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Brand new team wins the York Dragon Boat Race 2025

A wonderful day’s boating action saw colourful costumes, competitive racing and huge sums raised for good causes in York today (Sunday).

Thirty-six teams took part in the 23rd annual York Dragon Boat Race, organised by York Rotary.

And by the end of the day, they’d raised £95,000 – as well as a lot of smiles.

CONTINUES BELOW

Of the money raised, two-thirds goes to the team’s own charities and a third to York Rotary’s charities.

Thousands of people came along to cheer on the teams, who competed in heats of three along the River Ouse, before the semi-finals and final.

The final was very close, with The Three Bears Foundation taking the trophy.

At the presentation, York Rotary president Paul Roberts said: “I’m really pleased that we found a winner this year who is a brand new team to this event.

“They’ve never completed before, and they’re from a wonderful charity called the Three Bears Foundation.”

Here’s all the presentations.

Best dressed team

Dragonflies

Tail end trophy

Slowest time – St Leonard’s Hospice

Charity trophy

Fastest charity team not to win final – Ouse Your Daddy

Ouse Trophy

Fastest commercial team not to win final – The Growlers

Third place

Police and fire services’ Good To Talk

Runner up

The Growlers

Winners

Three Bears Foundation