Connaught Cup at Upper Thames Sailing Club

Garvin & Brenda Pollock in 'Snoggledog' win the Connaught Cup © Patrick Walmsley

With The Upper Thames Sailing Club’s 2004 season well under way, Good Friday saw the first of the clubs major cups sailed for, “The Connaught Cup”.

The Connaught Cup was first presented to UTSC as a trophy by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn in 1894. It has been competed for every year since, except during the World Wars. Prince Arthur, as well as his sailing interests had a long and distinguished career in the British Army, perhaps inspired by his God Father Arthur Wesley better known as the Duke of Wellington. The Duke of Connaught was often referred to as Queen Victoria’s “favourite” son and was the President of The Upper Thames Sailing Club from 1893 to 1942.

Good Friday’s cup race was competed for by 10 boats with the wind light and intermittent from the North West, giving the sailors quite a challenge. The object of the race is to complete a ‘Nine mile’ course in under ‘Four hours’. An up stream course was laid, as sadly due to the recent expansion of the marina moorings, a large part of the river downstream of the club has been denied to navigation not only to the sailing club but other river users as well. The competing boats had individual class starts and it took a number of roundings to ascertain who was in the lead. By the 5th lap it was evident that three boats were in contention, “Pieces of Eight” a Wayfarer crewed by Martin Paul Collen and UTSC’s Commodore Terry Palmer, “Good Vibrations” an OK crewed by Gareth Thompson and “Snoggledog” an international 14 crewed by Brenda and Ex-Commodore Garvin Pollock. In the 6th and final lap there was a good deal of position changing with the eventual winner “Snoggledog” Brenda and Garvin Pollock, second “Pieces of Eight” Martin Paul Collen and Terry Palmer and 3rd “Good Vibrations” Gareth Thompson.

Apart from the clubs Sunday racing and Wednesday evening series, Upper Thames Sailing Club has a very full calendar of events with the annual OK open meeting next on the 24th.-25th. April. The main event of the year is the traditional “Bourne End Week”, May 29th. to 2nd. June. The club is expecting many visiting boats as well as those of club members. Last year 64 boats of various classes competed for the many trophies that are given during the week. On the final day the main race is for the Queens Cup. Queen Victoria donated and presented this cup for the first time in 1893 and it has been competed for since in “Bourne End Week”. The appearance of the “Thames A Rater” fleet is always a magnificent sight and this year will see the fully restored “Ulva” in action. “Ulva” was built in 1898 and incidentally won the “Connaught Cup” in 1899 and went on to do so three more times in succession, a record.

There will certainly be a lot of boating of all kinds on the river with the weather now set to improve, it is hoped that the discussions between the Environment Agency and the Marina developers will culminate in the return of the downstream navigable river for all river users in the near future.

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