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The first formal organised race for Thames Sailing Barges was arranged on the River Thames in 1863 by Henry Dodd. He was known as the "Golden Dustman" of Victorian London in his time. This was due to the fortune he made from his rubbish collection and brick making businesses. He actively supported what became known as the Thames Sailing Barge Match from 1863 up until his death. He was immortalised as the character "Mr. Boffin" in Charles Dickens's famous novel Our Mutual Friend (1864-65). Remarkably, the barge race that Dodd started 144 years ago is still going strong today! |
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| Henry Dodd (1801-1881) |
Charles
Dickens (1812-1870) |
| Charter a barge | Match Posters | Match Results | Help us promote the match! | History Of The Match | Echoes From The Past | Past Matches in Pictures | Press Coverage & Bibliography | |
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SB Wyvenoe, Adieu & May during the 77th. Thames Match on 21 July 2007 [Photo: M. Wignall] |
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SB May, Wyvenhoe & Adieu at the morning start of the Match in Lower Hope Reach, below Gravesend, on the River Thames. The shoreline is Cliffe Marshes, part of the North Kent coastline. The distant high ground in the middle of the tree-lined skyline is Gadds Hill, where Charles Dickens Snr. lived 1856-70 writing what were to be his final novels and unique social commentaries on life in Victorian England - A Tale Of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend [in which he immortalised Henry Dodd - the Thames Match founder], and lastly, the unfinished Mystery Of Edwin Drood. [Photo: M. Wignall] |
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The public on board the Gravesend based MV Princess Pocahontas were treated to a commentary by an ex-professional bargeman, Tony Farnham [Chairman of the Society for Sailing Barge Research] and many close-ups of the barges courtesy of Capt. John Potter, the ship's Master. Here the Pocahontas is seen working her way through the barges as they race through Lower Hope Reach on their way back to the finish line at Gravesend, in the afternoon. [Photo: M. Wignall] |
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RESULTS OF 77th. MATCH ON SATURDAY JULY 21, 2007 The weather conditions conspired to create a rather special day - the race course did not have to be shortened through a lack of wind, which is the norm. For only the second time during the 12 years that the current 4th. Series of the Match has been running, the barges were able to complete the full course, which required the rounding of the Outer Mark - the North Oaze Buoy. The results were: Coasting Class: 1st. SB Thistle (1895) Master - Dave Copsey, 2nd. SB Lady Daphne (1923) Master - James Kent, 3rd. SB Cabby (1928) Master - Rebecca Polden Staysail Cass: 1st. SB Decima (1899) Master - Tim Goldsack, 2nd. SB Repertor (1924) Master David Pollock, 3rd. Wyvenhoe (1898) Master - Richard Titchener Bowsprit Class: 1st. SB May (1891) Master - Gerald Gadd, 2nd. SB Adieu (1929) Master Iolo Brooks, 3rd. No Place Awarded [insufficient entries] Chartering: In keeping with the purpose of the Thames Match which is to provide a means of showcasing the barges to the public, particularly those that survive through earning their keep by chartering - the barges that can provide day trips, or be hired, have hyperlinks incorporated into their names. These names appear in bold typeface. They will take you to the particular barges' own website where further information can be found on how to charter them. This can either be through purchasing individual tickets for a place in a set-piece pre-arranged trip with a particular theme, acting as a group to charter a barge for your own special trip, or hiring the barge for a static event at a shoreside berth for a wedding, birthday party, reunion or club meeting. Many options are available. The Chairman and Prize-giver's vessel, a Princess 48 motor yacht, enticingly named Happy Bunny, was kindly provided by Linton Motor Yacht Charters Ltd, based at Chatham Maritime Marina, on the River Medway, Kent. This vessel, like the barges whose names are highlighted above, is also available for charter. |
STOP PRESS Update No. 51 - Dec. 26, 2007 A fascinating retrospect has been added - an original sketch and account of the 12th. Thames Match in 1874. See here. A new barging book written by Nick Ardley - The May Flower: A Barging Childhood, has just been published which contains, amongst other things, accounts of some early Thames Matches. See here for more info. M. W. |
OUR APPRECIATION & THANKS |
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Chairman and
Match Committee would like to express their appreciation and thanks to those
individuals, livery companies and corporate organisations who became Patrons
and in doing so have enabled the 77th. Match to happen. Their
names are listed for posterity in this year's souvenir Match
Programme.
Special thanks goes to the Worshipful
Company of Fishmongers and Tate
& Lyle plc for their patronage.
Thanks also goes to the following for their important contributions, all of which were essential to making the 77th. Match happen on the day itself: Julian Cass, the Officer of the Day; John Hargreaves, the Timekeeper; Mick Lungley for substituting for Jimmy Lawrence on the Bridge Team; Jim & Richard Twyman, of Gravesend Sailing Club, for providing and manning the signal guns; John Goode, recent Editor of Sailing Today magazine, for acting as prize-giver; Rob Chandler [and his team], owner of the classic Thames tug Touchstone for kindly providing it for use of the Bridge Committee; Andrew Bain for running his MV Avante [L. Bain & Co. Ltd.] as a liberty boat for the barge crews and passengers, both very early in the morning and late at night; Captain John Potter, Master of the Gravesend based excursion vessel MV Princess Pocahontas [Lower Thames & Medway Passenger Boat Co. Ltd.] for continuing to provide the means whereby the general public can follow and thus enjoy this spectacular event; Tony Farnham, Chairman of the Society for Sailing Barge Research, for continuing to provide his commentary on the match, so helping passengers of the Princess Pocahontas understand what is going on, and thus enjoy the event; Lester Banks and his staff at the Three Daws public house, Gravesend, for providing the venue for the match supper and prize giving; Finally, thanks goes to the Port of London Authority (PLA), on whose river the annual event takes place, for their continuing support in various ways. Further information on the match's contributors can be found via the links embedded in the highlighted text. The Committee's thanks to those who contributed in various ways in the run up to the actual event are recorded in the Match Programme. |
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WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR NAME IN PRINT - FAME AT LAST? Each year this maritime heritage event on the lower River Thames has to find the financial support to enable it to take place, and the next match on July 12, 2008 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 at it here? |
The
full history of updates to this site - with their relevant links is here.
If you're a regular visitor this is the quickest way to discover
what has changed.
DON'T FORGET TO BOOKMARK THE SITE SO THAT YOU CAN GET TO IT EASILY NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO CHECK FOR UPDATES!
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WELCOME |
2007
MATCH ORGANISATION
Race Committee Chairman: Mr. F. M. Everard CBE BA Hon. Secretary: Capt. M. R. Boyle Capt. J. Cass Mr. D. F. Clarabut DSC Capt. K. Garrett Mr. N. D. Hempstock Prof. M. Mainelli Capt. R. Stanbrook (PLA) Hon. Webmaster: Dr. M. B. Wignall MNI
Bridge Committee Commodore: Capt. J. Cass Capt. M. R. Boyle Capt. M. Lungley
Timekeeper Mr. J. Hargreaves Guns Messrs. Jim & Richard Twyman [Gravesend Sailing Club] |
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This is the official website of the Thames Sailing Barge Match Committee and it is designed and presented with the general public, leisure sailors and sailing barge enthusiasts in mind. WHAT IS THE THAMES MATCH? It is a race [or match] involving historic Thames Sailing Barges which takes place annually on the lower River Thames. It provides the opportunity for those barges that are still in a seaworthy condition [as the result of the continuing efforts of their owners] to compete for a series of historically prestigious prizes. The 1st. Match took place in 1863 which makes it the world's oldest surviving sailing race, after the America's Cup of 1851. As such it is a unique part of our maritime heritage, and classic boat scene. The Match acts as a spur to encourage the renovation of those barges which have unfortunately fallen into decay, and now languish ashore, as a result of neglect during the decades following the ending of their commercial trading activities. It starts in the vicinity of Gravesend, Kent and continues down river to the outer reaches of the Thames and then returns to Gravesend town itself, for the finish. Although its duration is dependent on the wind conditions prevailing on the day, it usually lasts around 6 hours. Typically about a dozen barges take part, no two being the same, as they were all hand built, mostly in the Kent and Essex shipyards of the late 19th. and early 20th centuries to satisfy varying commercial trading roles. Some of the barges have now passed their 100th birthday - and others are rapidly approaching them. The oldest barge to have participated in the recent series of Matches was built in 1881. Previous Match entrants have included barges with masts reaching up to 80 ft. [24 m] above their decks and the ability to carry over 4,500 sq. ft. [420 sq. m] of sail. Some of them have been over 90 ft. [27 m] in length, and with beams [widths] of over 20 ft. [6 m]. |
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This website includes information on the history of the Match, how its progress can be followed by spectators, how it can be supported through Patronage, together with the results of previous Matches, going back to 1995. To provide a sense of history, whenever a barge's name appears on a page for the first time the date it was built has been included in brackets e.g. Cabby (1928). |
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KEY INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEXT MATCH - THE 78th. |
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Start: The Lower Hope on Sat. July 12 2008 If you're not following the Match afloat in some vessel the best shoreside public viewing of the start will be either from East Tilbury Fort, Essex or from Lower Hope Point, Cliffe Marshes, Kent. The time of the start of the match will be provided in due course. Course: Sailing East, down river way out to the North Oaze Buoy, [roughly on a North-South line between Foulness Point, Essex and Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent], then return up river, through the Lower Hope, to Gravesend town. The course map is here. Duration: Dependent on prevailing wind speed and direction in combination with the tide. On past records assume a 6 hr. minimum and a 10 hr. maximum. So ... budget for something in between. However, it has to be emphasised that that it is all local weather dependent. Finish: The line will be in the vicinity of the Town Pier, Gravesend, during the afternoon. [Details to be finalised by the Match Committee and provided to entrants at the pre-match briefing]. |
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Gravesend - looking down river. The picture right, is an evening view from the Three Daws pub, 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 Three Daws is in the vicinity of the finish line and is a very good vantage point from which to watch the barges sailing up river to cross the finish line at the end of the event. |
Photo: M. Wignall |
Photo: M. Wignall |
A close up of the barges berthed on PLA Lighter No. 3 after the match has finished. The picture left, is the view from St. Andrews Gardens between the Three Daws and the former church at Bawley Bay, which is now the St. Andrews Arts Centre. |
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Committee Contact Information |
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For queries relating to the organisation of the Thames Match please contact: Hon. Secretary: Capt. Mark Boyle Telephone: 01227 265568 |
Photo: A. Wignall 2004 |
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Photo: A. Wignall 2005 |
For queries relating to the design and content of this website please contact: Hon. Webmaster: Dr. Mike Wignall MNI E-mail: thamesmatch "at" yahoo.co.uk [replace the "at" with "@"] Postal address:
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PHOTO CREDITS: as assigned
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VIEWING: This site can be viewed satisfactorily using Mozilla Firefox 1.5 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.
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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 2007. © Copyright of
individual images within the pages are as credited.
Page last edited: December 26, 2007 M. W. 2003-7 |
Site visits since: Nov. 23 2003: