Every summer, usually at the beginning of August, a large fleet of traditional boats congregate on the River Swale, at the mouth of Faversham Creek, for the Swale Smack and Sailing Barge Match.
The event is organised by the Kentish Sail Association and attracts craft from far and wide. It race is reported both nationally and internationally and produces many spectacular pictures.
Unfortunately, one of the places that tends not to report it is Faversham itself. The event rarely gets a mention in the local newspapers. We present here some images from the 2018 event taken by Seamus Masters, a well known local photographer.
This year the 48th Match will be held on the 10th of August and further details will follow in a later edition. The Faversham Eye also hopes to offer some places on boats actually competing in the race.