Racers Brave Chilly River in Crazy Raft Race (PHOTOS) | Weather.com
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Particpants compete in crazy, handmade vessels at annual raft race in Matlock, England.

ByStephanie ValeraJanuary 2, 2014

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Participants on decorated vessels take part in the Matlock Raft Race on December 26, 2013 in Matlock, England. The race starts on the River Derwent in Matlock and finishes at Cromford Meadows two miles downstream. (Bethany Clarke/Getty Images)

More than 200 participants in homemade, decorated vessels — from a Viking ship to a fire engine — braved the icy waters of River Derwent in Matlock, England for the annual Matlock Raft Race, held on Boxing Day, December 26.

The race, now on its 51st year, also attracted thousands of spectators, who lined the river bank to watch the racers sail down the Derwent in the name of charity and fun, according to the Daily Telegraph.

(MORE: Ice Climbers Conquer Frozen Waterfalls in Norway)

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Organized by te Derbyshire Association of Sub-Aqua Clubs, the Matlock Raft Race raised £6,000 (around $9,940), which will be split between the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance, the St John Ambulance and the UK Hyperbaric Unit, which treats diving injuries, according to the Matlock Mercury.

“It was a great success and I’d like to thank everyone who took part and came to watch despite the chilly weather," Ray Foster, who helped organize the event, told the Matlock Mercury. “It’s a popular event which raises a lot of money for some very important charities – it’s our way of doing something for them every year to thank them.”

The race started on the River Derwent in Matlock and finished at Cromford Meadows two miles downstream.

The team that sailed the Viking longboat won this year's race.