had sped past many of the rafts and only had the race leaders to hunt down.
Ben said: “We went past the second place team, with all of us paddling in unison. It must have been an impressive and dispiriting sight!
“We only had the lead raft in front of us, but unfortunately we ran out of river. They beat us by about 10 metres, with us closing fast.
“Of course, it was just a bit of fun, but it was great to do so well in our first race, and we plan to be back next year.
“Based on the comments of other teams, I think we might have sparked a raft technology race as well. By next year we might see more rafts built for speed!”
Lanes Group Technical Director Andy Brierley said: “We approached this raft race like we approach our service delivery.
“We want to create the best technical solution, combined its use with great team spirit and get things done safely and quickly.
“The fact that we clearly had the sleekest raft, and it showed no sign of sinking, proved we’d succeeded.
“We’re very proud of the team and everyone who’s supported them. It was a great event for a very good cause, and we thoroughly enjoyed taking part.”