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. 2nd 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. 3rd is Repertor who get reasonable places in most races although never the highest scores and 4th 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 7th 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 13th 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).