It’s that time of year again, when thousands of the best orange-billed, yellow bodied athletes take to the water, all vying to be crowned as the winner of The Great Looe Duck Race 2023.

This year’s contestants might be the strongest the competition has ever seen. On August 20, 5,000 of the best ducky athletes from across the world took themselves to Looe, ready to battle for the podium.

With the starting pistol fired, and a little help from the duck wranglers, every duck was plunged into the water, leaping from the bridge and ready to give it everything for their sponsors.

The 5,000 yellow ducks gave the crowds quite the show, pushing themselves to complete the course spanning a quarter of a mile down river. However, after much battling and a photo-finish, the four winners were found and ready to bathe in the glory of the crowd: 1, Duck 3431; 2, Duck 4271; 3, Duck 3617; 4, Duck 3653.

Lion’s Club of Looe president, Carole White said: “The Great Looe River Duck Race is a much-anticipated annual August event enjoyed by locals and holiday makers alike. You can sponsor a duck for £1 and stand a chance of winning four cash prizes, £1,000, £200, £100, and £50, and this year we raised a fabulous £3,650 which will all go towards charitable causes.

“Congratulations to the winning ducks, and of course their sponsors, and a huge thanks to the many people who helped make this event a success, such as the town councils, harbour commission, the local businesses that sold tickets, Lions Club members and non-Lion helpers who spent a number of hours cleaning and checking duck numbers, selling tickets, marshalling and ensuring the race ran smoothly on the day, Silvi Kara for her photos and last but not least all those who bought tickets or donated monies.”