Up River Race 2024 Report by Richard Chitty

18 Scows, a Laser and a Topper gathered at Needs Ore for the start of the Up River Race.  The conditions were looking favourable with a fresh south-easterly wind and a strong flood tide.   5 other scows planned to sail up independently and so set off early.

Gerard Downes was Race Officer with Peter Marling-Roberts assisting him on the platform.  Given the wind direction, the course was set with a turning mark just short of the Bay of Pigs to ensure a windward start.  With a starboard hand bias to it, there was fierce competition to get as close to the platform end of the line as possible.

After the start, there was some tight beating up the southern shoreline with frequent hails of ‘Starboard’ as the fleet slowly made its way against the strong tide to the turning mark.  Initially six scows managed to get around the mark and formed the lead group to head up the river towards Gins.  This group was led by Jay Devonshire and included Symon Stratton with his son Sebastian, Red Johnson with his daughter Cloe, Mary Montagu-Scott with Claudia Downes, Henry Nurton with Lola McCafferty, and myself.

With the wind behind, the lead group kept to the main channel to take maximum advantage of the current.  Symon Shaw managed to break away from the following group of scows and caught up with the lead group as it arrived at Gins.  I took a gamble and decided to go inside the river pontoons on the next reach rather than stay in the main channel.  Unfortunately it did not pay and the lead group kept clear ahead of the main group all the way to Bucklers Hard. There, the new marina pontoons, which restrict the width of the river,becalmed the lead group in the lee of the trees and allowed the rest of the fleet to catch up.  Symon Shaw managed to drift into the lead group as they emerged from the doldrums and into the clear air beyond the pontoons.

From then on the trees continued to become a major factor in the race with the big question as to whether to continue to take advantage of the flood tide by staying in the main channel or to head to the sides of the river where the wind was stronger.  Fortunately for the lead group, they were beginning to catchup with the scows that had set off early, so they were able to see what the wind was doing up ahead and position themselves accordingly.

Jay, Symon, Red and Simon Shaw all at one stage took the lead on the way past Keepings and on up to Bailey’s Hard.  Mary had by this time slipped back but she, along with Victoria Bonham Carter managed to catch up again with the lead group as they reached Oxleys.  It was then that I somehow managed to get ahead of Jay and kept the lead past Carpenters Dock and across the finish line at Bignalls.  Jay was second with Symon Stratton third, Simon Shaw fourth, Mary fifth and Victoria BC sixth.

The previous time I’d won the Up River Race was 46 years ago in 1978 when a much younger version of myself with much more hair, was presented with the Pleydell-Bouverie Oar by the great lady herself!

Maria Stratton and her family laid on an excellent buffet lunchand tea at Friars Oak which was thoroughly enjoyed and much appreciated.  Our thanks must also go to Gerard and Peter for running the race; to Rupert Stratton, Simon Gibbs and Ned Neve as Beachmasters at Needs Ore; to Peter Hayward-Broomfield, Michael Stevenson, Peter Bettridge and Annabel Liebat for providing safety cover; and to Vova Karavan for transporting all the launching trolleys to Rope Factory Field. Also to Sara Steele for the use of her jetty to finish the race.