25. The Great River Race, 16 September 2023

 

28 Bridges, 21.6 miles, 300 crews from across the world including rowing clubs, pubs, schools, boating societies and the armed services, thousands of spectators - London’s River Marathon

Water Forget-me-not, the traditional Thames Watermen’s Cutter belonging to the Water Conservators, joined other Livery Companies and their cutters to compete with hundreds of other fixed seat craft.  The race is organised by the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames.  It is based on the Watermen tradition and each crew carries at least one passenger and cox, along with a 3’ x 2’ flag.  I stepped forward as the passenger, having tried to reduce weight over the preceding month to avoid excess baggage.

We entered the water at Greenwich as the fastest teams start at the back, ie furthest downstream.  Our start was not auspicious when, after casting off, the incoming tide caused us to bump an Uber Boat catamaran.  From our vantage point of a few centimetres above water level, they can appear quite frightening.  Fortunately it was stationary and we were not swallowed whole, but it reinforced the message of the strength of the river currents.

We prepared ourselves for the other challenges on the river.  These included a Viking Cruise ship which we did manage to avoid. Greenwich, bustling with excited passengers and large suitcases, presented more of a challenge.

The team then put in some practice as they established a rhythm for the next few hours.

The many various craft gathered at Millwall while we waited for the start.  Each team had a GPS tracker so that their location could be recorded every minute.  This also enabled the race officials to determine when each boat crossed the start line, as with so many participants it took ten minutes at least to cross.  It was not helped by not all the boats pointing in the same direction.

At 12.45 we were off and the crew quickly settled into a steady rhythm, led by the cox and set by the stroke (rower closest to the stern). 

Soon we were meeting and passing boats from a range of countries and clubs.

As we approached Tower Bridge and the Pool of London the huge flotilla was directed to the starboard side and the boats jostled for position.  Blades clashed and pleasantries exchanged.

Through the Pool of London and London Bridge we faced the roughest water as we passed over the site of the old London Bridge and met river traffic heading in the opposite direction.  I was prepared to start my bailing duty but we cut through the waves at great speed and took little water on board.

At this stage we were neck to neck (bow to bow?) with one of our fellow cutters, weaving between our competitors and avoiding barges and bridges. They overtook, then we undertook.  The pressure and determination showed on the faces of the crews.

The crew kept the pace up, the cox counting up to twenty strokes and repeating.  That rhythm and determination meant that eventually we overtook and left behind our competition. 

The marshalls kept a watchful eye on everyone.  They blasted out on whistles and clearly indicated which way to go. I think that is what they were saying.  At intervals we encountered bottle necks as boats were squeezed to one side of the river. 

We had a close encounter with the Rotterdam which possibly temporarily compromised international relations but it was soon forgotten.

One we passed Westminster the river opened up and the boats became spaced out.  We had skilfully navigated our way through many of the slower boats and at least I could look out for the variety of participating boats and nationalities.

I tried to recognise the participating nationalities from their flags but it was all Dutch to me.

We also caught up with Jubilant which we had accompanied to Greenwich the previous week with a Strontium Atomic Clock.

Boats carried an amazing range of crews including nuns and coffee pots.

The crew did a super job keeping up the pace for two and a half hours non-stop.  They took it in turns for a quick break for water but no momentum was lost

Finally we passed the finishing line and time to relax.  It had been an amazing journey and I was honoured to be the passenger for such an experience.

A celebration was called for in a riverside pub in Twickenham.  The long craved for water, shandy and beer were most welcome.  After refreshment we joined the many other crews for music and food.  We had a great catch up with members of the two Bristol Gig teams who Eileen and I have known for many years.

And who won?  There was a great show of all the prizes ranging from a huge rudder to a 90cm high shell case.  Unfortunately, due to a technical glitch they were unable to calculate the winners on the evening.  But to me it was easy, everyone who participated was a winner, sharing international camaraderie and enjoying the benefits of a day racing on the river.  Not any river but the Great River, the Thames.