27 May 2008 15:45
Wave power: E.ON sponsors seamanship award for centenary sailing race
Up to 20 river barges - some more than a century old, alongside veterans of the Dunkirk rescues - will be gathering off the Kent coastline this weekend for the 100th Medway Barge Sailing Match.
The four classes of river barge, with craft dating back to the early 1900s, can reach speeds of up to 12 knots on the 29-mile course running from the Hoo Peninsula out into the Thames on Saturday 31st May.
And crews competing in the centenary race of the veteran riverboats are in line to challenge for the Seamanship Pennant award which this year is sponsored by E.ON, one of the UK's largest power companies.
"E.ON is the company that operates Kingsnorth and Grain Power Stations," said Plant Manager Alan Sanderson, "and we are delighted to again sponsor the Seamanship Pennant in the Medway Barge Sailing Match centenary year."
"The River Medway has been the lifeblood of our stations for over 35 years and with our new and proposed power stations on the peninsula, we hope to continue to be part of Medway life for the next 30 years."
The Medway Seamanship Pennant recognises the part played by the crew during the Match.
The barges competing range from 45ft in length to 125ft and would have spent their working lives transporting goods from around the English coast and the continent into London and the Medway Ports.
Race fundraiser Ray Rush said: "Not only does this Match provide us with a tangible link to our past river and coastal trading, it demonstrates the versatility of the craft, being both cargo carriers and racers alike.
"We are grateful to E.ON and all of our sponsors for helping us to reach this magnificent 100-year mark. With this being our centenary we are looking to have 20 barges in four classes to race."
Ends
Notes to editors:
- E.ON's new gas-fired power station at Grain is currently under construction and will be one of the world's largest combined heat and power plants. It will generate enough electricity for around one million homes and displace the emission of up to 350,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year (equivalent to taking around 100,000 cars off the UK's roads) through the provision of excess heat to the nearby LNG facility..
- E.ON is planning to replace the existing coal-fired units at Kingsnorth Power Station with two new cleaner coal units that will produce power from coal far more efficiently and far more cleanly than ever before in the UK.
For further information contact:
Andrew Barrow on 024 7618 3677
A selection of E.ON UK images is available free of charge to the media by registering at www.newscast.co.uk.