THAMES

Est. Aug. 01, 2007. Now at update No. 16 of November 18, 2009. The record is here

SAILING

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BARGE 

RACING

If so ... you may like to know that a new book on the eight annual barge matches is being written. To achieve it the hunt is on - for articles, photos and souvenir Match Programmes, which contain much needed information. This website is all about this work in progress and it includes ways in which you, the visitor, might be able to help. The site will be updated from time to time.

I've also decided to use the site to promote the excursion vessels that are available to follow the events, as they play a very important role in enabling the public to enjoy them. As the book is all about promoting the matches and the excursion vessels to the public and corporate event organizers, this is a logical approach.  

The only book dedicated entirely to the barge matches is Racing Sailormen, by the late Capt. F. S. Cooper, a long standing and famous barge master. It was published 44 years ago, in 1963, and has long been out of print. It primarily covered the Thames Matches from 1863 and Medway Matches from 1880, up until 1962. The then newly established Orwell [now Pin Mill] and the Blackwater Matches were only briefly mentioned. The Passage Match [Gravesend – Harwich] was 15 years into the future. The book's style was technical - to appeal to former professional and amateur bargemen and women of the time. 

A key aspect of the book was the inclusion of the statistics for each match in terms of which barges won in which class. Although the Society for Sailing Barge Research has produced leaflets for its members for a number of years summarizing the results of the matches, and these have partially filled the vacuum left after Racing Sailormen, there has been no dedicated publication to do the job and follow on from where Capt. Cooper left off. 

A skeleton of the provisional contents are here. 

WHO’S THE AUTHOR? 

It is Mike Wignall - a former professional mariner and Member of the Nautical Institute, who later went into the UK defence industry in maritime product development and marketing roles. He is a member of the Thames Sailing Barge Trust and the Society for Sailing Barge Research and wrote the Thames Sailing Barge Yearbook in 2005. He is on the Thames Match Committee [Gravesend] and manages the content and design of the Committee’s Thames Sailing Barge Match website. It can be seen at www.thamesmatch.co.uk His contact details are at the bottom of this page. 

The material needing to be examined in relation to each of the eight current matches are detailed in the sections below. Note that if you're willing to lend any items to  be scanned, for possible reproduction in the book, due credit and thanks will be given. With regards to any  issues of copyright of the material, the required permissions will be sought from the respective holders [whether or not it is yourself] and resolved prior to final publication, and acknowledged as necessary in the book.  

Historical Situation: Souvenir Match Programmes for the 1st. Series 1921-1936 need to be located and examined - assuming they exist. Also two Programmes of the 2nd. Series - 2001 and 2003 need to be located. Various gaps in the match results tables currently exist regarding winning barges for various years and for the years that the barge names are known there are gaps in the  skippers' names. A potentially fruitful source of information that could plug these gaps are back copies of the Blackwater Sailing Barge Match Association newsletter - The Pennant. Do you happen to have any - or know of anyone who has? 

Information on the involvement of John Sadd, the timber merchant, of Maldon, Essex, in setting up the 1st. Series in 1921 would be welcome. As it would be for those personalities involved in setting up the 2nd. Series in 1962. They included A. J. O'Shea [then owner SB Marjorie] and Bert Jay [then publican of the Jolly Sailor at The Hythe, Maldon]. 

Photos [or postcards] of excursion vessels involved in the Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture]. Known vessels are listed below - there may be others: 

1960's - MV Nelson, MV Viking Saga

1970's - MV Viking Saga, MV Nemo II

Historical Situation: Souvenir Match Programmes for the 1st. Series need to be examined for the following years: 1972-1976 inclusive, 1979, 1992, 1993 & 1998. All the barge names are complete in the match results table but the skippers' names are not. A potentially fruitful source of this sort of information are back copies of the Colne Smack Preservation Society newsletter. Do you happen to have any - or know of anyone who has? 

Photos [or postcards] of excursion vessels involved in the Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture].

Historical Situation: Souvenir Match Programmes for the 4th.  Series need to be examined as follows: 1954 itself and any years prior to 1938, including that year.  The results of the 1987 match are needed in terms of barge and skippers' names, and placings. 

Photos, lithographs [or postcards] of the following sea or land marks, relating to the Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture]: 

1880's onwards - Nore Lightship, Mouse Lightship,   

1920's - Sun Pier, Chatham

1950's - Nore Towers

Photos, lithographs [or postcards] of excursion vessels,  involved in the Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture]. Known vessels are listed below - there may be others: 

1870's - PS Alma, Lady Of Lorne

1890's - PS Clacton Belle  

1930's - MV Queen Of The Channel

1950's - PS Medway Queen,                       

1950-60's - MV Royal Sovereign 

1970's - MV Golden Cormorant

Historical Situation: This is proving a very difficult match to find information on, as its organisation seems to have changed hands at least four times, from when it first started in 1978.  Blue Circle Industries plc. produced Souvenir Match Programmes during the period it sponsored the event 1978-1988 and these have all been located. However, evidence suggests that the organisation that replaced the company  continued the tradition and issued Programmes for 1989 and 1990. These need to be located. It seems Programmes for this match came to an end after 1990. In lieu an "advert" would appear in the Pin Mill Match Programme.    

Currently the results of the 1991 match are not known i.e. the winning barge's name, it's skipper and the elapsed time. Winners' times are also needed for SB May in 1992, Portlight in 1994, Mirosa in 1995, Thistle in 1998, and Repertor in 2003. 

The cup currently awarded as 1st. Prize to the winner of this match has been examined. Unfortunately it only has engravings of barges' names from 1996 onwards. Do you happen to know where the original cup is? Apparently what was used as the prize was the perpetual trophy won by SB Dunstable in the Staysail Class of 1937 Thames Coronation Match. What was the significance of Dunstable? She was owned by Blue Circle at the time. If the cup is found the engravings need to be examined to discover who won the Passage Match in 1991.   

Photos of the following excursion vessels, involved in the Match, are also sought if they happen to have barges in the same picture. Known vessels are listed below - there may be others: 

1984 - PS Kingswear Castle

1990's - MV Princess Pocahontas, MV Balmoral  

2000 - MV Princess Pocahontas

Historical Situation: Souvenir Match Programmes for the 1st. Series need to be examined as follows: 1963 only. I've had conflicting advice as to whether there was in fact a Programme that year. It was the 2nd. year the match took place. The fact that there was no Programme in 1962, the first year, is not, however, in dispute.   

Photos [or postcards] of the following seamarks, relating to the Pin Mill Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture]: 

1960's onwards - Cork Lightship, Orwell Lightship  

Photos [or postcards] of excursion vessels,  involved in the Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture]. Known vessels are listed below - there may be others: 

1970's - MV Torbay Prince  

Historical Situation: All the Souvenir Match Programmes for the current 2nd.  Series have been sighted - except for 1981 & 1999. The results tables from 1964 to the present have been reconstructed in terms of the barges' names. Adding the skippers' names, is continuing.  

Photos, lithographs [or postcards] of the following land marks, relating to the Match, are sought [with or without barges in the same picture]: 

1870-00's  - Town Pier, Ship Hotel, Jubilee Barge [aka Brickfield] Pier, Southend   

Photos [or postcards] of excursion vessels,  involved in the Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture]. Known vessels are listed below - there may be others: 

1960's - MV Prince Of Wales  

Image: P. Dalrymple

Historical Situation: The souvenir Match Programme for 1980 needs to be examined. There are currently gaps in terms of barge and skippers' names, and placings for various years.  A potentially fruitful source of this sort of information are back copies of the Kentish Sail Association newsletter - On The Mud. Do you happen to have any - or know of any who has? The years needing to be examined are 1974-80, 1982-1983 & 1985. 

Historical Situation: The results table for the 4th. Series - from 1995 to the present day are complete in terms of the barges' and their skippers' names. The associated Match Programmes have also been located. A complete run of Match Programmes has been located for the 3rd. Series 1953-1963 and skippers' names are being collated for that period.  If anyone has Match Programmes for the earlier matches i.e. 1926 and earlier, they would be very useful to see. Currently, those for 1904, 1929-30, 1933-34 and 1937, have been sighted. Loan of photos would also be a help for 2000 [Millennium Match], the 1995 [1st. of current 4th. Series], also 1963, and earlier. In general, any photos of this match with the excursion [follower] vessels in the same picture, for 2000 and any earlier years, would be useful. Memorabilia, such as medallions awarded would also be of interest. I have seen those for 1937 and 1953. 

Unpublished information on the involvement of Henry Dodd (1801-1881), the dust contractor and brick maker, known as the "Golden Dustman" of Victorian London,  and immortalised as the character "Mr. Boffin" in Charles Dickens's classic novel Our Mutual Friend, would be welcome. Dodd was instrumental in starting the 1st. Series of the Thames Match in 1863.  

Photos, lithographs [or postcards] of the following sea or land marks, relating to the Thames Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture]: 

1860's - Chapman Head Lighthouse, Mucking Lighthouse, Nore Lightship,  

1890's - Mouse Lightship

1900's? - Lower Hope Point [trellis] beacon 

Photos, lithographs [or postcards] of excursion vessels,  involved in the Match, are also sought [with or without barges in the same picture]. Known vessels are listed below - there may be others: 

1860's - PS Elfin, Jackal, Oread, Petrel, Princess Alice, Sea Swallow,  

1930's - MV Royal Daffodil, PS Royal Eagle, PS Crested Eagle

1950/60's - MV Royal Sovereign

1995 - PS Waverley 

Historical Info Situation:

1. The Thames Sailing Barge Club [now Trust] Burton-Cantley Trophy: Results in terms of winning barges' and skippers' names are needed for 1975 and later. Do you happen to know what happened to the cup, or where it is today? The engravings need to be examined to allow the results table to be completed. 

2. The Inter Co-ordination Committee Sailing Barge Merit Trophy [aka 'Joint Committee Cup']. Do you happen to know who won it in 1971, 1973-1980 & 1982 onwards? Do you happen to know what happened to the cup, or where it is today? The engravings need to be examined to allow the results table to be completed. 

The following magazines are a potential source of barge match results. Do you happen to have any of them? 

Classic Boat 1987 & 1991; East Coast Digest – 1972; Sea Breezes - 1954 and earlier, also 1959; The Boatman – 1987 & 1991; Traditional Sail Review - 1980, 1982, 1987 & 1991; Traditional Boats & Tall Ships - 2002 and earlier.  

Members Bulletin – any prior to 1960, then 1960-1961, 1963 & 1974-2002 

the Journal – Winter 1950 and later 

These publications may contain barge match results. Do you have any of them?

the Journal  – 1961 and later 

the Bulletin  – any issues 

the Newsletter  – numbers 1-73 inclusive 

These publications may contain barge match results. Do you have any of them?

the Newsletter - any from its founding year and onwards

This publication has been known to publish barge match results in the past. Do you have any of them? 

the Newsletter - any from its founding year and onwards

It is not known whether this publication has been in the habit of providing barge match results in the past. However, back copies need to be examined to discover whether it has. Maybe there's someone out there that can tell me whether the Newsletter would be a good source or not.

The loan of photos would be welcome - particularly any that happened to have the excursion vessels that were following the events, in the same frame. You would be given credit for them in the book. 

Many people have helped provide helpful information to date, so enabling the project to get as far as it has. Their names will eventually appear in the book. Not withstanding this, I've decided to also give them due recognition, in advance, on this website. Therefore their names have been included here. If you are able to help with any of the queries listed above your name will also be recorded in recognition of your contribution. Thank you in advance.

wigpost +++ yahoo.co.uk  

The address has been modified as an anti-spam measure. Please substitute the usual "@" for the "+++" when you use it. Or you can write to: 66 Hillside Rd., Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 1QB. Your contribution, no matter how small, will be appreciated. Many thanks in anticipation. 

Alternatively, if you can think of someone else who might be able to help - please let them know that this website exists and what it is trying to achieve. 

PRINTING: These pages are wider than your default A4 portrait page set-up. Therefore switch to landscape before printing.

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