|
|||||||||
This year's historic event took place on Saturday 13th. June 2009 and adopted the theme |
|||||||||
THE OUTLINE RESULTS OF THE PLA CENTENARY MATCH WERE: COASTING CLASS: 1st. SB Ethel Ada (1903), 2nd. Lady Of The Lea (1931), 3rd. SB Ardwina (1909) & 4th. SB Lady Daphne (1923) CHAMPION STAYSAIL: 1st. SB Wyvenhoe (1898), 2nd. SB Repertor (1924) & 3rd. SB Decima (1899) CHAMPION BOWSPRIT: 1st. SB Adieu (1929) & 2nd. SB Cabby (1928) A full account of all the prizes awarded is provided in the Match Report - available to Patrons. See here. |
|||||||||
|
NEXT YEAR'S MATCH - THE 80th. WILL BE ON SATURDAY 3rd. JULY 2010 |
|||||||||
|
You can take a trip on the river with
Capt. John Potter in the Gravesend based MV Princess
Pocahontas for the next event. Souvenir Programmes which
explain the event will be available at West Street Pier and on board. Cash
refreshments and food will be available on the vessel. Passengers embark at the West
Street Pier, Gravesend, and also Tilbury
Ferry Pier on
the morning of the
Match. It is a full day trip providing excellent photo opportunities, with the Princess Pocahontas usually following the leading barge back to Gravesend to provide a close up of it crossing the finish line. After disembarking, the nearby Three Daws riverside Inn, where the prize-giving occurs later in the evening, is a very good location to watch the other barges finish 1600-1700ish, depending on the wind. Arrange your trip early – it is a very popular event on the lower River Thames. Booking is via: 01732 353448 and the website is here. Free car parking - at Tilbury Landing Stage [Essex side of the river], otherwise there is a Pay & Display car park immediately opposite the entrance to West Street Pier. |
|||||||||
 Topsail Charters
of Maldon, Essex,
typically have their barges either following or competing in the match.
Being in a barge is a totally different
experience to seeing the match from the excursion vessels. Why not try
it? Embarkation is usually Tilbury Landing Stage, Essex - with free
parking on Tilbury Ferry Pier]. There is the Gravesend
- Tilbury ferry available to take Kent arrivals across. Please contact
Topsail Charters on 01621 857567 to book. The website is here. |
|||||||||
SB
Lady Daphne (1923) can
offer you an alternative barging experience, if you'd like to taste the
action first hand on the day. She is owned by a member of the Thames
Match Committee and regularly races in the event. If you can get a group
of 10 friends together you can look forward to being in the thick of the
action. Booking is via Nymph Ltd. on 0207 562 7656 or emainelli@lady-daphne.co.uk/ The website is here. |
|||||||||
 MV X-Pilot (1967), the
Medway based former pilot vessel converted for chartering is available
to take a group booking of 12 passengers, and usually follows the event. Embarkation
is at Gravesend. Because
of her relatively small size she is very maneuverable and is therefore
ideal for photography. Booking is via Alan Littlewort at X-Pilot
Enterprises on 07952 784311 or 01634 304308. The website is here. |
|||||||||
 ST
Portwey (1927) the
UK's last twin screw coal burning classic steam tug followed the event
for the first time in 2009 and is expected to be available again in
2010. She can carry 12 passengers. The Steam Tug Portwey Trust
can also make her available for charter
at other times of the year. Booking is via Lee Spooner, Events
Co-ordinator on 01268
571734 or 07957
325876. The Trust's website is
here. |
|||||||||
 PS Kingswear Castle
(1924),
Capt. John Megoran, runs a Saturday "Southend on Sea Cruise"
schedule during the summer months, one of which usually coincides with
the day of the Thames Match. Part of the match may therefore be seen if timing is
appropriate, although this cannot be guaranteed. This historic coal fired paddle steamer is based at Thunderbolt
Pier, Chatham Historic Dockyard on the River Medway, Kent. Check the website
here to see
if the dates coincide. If so bookings
can be made on the site or 01634 827648.
|
|||||||||
|
WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR NAME IN PRINT - FAME AT LAST - THRO' SUPPORTING THIS EVENT? Each year this maritime heritage event on the lower River Thames has to find the financial support to enable it to take place. The forthcoming match will be no exception. Funding is achieved through the MATCH PATRON scheme. A minimum donation of £35 [67p. per week averaged over the year] secures your opportunity for fame at last! Or you could make a donation on behalf of someone else - and so create an unusual present for them! Why not have a look here? |
Update No. 60 - June 19th. 2009 The results of the PLA Centenary Match on 13th. June 2009 are provided, together with the date of the next match in 2010. STOP PRESS Do you live in the Gravesend or Tilbury area? We need a PC literate person to help with distributing publicity material. Perks and direct expenses available. Contact Mike Wignall by telephone or e-mail [see end of page] M. W. |
||||||||
SCENES FROM GRAVESEND - BEFORE & AFTER THE EVENT |
|
Looking down the River Thames. The picture right, is an evening view from the Three Daws riverside inn, a Grade II Listed Building next to the Town Pier at Gravesend. The majority of the competing barges berth on PLA Lighter No. 3 on the Friday evening before the match. Tilbury Power Station, with its two conspicuous chimneys is in the background. |
|
 |
The barges are seen here leaving their berths on the lighter as they begin to move down river to Lower Hope Reach ready for the three starting sessions. MV X-Pilot is in the left foreground and MV Princess Pocahontas in the center background, berthed on West Street Pier. |
| The view from Anchor Cove looking across to Tilbury Power Station. SB Decima [left] is about to cross the finish line and is being closely followed by the Princess Pocahontas, with spectators on board. SB Thistle [right] not far behind. The Bridge Committee [far right] that has been assessing the performance of the barges throughout the day, is watching closely and timing the event. Anchor Cove, just off Royal Pier Road between Mission House and the riverside garden of the former Royal Clarendon Hotel [now being re-developed into riverside apartments] is a good place to watch the barges cross the finish line. |  |
 |
A novel place to watch the barges after they've crossed the finish line, as they head back to their berth is from the end of the Town Pier. Here SB Thistle [left] can be seen returning to Lighter No. 3 again. Five barges are already berthed there, having crossed the line earlier. |
| A
supper for the barge crews and following vessels takes place in the
evening, followed by the presentation of prizes in the Three Daws. Afterwards
the
masters of each competing barge muster outside with their prizes [back
row]. The prize presenter and the Match Committee [front
row] also make up the group and they all have their photo taken.
Henry Dodd looks over them approvingly, as his legacy, which he began in
1863, endures for yet another year.
|
 |
| MISSION STATEMENT OF THE MATCH COMMITTEE - the event is organised so as to provide the opportunity for the surviving barges to showcase themselves to the public, as a reminder that they are available for charter, through which the majority now rely for the funding needed for their upkeep, and thus continuing survival. |
PHOTO CREDITS: Generally - M. Wignall & A. Wignall © 2004-2009; Lady Daphne image - © 2008 M. Mainelli [with permission]; Portwey image - Sue King © 2009 [with permission of The Steam Tug Portwey Trust]
|
VIEWING: This site can be viewed satisfactorily using Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0. It has been designed to retain the correct page layout irrespective of monitor size in use from 14 up to and including 21 inches. The page layout adopted assumes the visitor is using a 15 in. monitor. Not sure about your own monitor setting? See here for an explanation.
|
| PRINTING: Because priority has been given to the visual appearance on-screen this page is not suitable for printing |
|
COPYRIGHT: The design & layout of pages in this website is © M. B. Wignall on behalf
of the Thames Sailing Barge Match Committee,
various years 2003 through 2009. © Copyright of
various images within each page are as credited.
Page last edited: June 23, 2009 M. W. 2003-9 |
Site visits since: Nov. 23 2003: