A 77-year-old landlord of a Gloucestershire pub will be raising funds for the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) by waterskiing on the River Severn.

Chas Phipps, owner of the Royal Oak Inn, in Whitecroft will water ski behind a fully refurbished 1980s Driver Boat, and hold on as long as he possibly can.

His supporters have the opportunity to guess how many miles can he go, before giving up. The person with the closest guess will receive a prize, and 100% of the proceeds will be going to SARA.

Chas was nicknamed ‘The Severn King,’ for his daring attempts of water ski endurance; he was the first man to waterski the Severn Bore. His challenge will see him relive his past waterskiing world records on the notorious river.

He is aiming to raise as much as possible for the Severn Area Rescue Association and is attempting this daring feat to bring more awareness of the vital rescue service for Gloucestershire this amazing charity provides.

To raise awareness of the main water ski event, the SARA fundraising team will be throwing a big launch fundraiser at The Royal Oak Inn. There will be a night of music, a free buffet, entertainment, a speech and a charity raffle on January 28th, starting at 7.30pm.

Tickets are free and available from the pub itself or via email: [email protected].

The main water ski challenge event date will be announced in the Spring when the weather and tides are optimum.