Marjorie

It is interesting at this stage, with just one race left to go in the Championship (The Colne Match), to check out the Championship positions. The maximum points for a barge in any one race are 8, which you pick up for all the ‘milestones’ round the course – starting, best away, first round the outer mark, class wins, overall wins and so on. This means you can actually win the course overall but not obtain maximum points. It is interesting this year particularly because there are so many barges in the running what with the returning racers such as Niagara and Thalatta. 24 barges make it to the points table all be it some with just the one race to their name such as Adieu, Centaur, Cygnet, Greta, Dinah, Orinoco, Lady Daphne, Thalatta and Victor. I’m not knocking them here, you understand. These are expensive, historic boats which are also, in some cases the family home or livelihood and the weather can make the risk not worth the pleasure of racing, or the need to make a living in a tricky season might preclude taking the 3-4 days out of work to get to, compete in and get home again from these matches. We all love to see a good turn-out but we understand when a barge can’t be in the Fleet.

Marjorie racing in the Southend Match 2012 where she scored 7 points, Picture by Dave Brooks.

Leading up to now is Edith May who scored points in 6 matches and did well in the Passage Match (7 points), the Blackwater (7), the Thames (6) and the recent Southend (8). Their total is now 34 points. The rules are such that you can discard your worst score for the year but that happens after the Colne when you know all your scores for the year. The discard would currently be the zero points from the Swale, for Edith May, so they’d still be leading. 2^nd in the Championship on account of consistent point scoring and being there in every race, is Lady of the Lea who did well in the Medway, the Passage, Blackwater and Southend. 3^rd is Repertor who get reasonable places in most races although never the highest scores and 4^th is Edme who scored maximum (8) in the Medway and also did well in the Blackwater and Thames.

Our own old girl, Cambria is down there at 7^th after picking up 6 points each in the Medway and the Thames. I believe we are entered in the Colne. New girl and class rival (Big mulie bowsprit rig), Thalatta also did well in her one race, the Thames (beating Cambria in the points) Total 7, leaving her 13^th equal with Pudge.

Looking ‘down the table’ in the other direction (per race), top points were as follows.

Medway : Edme (8)

Passage : Edith May (7)

Pin Mill : Mirosa (7)

Blackwater : Edith May = Edme (7 each)

Thames : Thalatta (7)

Swale : Cabby = Mirosa (8 each)

Southend : Edith May (8)

Full results table is on http://www.sailingbargeassociation.co.uk/championship2012.html

Thanks Dave Brooks for the lovely picture of Marjorie competing in the Southend Match where she scored 7 points, matching the score of Lady of the Lea, 2nd equal to Edith May (8).

Niagara wins her Class in the 2012 Southend Match, photo by Dave Brooks.

Tonight’s post is a report by Dave Brooks on the Southend Match. He writes, “I think it is safe to say that I won’t be breaking any barge naming records with the Southend Match report. Sadly due to the weather leading up to the day of the match barges expected to be present were unable to attend. We arrived in Southend at 8.30 and there were no barges at all. However the Kent based barges Niagara, Marjorie, Edith May and Lady of the Lea were soon to be spotted coming out of the Medway to save the day. Originally it was thought that all the barges would start in the same class. However, the barge championship is a serious matter and Marjorie and Lady of the Lea opted to race in in classes of one. After a hard fought match both barges prevailed and won their classes. Niagara and Edith May fought in a head to head for the stays’l class, and for a while it was an interesting race. Niagara started well but Edith May overhauled her and it stayed that way until the half way point. Niagara made the best of the tides to win her second successive Class Win since rejoining the fleet. Marjorie was first to the outer mark and first barge home. Lady of the Lea sailed well and wasn’t too far off the pace at the end. Edith May was first barge over the start line and won the seamanship prize. The lack of barges was dissapointing but none the less the sailing was impressive and Niagara treated the spectators with a close in sail by to remember, possibly one of the crew needed to get ashore quickly. Next year is the 50th Southend Match. Let’s hope we see a good attendance, and perhaps even get our girl along for the ride”.

Well said, Dave!

Tag: Marjorie

The Championship so far

Southend Match