Port of London Authority team wins annual Thames barge race
A PORT of London Authority (PLA) team won the annual Transport on Water (TOW) Barge Race on the Thames.
The five-strong team raced the 11-tonne unpowered barge, Blackwall, using the tide and oars to race between the palaces of Greenwich and Westminster in just one hour, 52 minutes.
Competing crews passed London landmarks including the towers of Canary Wharf, Tower Bridge, the Shard, Tate Modern and the London Eye. En route they had to navigate alongside moored barges to collect marker flags.
"The Barge Race is a highlight of the river calendar," said Mark Towens, who navigated Blackwall through central London. "It draws on the traditional skills of the waterman, working the tide to move the barge upriver. We're really proud to have won."