Sea of yellow rubber ducks sweeps through Adventure Cove Waterpark

Singapore's first water theme park duck race was organised by Dian Xiao Er.

A raft of yellow ducks bobbed languidly along on the water, sans a single quack.

These 20,000 DD.Ducks - the chef-hat toting mascot of Singapore restaurant chain Dian Xiao Er - were in a leisurely race down the 620m-long Adventure River at the Adventure Cove Waterpark in Resorts World Sentosa.

Roughly 9cm long, each duck bore a unique race number assigned to a "punter" who had spent at least $60 at the restaurant in a single receipt via the Dian Xiao Er app between June 17 and 21.

DD.Ducks released at the start point. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

The July 22 event - organised by Dian Xiao Er, which specialises in herbal roast duck, and Resorts World Sentosa - was Singapore's first water theme park duck race, and the first for DD.Ducks.

The first duck to cross the finish line - 13 minutes and two seconds was all it took - won its owner a grand prize of $10,000. The runners-up snagged two other owners $3,000 each, while three more will receive $1,000 each.

Staff from events company Sino Elite, which was one of the event sponsors, holding up the first duck to the finish line. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

The six winners will be notified via the app for prize presentation.

Dian Xiao Er is also donating $20,000 to the Bukit Gombak Citizens' Consultative Committee's Community Development and Welfare Fund.

The restaurant chain's founder of Samuel Yik said: "This year marks Singapore's 60th birthday. We wanted to celebrate it with something people would truly remember - not just another promotion, but a joyful moment that brings people together.

"DD.Duck has always been a cheerful part of the Dian Xiao Er brand, so we thought, why not bring it to life with a real race? It's fun, a little quirky and, more importantly, it supports a good cause."

Lim Yaohui for The Straits Times