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The Clipper Round The World Yacht Race finished in spectacular style on 12 July in St Katherine Docks. The 40,000-mile race that started in London in September 2013 is the longest race of its kind. Race organisers supply the 12 state-of-the-art, stripped-down 70ft racing yachts with national, amateur teams

 

led by fully qualified skippers. The formal procession took place with the 12 racing yachts parading up the Thames and the first three through Tower Bridge, with the river traffic controlled by the PLA’s Deputy Harbour Master.

 
 
 

The PLA’s Gravesend base was an early destination for newly-appointed Shipping and Ports Minister, Rt Hon John Hayes MP who visited to see first-hand one of the UK’s busiest ports in action.

Covering over 6,000 square miles, the Thames is the UK’s largest Vessel Traffic Services area with port operations generating more than 40,000 full time jobs and over £3 billion for the UK economy annually.

As part of the visit, the Minister, whose grandfather was a Thames waterman, boarded a PLA harbour

 

launch to view tankers, container ships and bulk carriers loading and unloading essential UK exports and imports and in the London Port Control Centre every year.
 
 
 

When specialised tanker, Theodora called at Imperial Jetty in Gravesend during August, she became the first ship to deliver a cargo there in over ten years.

Infrastructure services company, FM Conway, has made a multi-million pound investment developing a new bitumen import operation at the site. The refurbishment to jetty and tank farm included completely stripping out and re-cladding the tanks, running new pipework, improving tanker loading facilities and security.

  

 
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Port of London Authority, London River House, Royal Pier Road, Gravesend, Kent DA12 2BG. +44 (0) 1474 562200
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