AFTER a four-year absence, thousands of people gathered at Mudeford Quay for the 35th year of the RNLI lifeboat fun day.

The free event saw blue skies and sunshine as big crowds gathered to enjoy a wide range of attractions on Sunday, raising vital money for the voluntary service.

The 35-year-old event began as a fun way to support the local RNLI Mudeford lifeboat.

Mudeford RNLI chairman, Kim Skinner described the weekend's event as "absolute chaos" but "a lot of fun".

Bournemouth Echo:

Kim said: "The weather is amazing today, it hasn’t always been like this, we had to cancel in 2019 because the weather was so bad, and then covid came along so we haven’t actually been able to run the event in four years.

"The day is always absolute chaos but it’s a lot of fun and everyone has been really enjoying themself so far.

"We’re estimating around six thousand people are here today, which is great."

The major draw of the day was the raft race at 1pm which saw seven handcrafted raft boats race along Mudeford Quay.

Later in the day, everyone had the chance to get involved in a duck race as well.

Kim said: "11,000 ducks will race down the quay, you can pay £1 a duck whichever duck passes the finish line first and the winner will get £50 cash".

Lee Mitchell, a Christchurch resident said: "My dad used to work for the RNLI so today means a lot to me. It’s such a different event and a great way to raise money."

Bournemouth Echo:

Chris Russ, who ran a stall fundraising for the RNLI, said: “It’s been great to be back and it’s for a wonderful charity.

"They seem to be a wealthy charity, but it would soon dry up if the money wasn’t coming in. We’re down on the quay every weekend but today is very special because the money is going to the station.”