If you’re visiting Cornwall in August, you’re in for a treat – the harbour turns into a floating festival for the brilliant St Ives Raft Race!
This much-loved tradition fills St Ives Harbour with colour, creativity and plenty of good-natured chaos. It’s one of those events that perfectly captures the fun, slightly bonkers spirit of the town.
Organised by the fantastic St Ives Pilot Gig Club, the Raft Race is exactly what it sounds like – teams build their own rafts (often from very unconventional materials!) and race them around a set course in the harbour. It’s friendly, it’s competitive, and very entertaining to watch.
The route is a classic: starting at the Sloop Slip, paddling to the Lifeboat House Slip to collect a team mermaid or merman, heading out towards Smeaton’s Lighthouse, then racing back to the Sloop. Simple in theory… slightly chaotic in practice!
Half the fun is the fancy dress and themed rafts. Expect pirates, sea creatures, superheroes and plenty of imaginative designs. In 2025, the organisers swapped traditional flour bombs for environmentally friendly seaweed “jelly bombs” – biodegradable and fish-friendly – showing the event’s growing commitment to marine conservation.
Beyond the laughs and splash landings, the Raft Race raises money for local good causes, supporting community projects and initiatives right here in St Ives.
If you’re staying with us during race weekend, we highly recommend grabbing an ice cream, finding a good harbour spot and enjoying the show. It’s lively, light-hearted and a wonderful way to experience St Ives at its community-spirited best
