The Race

The race constists of approximately 11 teams of 6 members who steer and row 30 ton barges over a seven mile course for about 90 minutes from Greenwich to Westminster Bridge. Considerable skill is needed to pilot unpowered barges 'rowed under oars' or sweeps and ride tidal river currents alone, up river. The event commemorates the skills of Lightermen who moved freight this way along the Thames up until the 1930s and in a wider context it encourages ongoing interest in moving cargo via water and as a way to recruit younger people back into river trades.

The teams are normally made up of employees of Thames Lighterage companies, Port of London Authority or are sponsored by local businesses. The best places to view the race are Tower Bridge, London Bridge and Westminster Bridge.

Below is a short history & explanation of barge driving reproduced from an earlier Race Leaflet:

"Barge Driving has a long history, which goes back to the times when the river Thames, London's main thoroughfare, was used most economically for transporting the City's merchandise.

Barges were used to carry goods from the main docks below Tower Bridge to warehouses and distribution points along the river. Before the introduction of tugs, barges had to (and still have to !) be man handled by Lightermen, using long 'sweeps'... 26 feet long 'oars'.

Lightermen and Watermen have to be licensed to work on the river and must be well skilled in all aspects of safety when moving vessels. Having an extremely good knowledge of the river and its tides and currents are essential skills. They still obtain their skills and knowledge today by the time honoured, traditional apprenticeship, one of the few organisations still to use this well-proven method of training.

The Barge Driving Race, apart from being an annual spectacle, demonstrates the skills and strengths needed in handling these large steel barges. Together with the fact that London's River Thames can still be effectively used for cargo transport."