SWANAGE Lifeboat Week came to a fun-filled and thrilling conclusion on Sunday amid raft racing, live music and lifeboat stunts.

The Lifeboat Festival and Fair was held at Prince Albert Gardens on both days between 11am and 5pm, while on Saturday there were two races between the Stone Quay and beach.

Teams had four hours to build their own boat and, following a quick check of their creation’s seaworthiness, race each other for glory.

In the raft race, pirates, airline crew and the royal family competed to rescue a ‘damsel in distress’ from the quayside.

On Sunday, the crowd was wowed by a demonstration of the high-tech, water jet-propelled Shannon lifeboat which will soon be in service with Swanage RNLI.

“It is a very manoeuvrable boat which can turn on a sixpence and stop within one boat length, and it is twice the speed of our current boats, so we were showing off what it can do,” said volunteer crew member Becky Mack.

“We had a good crowd for that display, and more than 500 people for the live music in the park which was packed out.

“Our previous best ever year we raised £30,000 and I think we could be on course to match that this year.”

There was music from Jim Etherington, Headland, Swanage Shanty Singers and the Reptiles, among others, and a bar and barbecue.

There was a Lifeboat Fun Run on Sunday morning, and a lively week was brought to a more reflective conclusion with the customary Lifeboat Service on Swanage Pier at 7pm.