(15 Aug 2009)
1. Pan from of Dinant citadel to home made bathtub rafts floating on the river Meuse
2. Pull out man pedalling a pedallo-type car with a bathtub float
3. Two youths wrestling and falling into water zoom in to Ostrich figurine on raft
4. Woman slides down slide on raft
5. Various of spectators
6. Various of bathtub rafts competing in regatta
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Francois (last name not given), competitor:
"When someone organises something you have to participate, don't you? If no one got involved there'd be nothing"
8. Group of young people on a raft
9. Man swimming with bucket on head
10. Various of spectators
11. Various of diners enjoying plates of chips and mussels
12. Spectators being sprayed with water
13. SOUNDBITE: (French) Pierre (last name not given), competitor:
"The Bathtub Regatta has been going for 27 or 28 years now. So it's got into the heart of the town and it's a big party every year."
14. Wide tilt up of crowd
15. Wide of river front
16. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean Olivier Meyfroidt, member of organising committee:
"It's Belgium in the best sense of the word. That's to say everyone enjoys themselves, people don't take it seriously. I can be on a boat and get soaked by a water fountain or a water pump and one will laugh. Everyone is here to enjoy themselves and the public love it."
17. Various of crowd being drenched by participants throwing water at them
STORYLINE:
The picturesque Belgian town of Dinant played host to a flotilla of bathtubs on Saturday for what has to be one of Europe's most obscure festivities.
Now into its 27th year, the International Bathtub Regatta is a uniquely colourful event that often leaves its competitors with a sinking feeling.
Glorious sunshine welcomed up 20-thousand spectators on Saturday who crowded the town's riverfront for a sometimes wet and wild view of the action.
The regatta, which attracts hundreds of competitors each year, has only a few rules; a team's raft has got to have a one or more bathtubs in its design, no motors or engines are allowed and participants must know how to swim.
"It's got into the heart of the town and it's a big party every year" said one competitor.
Teams are judged on style and originality rather than speed, which is just as well considering the shape and size of some of the creations.
Those featured on Saturday included a raft skippered by an Ostrich, a floating red car and one bathtub that even came complete with its own slide.
By the end of the day the event had turned from regatta to giant water fight, not that anyone seemed to mind.
"It's Belgium in the best sense of the word. That's to say everyone enjoys themselves, people don't take it seriously" said organiser Jean Olivier Meyfroidt.
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