History of Onchan -
Super Splash 2005

 On Sunday 14th August an Inter Services Competition was held on the lake in Onchan Park. Taking part were teams from The Civil Defence, Fire and Rescue Services and St John Ambulance.

Originally several other services including the Coast Guards, Steam Packet, Police and Ambulance Service had expressed an interest in taking part but when the time came they were unable to enter a team.

Winners of the event were the Civil Defence Corps with 55 points just ahead of the Fire and Rescue Services with 50 points. The St John Ambulance team put up a gallant show against their more professional opponents and received a total of 30 points.

All photographs were taken by Commissioner Keith Watterson who also acted as a steward that day.

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The Civil Defence team start to put their raft together for the race after instruction from personnel of The Venture Centre, Maughold who supplied the equipment.
Getting to grips with a knotty problem, the St John Ambulance team get a bit of advice from the bystanders on what was a beautiful afternoon.
The competitors from the three teams photographed just before the bumper boat race which involved two laps of the large boating lake on a figure of eight course.
Mary Cannell from Fire Services had a job to start the engine on her boat but soon she took the lead as the other two competitors kept going round in circles.
Mary Cannell going full throttle in the bumper boat race and in winning this event put the Fire and Rescue Services into the lead at the end of the first round of the competition.
After making the rafts they were all launched together and then it was down to muscle power. Here the Civil Defence in the red helmets lead with the Fire Services (blue helmets) close behind and St John Ambulance on the opposite side of the island.
The Fire Services team comes into the finish line to take second place and 15 points which after the second round saw them and the Civil Defence in joint first place with both having 35 points so it was all down to the bath race to find the winner.
Each team was given a standard fibreglass bath to which they added their own buoyancy aids before the race. Nearest the camera is the Civil Defence competitor with the Fire and Rescue Services team member beyond the St John Ambulance competitor who is standing up in his craft.
Coming to the finish line after one lap of the lake is the Civil Defence who picked up 20 points and so clinched the first place in the competition.
Fire Chief Brian Draper has that sinking feeling as he comes in a very close second in the bath race.
Somebody pulled the plug on his bath but at least his shampoo and bubble bath bottles remained afloat as the Fire Chief goes down in front of the Manx flag.
Captain of the Civil Defence Corps team, Simon Harding receives the Commissioners' shield from chairman of the commissioners, Gordon Astill accompanied by his wife Mrs Sheila Astill, at the end of the event.
The Civil Defence Corps proudly display their trophy for the afternoon's competition held on the boating lake in Onchan Park during the height of the summer season.