Sporting double to enjoy from the Littlehampton riverbank

Dragon Boat racing will be taking place on the River Arun all day, from 9am, as part of the UK Corporate games, with up to 300 competitors in 10 teams.

And at midday, 130 swimmers will set off from the Ship and Anchor Marina at Ford for a 4km swim down the Arun to the Littlehampton lifeboat station.

Littlehampton was the port organisers of the Corporate Games turned to in a storm, when their original venue for the Dragon Boat races, Brighton Marina, ruled out the event at short notice because of swans nesting on the water there.

Colin Hitchcock, Littlehampton harbourmaster, and Paul Crease, landlord of the town's Arun View pub/restaurant, came to the rescue when the games' organisers were frantically ringing round in search of an alternative venue.

Colourful spectacle

The racing should provide a colourful spectacle for spectactors to watch and the added bonus of bringing hundreds of visitors to Littlehampton.

The swim, a separate event organised by Raw Energy Pursuits, gives triathletes an opportunity to warm up for forthcoming Iron Man endurance competitions.

The first swimmers are expected to reach the finishing line at about 12.50pm, with the rest arriving over the next hour.

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