{"id":1285,"date":"2021-08-15T10:35:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-15T09:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/?page_id=1285"},"modified":"2022-06-26T18:36:06","modified_gmt":"2022-06-26T17:36:06","slug":"thames-match-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/?p=1285","title":{"rendered":"Thames Match 2021 – 14 August"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 89th<\/sup> Thames Sailing Barge Match was sailed on Saturdaym 14 August, rather later in the year than usual and with a year missed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\u00a0 In view of the continuing difficulties due to the virus a rather lower key event than usual was organised.\u00a0 A couple of late withdrawals reduced the number of starters to seven but those who came were treated to a very pleasant day\u2019s sailing with an initially light but serviceable west-south westerly breeze and a bright morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nonly starter in the Coaster class at 0800 was Cambria<\/em>.  Coming down to the line rather more quickly\nthan anticipated she reduced sail in order to slow down but was swept over by\nthe ebb tide and, unable to re-cross, accepted a time penalty and carried on.  In the staysail class Repertor<\/em> made an\nexceptional start, managing to hold just above the line on the port tack and\nbearing away across as the gun went at 0815. \nNiagara<\/em> followed two minutes later and squared away flying a huge\nlight headsail boomed out to weather. \nThe champion bowsprit class at 0830 was led away by Edith May<\/em>\nwith a flying start a minute after the gun followed by Marjorie<\/em>, Adieu<\/em>\nand Blue Mermaid<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\ntypical Thames Match run down Sea Reach in a light breeze was fairly\nuneventful. Niagara<\/em> quickly overtook Repertor<\/em> and eventually Cambria<\/em>\nto establish a half mile lead.  In the\nbowsprit class Blue Mermaid<\/em> kept to the north side of the channel where\nthe tide runs perhaps a little more strongly and had passed Adieu<\/em> and Edith\nMay<\/em> by the time the barges approached the turning mark, the course having\nbeen shortened to the Sea Reach No2 North buoy off the Shoebury shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nbarges approached the mark in fairly close company, the fleet having closed up\non the run down the river.   First to\ngybe around the buoy was Niagara<\/em> at 1030 followed by Cambria<\/em> six\nminutes later and Repertor<\/em> at 1041.  \nMarjorie<\/em> led Blue Mermaid<\/em> into the turn but turning rather\nwide allowed Blue Mermaid<\/em> close astern to turn inside her. Next round\nwas Adieu<\/em>, followed by Edith May<\/em> at 1049, the whole fleet having\nrounded the mark within twenty minutes.  \nSome excellent roundings were seen but that which most impressed the\ncommittee was made by Cambria<\/em> whose tight turn and smart sheeting in was\nparticularly commendable for such a heavy vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ncommittee had expected the barges to work back up the Essex shore and were\nsurprised when Niagara<\/em> started off with a long starboard tack toward\nSheppey while Repertor<\/em> seemed able to point almost for Southend.  However, it seemed to make little difference\nfor when they crossed again half an hour later Niagara<\/em> still held the\nlead.  The wind had increased a little\nand the bowsprit barges were generally setting smaller jib topsails going to\nwindward.  Some drama ensued when Edith\nMay\u2019s <\/em>bobstay arrangement failed at the stem and the bowsprit complete with\ntwo jibs flew up in the air to the steeved-up position with the flogging sails\nin danger of fouling the crosstrees.  \nCool heads prevailed, however, and in about half an hour the chaos had\nbeen sorted out, and with the bowsprit restored to the horizontal position and\nwith the jib topsail re-set on the stem-head she continued racing and caught up\na good deal of the lost time.  Soon after,\nLondon VTS informed us that an \u201dultra-large\u201d container ship was inbound for\nThames Gateway and would be swinging across virtually the full width of the\nriver with its attendant tugs.   Most of\nthe barges had passed before this happened but the tail-enders were squeezed\nover to the south shore where Adieu<\/em> touched on the Blyth sand and, using\nher engine to get off, had to retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nfirst barge back to reach the finishing line off Gravesend was Niagara<\/em> at 1436 followed five minutes\nlater by Repertor <\/em>which on the return leg had recovered some\nof her lost time.   Blue Mermaid <\/em>was the first bowsprit home\nat 1445 some eighteen minutes ahead of Marjorie<\/em>.   Edith\nMay <\/em>was only three minutes\nbehind Marjorie<\/em>, having made up almost all the time lost through her\nmishap. Adieu<\/em> finished under power and Cambria<\/em> completed the\nfleet, crossing at 1525.The barges made a fine sight finishing and later when rafted\nup on the Town pontoon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the usual Match supper at the Three Daws, prizes were awarded by Simon Cooper who had been watching the match from the committee boat X-Pilot<\/em> as the guest of our chairman, Michael Everard.   First prize in the Champion Bowsprit class was awarded to Blue Mermaid<\/em>.   The Champion Staysail class was won by Niagara.<\/em>  Cambria<\/em> took the prize for the Coasting class.   Niagara<\/em> was fastest to the outer mark but Blue Mermaid<\/em> the fastest around the whole course. The prize for the fastest start of the day went to Repertor<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the open awards category, the overall seamanship award was made to Geoff Gransden of Edith May<\/em> for the safe recovery from an awkward gear failure to continue racing competitively.  The Majestic Trophy for the best rounding of the mark as judged by Simon Cooper was awarded to Ian Ruffles of Cambria. The Gold Belt Trophy for achievement was awarded Iolo Brooks of Adieu for his efforts over many years to restore his barge to racing condition and for his ongoing support for this and other sailing barge matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\naddition to those already mentioned, I would like to record the Committee\u2019s thanks\nto David Allsop and his team at the PLA whose assistance has been invaluable,\nAlan and Martin Harmer of X-Pilot<\/em> and\nto the staff of the Three Daws which for many years now has hosted the\nevening\u2019s events so well.    Next year\u2019s Match is to be held on Saturday 18\nJune 2022.   It will be the 90th<\/sup>\nMatch and we hope that it will be well supported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julian Cass, Officer of the Day, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Timekeeper’s Report by John Hargreaves follows:<\/p>\n\n\nThames-Barge-Match-2021-Timekeeper-Report<\/a>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 89th Thames Sailing Barge Match was sailed on Saturdaym 14 August, rather later in the year than usual and with a year missed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\u00a0 In view of the continuing difficulties due to the virus a rather lower key event than usual was organised.\u00a0 A couple of late withdrawals reduced the…Read more Thames Match 2021 – 14 August<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1285"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1363,"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285\/revisions\/1363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thamesmatch.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}