150th Anniversary Thames Sailing Barge Match

Reputed to be the second oldest sporting event in the world, the annual Thames Match for the river's traditional sailing barges was started in 1863. The 2013 race may well be its last, as expense and burocracy are becoming harder and harder to overcome.
Despite the lack of wind, it was a fantastic day, and the finish at Erith was a fine spectacle which was particularly poignant as the race had not been finished there for some 120 years.
Sadly the spritsail barge, symbol of the working river for centuries, no longer has a place on the Thames except under power. What have we lost...? Here's hoping that somehow the race will survive to start again next year.