The Thames Sailing Barge Match is the second oldest sailing race in the world, beaten only by the

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

. It starts off

Stanford-le-Hope Stanford-le-Hope is a town, former civil parish and Church of England parish situated in the county of Essex, England. Often known locally simply as Stanford, the town is within the unitary authority of Thurrock and located 23.8 miles (38.4 ...

and finishes off the Three Daws public house in

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...

on the

London River ''London River'' is a 2009 British-French drama film, written and produced by Franco-Algerian film director Rachid Bouchareb. Starring Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté, it centres on the journey of two people searching for their children afte ...

(River Thames) and is open to

spritsail The spritsail is a four-sided, fore-and-aft sail that is supported at its highest points by the mast and a diagonally running spar known as the sprit. The foot of the sail can be stretched by a boom or held loose-footed just by its sheets. A spr ...

rigged

Thames sailing barge A Thames sailing barge is a type of commercial sailing boat once common on the River Thames in London. The flat-bottomed barges with a shallow draught and leeboards, were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narr ...

s, it uses the same course and rules as were used in the first match in 1863.

The first matches

The swim-headed barge ( the swimmie) was convenient for river work, slow to windward, fast off the wind but performing abysmally in heavy weather in the seaway. In the 1840s the swim head gave way to the rounded bow that was soon replaced by a straight stem (the stemmie). Competition from the railways was causing barge builders to experiment. "The Golden Dustman", William Henry Dodd, organised the first race in 1863, giving cash prizes for the first barges in the stumpie and topsail classes. The second race in 1864 attracted 40 barges. Of the 16 stumpies and the 22 topsail barges entering in 1865, six were still in service in 1931. They sailed from

Erith Erith () is an area in south-east London, England, east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the historical county of Kent. Since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley. It lies nort ...

The Nore The Nore is a long bank of sand and silt running along the south-centre of the final narrowing of the Thames Estuary, England. Its south-west is the very narrow Nore Sand. Just short of the Nore's easternmost point where it fades into the cha ...

and back in 5hr 47min and 5hr 14min. The Stumpies commonly raced at this time with a bowsprit. The owner of the leading 1867 stumpies, Lee, painted Invicta, the white horse of Kent on his black mainsails The races were to induce the barge owners to improve the standard of equipment, and raise the status of the crews. The public chartered special steamers to watch matches, and soon after, barge owners were commissioning barges with racing lines.

Thames Barge Match 22 August 2015

Started from Mucking No. 3 buoy, Lower Hope Reach, River Thames heading to South West Barrow buoy, returning to the finish off Gravesend. The course sailed was shortened to Sea Reach No.3 North Buoy as the outer mark

Results

;Coasting Class: :1st: ''Lady of the Lea'' :2nd: ''Lady Daphne'' (corrected time due to time penalty for crossing the start line early) :3rd: ''Cambria'' :4th: ''Centaur'' ;Champion Staysail Class :1st: ''Niagara'' (by 2 seconds!) :2nd: ''Reminder'' :3rd: '' Edith May'' :4th: ''Repertor'' ;Champion Bowsprit Class :1st: ''Adieu'' :2nd: ''Marjorie'' ;Additional awards: :Master making Fastest Start : Iolo Brooks, ''Adieu'' :Master of the Fastest Barge to the Mark: Richard Titchener, ''Reminder'' :Master of the Fastest Barge over the Course: Iolo Brooks, ''Adieu'' :Master of the First Barge Home: Robert Deards, ''Niagara'' :Master exhibiting the Best Seamanship during the Match: Geoff Gransden, ''Edith May'' :Master exhibiting the Best Seamanship in rounding the Mark: Robert Deards, ''Niagara'' :Best Performing Mainsheetman: Ray Payne, ''Reminder'' :Most valued Crewmember: Steve Burgess, ''Marjorie'' :For Achievement of a Young Crewmember (under 16): twins Jack and Peter Devonshire, ''Marjorie''

Thames Barge Match Saturday 25 June 2016

Other matches

There are nine barge matches a year, and for example in 2018 : * Medway 9 June 2018 based at Queenborough * Pin Mill 23 June 2018 * Blackwater 7 July 2018 * Thames 21 July 2018 * Swale 4 August 2018 * Southend Barge Match for 2018 has been cancelled * Colne 15 September 2018

References

Sources

* *{{cite book , last=March , first=Edgar J , date=1948 , title=Spritsail barges of the Thames and Medway , location=London , publisher=Percival Marshall 1863 establishments in the United Kingdom Recurring sporting events established in 1863 Sailing competitions in the United Kingdom Match racing competitions Thames Sailing Barge Match