Boaters race to take part in model rally

Hundreds of different types of boat are on display including military boats such as 'Picassa'

Hundreds of boat enthusiasts have travelled from across the UK to take part in a model boat rally that has been running since 1921.

Model Boat Mayhem, in which entrants sail in an 82m x 41m pond, is taking place at Wicksteed Park in Kettering, Northamptonshire, on Saturday and Sunday.

Hundreds of steam and electrical powered boats will be put on display over the course of the festival.

Organiser Paul Abbott, who has travelled from France to oversee the weekend, said visitors can expect a fun "free-for-all" in the pond.

Paul Abbott built-steam powered boat Saskia out of recycled materials.

Mr Abbott currently has 11 boats in his collection, with some having been passed down through the generations in his family.

One of his "very fast" boats is steam-powered model called Saskia, which can reach up to 18mph and its steam engine was built by his grandfather in 1939.

Nick Brown, another boater, said he began building model boats 20 years ago, as an "exercise in keeping morale up" after his father's cancer treatment.

Mr Brown said he mostly builds military rescue boats, with one of his favourite creations being a patrol boat used by the Malaysian navy called Picassa.

Nick Brown said he began building model boats following his father's cancer treatment