The competitive racing of Sailing Barges on the Thames was first organised in 1863 by Henry Dodd, who started his working life as a ploughboy in the fields in sight of St. Pauls Cathedral. By the time of his death at the age of 80 he was a multi-millionaire in todays values. He was connected to Charles Dickens Snr. in a rather novel way - a brief account is here.  

The race (or Match) very quickly became a great success, establishing itself as a premier sporting event. It attracted the attention not only of barge owners but river and city businesses. For the crews there was much at stake. Besides the prestige of winning, there was substantial prize money to be won along with silver cups and pennants.

Craftsmen at work

Barge builders also vied with each other to produce craft that were faster and handier than before, while sailmakers improved their art to ensure that maximum speeds were achieved. The improvement in speed and handling ensured that the Thames Sailing Barge was able to hold its own in the market place so that by 1910, there were 2,100 on the Merchant Navy Register.

Apart from a period around the First World War, racing continued as an institution on the river until 1938, when the clouds of war halted the promotion of the 1939 race.

The race was re-established to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. Although there was a decline in the number of commercial barges, entries remained high due to the number of barges sold out of trade and used as yachts. The rivalry of two companies in particular (FT Everard & Sons and the London & Rochester Trading Company), led to the development of the rig and leeboards beyond their day to day working performance into out and out racing vessels, the results of which are still copied today. In 1963, the Centenary of the first match, the Committee of the day decided to end the race.

In 1995 the race was revived for the VE Day Commemoration. The new Committee set out to emulate the old days by striving to ensure that the race remained the prestigious event on the Lower Thames that it once was. The Committee is pledged to be part of the preservation of sailing barges by raising the public and media attention to this original event; now the second oldest sailing race in the world after the America’s Cup, although the Thames Barge Match has been contested more often.

Although now on a more modest scale, the race has received a welcome response from barge owners, individuals and companies, many of whom have present and past connections with sailing barges. We attract up to 16 barges, for any one Match, from those that are still seaworthy. As long as the necessary financial support continues to be available, the Committee is dedicated to keep sailing barges racing on the Thames, a tradition which now spans over 140 years.

                                                                                                                                                       Anon  n. d.