{"id":37375,"date":"2025-10-09T12:51:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T10:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/?p=37375"},"modified":"2026-05-28T10:16:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T08:16:28","slug":"the-great-river-race-2025-on-the-thames","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/the-great-river-race-2025-on-the-thames\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<iframe width=\"853\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Agm-Lt35Ibg?si=rATfU4yFKjuRFOo0\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Time lapse of the 2025 Great River Race.- shows the scale of the event<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Have You Ever Heard of the Great River Race<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No, nor had I until I was invited to attend as part of the safety fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In effect <a href=\"https:\/\/greatriverrace.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Great River Race<\/a> is London\u2019s River Marathon. It\u2019s a spectacular boat race covering 21.6 miles from Millwall in the East to Richmond in the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rules for this River Race are simple. There are fixed seats. Dragon boats are not allowed because they like to sink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rules are based on the Watermen principle. Each vessel must carry a passenger and a cox. It also needs a 3\u2019 x 2\u2019 flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event started in 1988 with 61 local boats. It has now grown into a major international event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Competitors from America, Australia, and many European countries are taking part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is the largest rowing race in the UK when you consider the number of people on the water at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where the RIBs come into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To keep this many rowers safe takes a herculean effort by the RIB community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.northernexposurerescue.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Northern Exposure Rescue<\/a> work with the <a href=\"https:\/\/pla.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Port of London<\/a> to assemble no less than 35 safety boats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the largest grouping of RIBs in England. It beats the Annual Pasty Run into 2nd place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only the Easdale Rendezvous tops it as far as meet-ups go across the British isles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(The story continues below the gallery. Click to enlarge the photo.<\/p>\n\n\n<div  id=\"jtg-37392\" class=\"modula modula-gallery modula-custom-grid\" data-config=\"{&quot;height&quot;:800,&quot;tabletHeight&quot;:800,&quot;mobileHeight&quot;:800,&quot;desktopHeight&quot;:800,&quot;enableTwitter&quot;:false,&quot;enableWhatsapp&quot;:false,&quot;enableFacebook&quot;:false,&quot;enablePinterest&quot;:false,&quot;enableLinkedin&quot;:false,&quot;enableEmail&quot;:false,&quot;randomFactor&quot;:0.5,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;custom-grid&quot;,&quot;columns&quot;:12,&quot;gutter&quot;:10,&quot;mobileGutter&quot;:10,&quot;tabletGutter&quot;:10,&quot;desktopGutter&quot;:10,&quot;enableResponsive&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;tabletColumns&quot;:2,&quot;mobileColumns&quot;:1,&quot;lazyLoad&quot;:0,&quot;lightboxOpts&quot;:{&quot;animated&quot;:true,&quot;Thumbs&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;modern&quot;,&quot;showOnStart&quot;:false,&quot;position&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;},&quot;Toolbar&quot;:{&quot;display&quot;:{&quot;right&quot;:[&quot;fullscreen&quot;,&quot;slideshow&quot;,&quot;close&quot;],&quot;left&quot;:[&quot;infobar&quot;]},&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;Carousel&quot;:{&quot;Panzoom&quot;:{&quot;touch&quot;:true},&quot;infinite&quot;:true,&quot;transition&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;},&quot;keyboard&quot;:{&quot;Escape&quot;:&quot;close&quot;,&quot;Delete&quot;:&quot;close&quot;,&quot;Backspace&quot;:&quot;close&quot;,&quot;PageUp&quot;:&quot;next&quot;,&quot;PageDown&quot;:&quot;prev&quot;,&quot;ArrowUp&quot;:&quot;prev&quot;,&quot;ArrowDown&quot;:&quot;next&quot;,&quot;ArrowRight&quot;:&quot;next&quot;,&quot;ArrowLeft&quot;:&quot;prev&quot;},&quot;wheel&quot;:&quot;slide&quot;,&quot;touch&quot;:true,&quot;backdropClick&quot;:&quot;close&quot;,&quot;l10n&quot;:{&quot;CLOSE&quot;:&quot;Close&quot;,&quot;NEXT&quot;:&quot;Next&quot;,&quot;PREV&quot;:&quot;Previous&quot;,&quot;Error&quot;:&quot;The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.&quot;,&quot;PLAY_START&quot;:&quot;Start slideshow&quot;,&quot;PLAY_STOP&quot;:&quot;Pause slideshow&quot;,&quot;FULL_SCREEN&quot;:&quot;Full screen&quot;,&quot;THUMBS&quot;:&quot;Thumbnails&quot;,&quot;DOWNLOAD&quot;:&quot;Download&quot;,&quot;SHARE&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;ZOOM&quot;:&quot;Zoom&quot;,&quot;EMAIL&quot;:&quot;Here is the link to the image : %%image_link%% and this is the link to the gallery : %%gallery_link%%&quot;,&quot;MODAL&quot;:&quot;You can close this modal content with the ESC key&quot;,&quot;ERROR&quot;:&quot;Something Went Wrong, Please Try Again Later&quot;,&quot;IMAGE_ERROR&quot;:&quot;Image Not Found&quot;,&quot;ELEMENT_NOT_FOUND&quot;:&quot;HTML Element Not Found&quot;,&quot;AJAX_NOT_FOUND&quot;:&quot;Error Loading AJAX : Not Found&quot;,&quot;AJAX_FORBIDDEN&quot;:&quot;Error Loading AJAX : Forbidden&quot;,&quot;IFRAME_ERROR&quot;:&quot;Error Loading Page&quot;,&quot;TOGGLE_ZOOM&quot;:&quot;Toggle zoom level&quot;,&quot;TOGGLE_THUMBS&quot;:&quot;Toggle thumbnails&quot;,&quot;TOGGLE_SLIDESHOW&quot;:&quot;Toggle slideshow&quot;,&quot;TOGGLE_FULLSCREEN&quot;:&quot;Toggle full-screen mode&quot;},&quot;Images&quot;:{&quot;Panzoom&quot;:{&quot;maxScale&quot;:2}},&quot;toolbar&quot;:true,&quot;animationEffect&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;transitionEffect&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;,&quot;Html&quot;:{&quot;videoAutoplay&quot;:0,&quot;videoTpl&quot;:&quot;&lt;video class=\\&quot;fancybox__html5video modula_html5_video\\&quot; controls playsinline controlsList=\\&quot;nodownload\\&quot; poster=\\&quot;{{poster}}\\&quot; src=\\&quot;{{src}}\\&quot; type=\\&quot;{{format}}\\&quot; &gt;  Sorry, your browser doesn&#039;t support embedded videos, &lt;a href=\\&quot;{{src}}\\&quot;&gt; download &lt;\\\/a&gt; and watch with your favorite video player! &lt;\\\/video&gt;&quot;,&quot;vimeo&quot;:{&quot;autopause&quot;:0}},&quot;Slideshow&quot;:{&quot;playOnStart&quot;:false,&quot;pauseOnHover&quot;:true,&quot;timeout&quot;:2000},&quot;mainClass&quot;:&quot;modula-fancybox-container modula-lightbox-jtg-37392&quot;},&quot;inView&quot;:false,&quot;email_subject&quot;:&quot;Check out this awesome image !!&quot;,&quot;email_message&quot;:&quot;Here is the link to the image : %%image_link%% and this is the link to the gallery : %%gallery_link%%&quot;,&quot;lightbox&quot;:&quot;fancybox&quot;,&quot;filterClick&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;dropdownFilters&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;defaultActiveFilter&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;initLightbox&quot;:&quot;modula_pro_init_lightbox&quot;,&quot;haveFilters&quot;:0,&quot;options&quot;:{&quot;lightbox&quot;:&quot;fancybox&quot;},&quot;enableSlideshow&quot;:true,&quot;enableAutoplay&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;slideshowSpeed&quot;:2000,&quot;pauseOnHover&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;pagination&quot;:false,&quot;images_per_page&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;images_count&quot;:5,&quot;lightbox_devices&quot;:&quot;both&quot;}\">\n\n\t\n\t<div  class=\"modula-items\">\n\t\t<div class=\"modula-item jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" data-width=\"2\" data-height=\"2\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<a data-image-id=\"37397\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-37392\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames Nutkin at the start&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-Nutkin-start-300x300.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-37397\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat\" data-full=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-Nutkin-start.jpg\" title=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames Nutkin start\" crop=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-Nutkin-start-300x300.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-Nutkin-start-300x300.jpg\" data-caption=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames Nutkin at the start\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" data-width=\"2\" data-height=\"2\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<a data-image-id=\"37395\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-37392\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames Northern Exposure Rescue RIBs&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-NER-RIBs-300x300.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-37395\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat\" data-full=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-NER-RIBs.jpg\" title=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames NER RIBs\" crop=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-NER-RIBs-300x300.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-NER-RIBs-300x300.jpg\" data-caption=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames Northern Exposure Rescue RIBs\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" data-width=\"2\" data-height=\"2\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<a data-image-id=\"37400\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-37392\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames Nutkin in front of an impressive frigate&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-Nutkin-frigate-300x300.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-37400\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"\" data-full=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-Nutkin-frigate.jpg\" title=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames Nutkin frigate\" crop=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-Nutkin-frigate-300x300.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-Nutkin-frigate-300x300.jpg\" data-caption=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames Nutkin in front of an impressive frigate\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" data-width=\"2\" data-height=\"2\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<a data-image-id=\"37394\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-37392\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames overview&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-NE-GRR-300x300.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-37394\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat\" data-full=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-NE-GRR.jpg\" title=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames NER GRR\" crop=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-NE-GRR-300x300.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-NE-GRR-300x300.jpg\" data-caption=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames overview\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"modula-item jtg-filter-all jtg-filter-\" data-width=\"2\" data-height=\"2\" >\n\t<div class=\"modula-item-content\">\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<a data-image-id=\"37393\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"jtg-37392\" data-caption=\"&lt;span class=&quot;modula-caption-description&quot;&gt;The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames overview&lt;\/span&gt;\" aria-label=\"Open image in lightbox\" data-thumb=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-GRR-view-300x300.jpg\" class=\"tile-inner modula-item-link\"><\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pic wp-image-37393\"  data-valign=\"middle\" data-halign=\"center\" alt=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat\" data-full=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-GRR-view.jpg\" title=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames GRR view\" crop=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-GRR-view-300x300.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/spcdn.shortpixel.ai\/spio\/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_webp,s_webp\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Great-River-Race-2025-on-the-Thames-GRR-view-300x300.jpg\" data-caption=\"The Great River Race 2025 on the Thames overview\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\n\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t{\n\t\t\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t\t\"@type\"   : \"ImageGallery\",\n\t\t\"id\"      : \"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/the-great-river-race-2025-on-the-thames\/#modula-gallery-37392\",\n\t\t\"url\"     : \"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/the-great-river-race-2025-on-the-thames\/\"\n\t}\n\n\t<\/script>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team are split into three groups, Static, Mobile and Task:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Task group are used to bounce around the fleet, supporting where ever an additional resource is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mobile group is allocated a slot in the race line. They escort the rowers up the river. They try to ensure there is a safety boat in view at all times. The maximum response time is three minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Static Group are allocated bridges and hazards, acting as a guard boat and directing traffic accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For 2025 we were initially allocated a static role, sitting between London Bridge and Cannon Street Railway Bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rowers of the River Race must keep to the North Bank due to the rest of the river traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It sounds easy when the flow of boats coming through isn\u2019t that busy. However, once mid flow is reached, there are boats everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They try to push their way through, around, and, in some cases, over others!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My Highfield Patrol 600<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) is a superb guard boat due to its impressive presence in the water, deck space and seating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 26 degree bow rise ensures users, low in the water in row boats, have a visible block in front of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were able to use the front console seat for the crew member. They were tasked with waving, shouting, and encouraging direction changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We used the rear bench seat for the photographer we also had on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was going to be a long day afloat. We decided to launch the evening before. We also booked the RIB into Greenwich Yacht Club for the Friday and Saturday nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The venue isn\u2019t far from the start. However, it is a deceptively long way from the finish or launch point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is due to the speed restrictions on areas of the Thames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That said it\u2019s a lovely cruise down the river with plenty to see and enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The venue has an all states pontoon. There is a slipway that can be used at all times except low tide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also features a superb bar that serves Sunday lunches among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were staying overnight. We were planning a Sunday river trip to the end of the estuary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The storage on the Patrol 600 was tested to its extreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The front anchor locker contained the usual anchor, chain, and warp. It also had additional tow lines for the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Longer lines were included to be used as springs. There were extra lines because who knows how mooring was going to be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The front locker carried the usual small fenders, buckets, and a fire extinguisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also contained a jiggle pump for fuel transfer, a large drogue, and the issued Highfield paddles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The locker built into the console itself is pretty big. For this trip, we managed to store an additional 50l of fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We used 30 and 25 l containers. We also stored the console and seat covers and three large foam fenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rear locker was also packed full with two overnight bags, first aid kit, tool kit, and spare lifejackets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also contained emergency blankets and the photographer\u2019s spare bag. They don\u2019t travel light!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year the mix of safety fleet boats covered most manufacturers. Highfield was well represented as was Ribcraft and Humber with a smattering of most other manufactures thrown in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story continues below the gallery (click to enlarge the photos).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The river can be pretty unforgiving. The Western areas can see some pretty rough waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The high speed ferries throw up a mean wash. After it hits the river walls and bounces back, it meets the next wash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This interaction throws some impressive waves. These waves can catch out an unsuspecting helm, both of a safety boat and a racer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fastest was Caradon Gig club in 2 hours 22 minutes. This didn\u2019t mean they won. They actually only came 4th as the event runs a handicap system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This gave them a run time of 3:11. The Four Oars Rowing club took the overall win at 3:07, with an actual run time of 2:54!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of driving to London, launching, racing, and recovering, a few of the boats stayed the extra night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They headed off to enjoy the lower estuary on Sunday morning. The area is a great place to explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once through the Thames barrier, calling London VTS and asking for permission is a simple task. There are a range of historic buildings and new builds to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You will also find ancient floodgates and newer style barriers. They are nestled in amongst salt marshes and commercial areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A couple of old forts are visible (Tilbury, Coalhouse, Cliffe, and the remains of Nore Sea Fort). Guns still point out to sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s worth remembering that this area is the first line of nature\u2019s protection for 1.42 million people and \u00a3321 billion worth of infrastructure. Makes you wonder why it\u2019s being built on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were planning to get out as far as the Maunsell Forts. They are around 40 nautical miles from Greenwich. Alas, the tide and carvery lunches wait for no man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So we returned back up the river. We continued to explore the large container ports and ancient docks. We plan to visit the Forts another day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All in all, we travelled 150 nautical miles over the long weekend. According to the onboard computer, we managed to use all 140 l on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The screens went to zero just as we reached the slipway for the journey home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Thames is a great place to go ribbing. There\u2019s plenty to do and plenty to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, there are very few places to launch, stop, get out, drink tea, and enjoy a walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the views from the water are just superb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Picture credits: Northern Exposure Rescue, Miles Hill, Anthony Hadaway and myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The video was published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@AdamTate4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the <strong>Adam Tate<\/strong> YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meet more RIBs ONLY authors: <a href=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/ribs-only-author-meet-robin-kilroy\/\">Robin Kilroy<\/a> (aka <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@VISTATREKKER\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VISTATREKKER<\/a>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/ribs-only-author-meet-roy-andersen\/\">Roy Anderson<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rib-adventure.no\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rib-adventure.no<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proud to share that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highfieldboats.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Highfield<\/a> is a good Friend of RIBs ONLY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Specs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td>Overall length<\/td><td>6.17 m<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Internal length<\/td><td>4.49 m<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Overall width<\/td><td>2.58 m<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Internal width<\/td><td>1.32 m<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Dead rise<\/td><td>26\u00b0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tube diameter<\/td><td>54 cm<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Number of air chambers<\/td><td>6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Maximum load*<\/td><td>1,200 kg<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Maximum engine weight<\/td><td>30 kg<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Maximum people<\/td><td>15<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Boat only weight**<\/td><td>762 kg<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fuel tank<\/td><td>140 l<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Maximum hp<\/td><td>150 hp<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Engine shaft<\/td><td>XL Single<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Design category<\/td><td>C***<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.highfieldboats.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">source<\/a>, data may vary)<br>**boat, console &amp; standard seating only<br>*Maximum load includes crew &amp; cargo &#8211; it does not include engine weight, fuel or water<br>***<a href=\"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/does-a-rib-exist-with-ce-a-certification-mine-has-b\/\">discover what this means<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Time lapse of the 2025 Great River Race.- shows the scale of the event Have You Ever Heard of the Great River Race No, nor had I until I was invited to attend as part of the safety fleet. In effect The Great River Race is London\u2019s River Marathon. It\u2019s a spectacular boat race covering 21.6 miles from Millwall in&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[75,572,58,115,38,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-highfield-boats","category-andy-squirrell","category-honda","category-humber","category-ribcraft","category-video"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37375\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ribsonly.com\/2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}