After well over 130 years, the Thames A-Rater class endures as a living link between Victorian yachting and modern dinghy sailing. Few, if any, other sailing classes can claim that boats from the 1890s are not only still sailed, but are competitive alongside those built in the 21st century. This unique situation arises from the A-Rater community’s reverence for tradition coupled with an embrace of smart innovation. As one commentator observed, the class “offers an unusual combination of traditional classic craftsmanship blended with cutting edge technology”sail-world.com. It’s not nostalgia alone that keeps A-Raters on the water – it’s also the genuine thrill these boats provide. They remain the high-performance sailing craft of the Thames. The sight of an A-Rater under full sail – slender hull carving through the river, gigantic main and jib drawing steady above the tree-line, crew perched on wire or gunwale – can stop passersby in their tracks. It is a scene that connects generations: one can imagine a 1890s Thames boatman tipping his cap at Ulva flying by, just as today a paddle-boarder might gape at Spindrift or Vagabond streaking past.
The competitive spirit is as keen as ever. The Queen’s Cup is still hotly contested each year, and winning it etches one’s name into a trophy alongside those of Edwardian gentlemen and legendary sailors – a real feather in the cap for any racer. At the same time, there is a strong ethic of cooperation off the water. The class is small (by necessity of cost and complexity, it will likely always remain a niche of a few dozen boats)raterassociation.co.uk, which means everyone knows everyone. If a boat has a breakdown, rival crews readily lend a hand or a spare part. If an old hull needs a home, the network activates to find a solution. This camaraderie has been key to the A-Raters’ survival through hard times.
In an age where technology moves fast and sailing trends come and go, the Thames A-Rater stands out as an enduring classic. It has outlived the rule that gave it birth (the 1887 rating rule was replaced in the 20th century by new measurement rules, but the Raters kept their name and format) and even its original purpose (few nowadays sail to “win a gentleman’s wager” or for the patronage of a Queen, but the sport remains). The boat that was once cutting-edge in 1890 is still cutting through the water in 2025, giving joy to those who sail and watch. As long as there are sailors on the Thames who love a challenge, who respect history, and who aren’t afraid of a 45-foot mast on a 8-meter boat, the Thames A-Raters will continue to flourish. They carry with them the legacy of Victorian craftsmen, the fingerprints of innovators like Burgoine and Hope, and the competitive memories of countless Bourne End duels. In doing so, they remind us that innovation in sailing is not just about what’s new – sometimes it’s about how you can keep improving and preserving the best ideas of the past. The Thames A-Rater, graceful and bold, is living proof that some designs truly stand the test of time, given a community devoted to their future.
In the words of one class historian, these boats are “a direct link with the dawn of competitive small boat sailing”thamessailingclub.co.uk – and with each tack and gybe on the Thames, they are also a link to sailing’s future, proving that the spirit of innovation and adventure on the water is very much alive and well.
Sources:
Thames A-Rater Association – Class History and Boat Descriptionsraterassociation.co.uk
raterassociation.co.uk
thames-sailingclub-history.thecomputerguy-it.co.uk
thames-sailingclub-history.thecomputerguy-it.co.uk
Thames Sailing Club archives – Club History and Vagabond Centenary Articlesthamessailingclub.co.uk
thamessailingclub.co.uk
thamessailingclub.co.uk
Upper Thames SC and YachtsandYachting reports – Regatta reports and technical notes on A-Raterssail-world.com
thedailysail.com
thames-sailingclub-history.thecomputerguy-it.co.uk
Ingrid Holford, A Century of Sailing on the Thames (TSC, 1970) and Mark Laity, 150 Years of Sailing on the Thames (2020) – contextual historical accountsthames-sailingclub-history.thecomputerguy-it.co.uk
publications.aston.ac.uk.
Various news articles and research papers on Thames A-Rater design and performancepublications.aston.ac.uk
publications.aston.ac.uk, including innovations (trapeze, sliding seat) and modern restoration effortsthames-sailingclub-history.thecomputerguy-it.co.uk
thedailysail.com.
