THAMES BARGE RACING

A Thames sailing barge was a type of commercial sailing boat common on the River Thames in London in the 19th century. The flat-bottomed barges were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narrow rivers.

The barges also traded much further afield, to the north of England, the South Coast and even to continental European ports. Cargoes varied enormously: bricks, mud, hay,rubbish, sand, coal and grain, for example.

Today on Sunday 25th April Model Thames Barges were sailing with the Scale sails. These are heavy slow boats, with heavy keels. But when the wind is right they invariably show no mercy, if you unwittingly get in the way, barging their way through to the finish.