THE BOWS OF CLASSIC CRAFT ARE TURNING TOWARDS YORKE PENINSULA'S SALTWATER CLASSIC
Wooden and classic boat owners are varnishing timbers, polishing brass and servicing their old engines in preparation for Yorke Peninsula’s Saltwater Classic on the weekend of April 21 and 22, 2018.
The sister towns of Stansbury and Port Vincent will again host the Saltwater Classic event for enthusiasts and admirers of traditional craft that have been faithfully restored to keep afloat some of the great traditions of boat building.
The biennial event, which started in 2003, attracts boat owners and crews from across Australia.
With support from the South Australian Tourism Commission, Yorke Peninsula Tourism, local business and community groups, the biennial Saltwater Classic has also become an important tourism event for the region that is a coastal playground less than three hours drive from Adelaide.
Gathering of boats for a grand parade at Port Vincent.
In 2016 it attracted more than 60 wooden and classic boats with owners and crews along with an estimated 4,500 visitors to the towns and wider region.
The two-day Saltwater Classic centres on Stansbury on the first day and Port Vincent on the second. Apart from grand parades of boats in the bays off both towns, there is a coordinated run of vessels from Stansbury to Port Vincent, a highlight for boat owners and crews who enjoy the open water aspects of the event, and for spectators along the coastline.
The Edithburgh flotilla of the South Australian Sea Rescue Squadron will again coordinate the on-water activities along with support from members of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard based at Port Vincent.
A spectacular display of foreshore activities for families will include the award-winning Stansbury Seaside Markets and foreshore markets in Port Vincent along with special presentations of regional foods and wines, arts and craft, vintage cars and motor bikes, classic caravans and stationary engines from the past.
The Saltwater Classic continues to value add to existing regional assets including food and wine experiences, aquatic recreation and water sports and nature-based activities such as visits to Innes National Park and Walk The Yorke.
The success of Yorke Peninsula’s Saltwater Classic was celebrated in 2016 with medals in the Yorke Peninsula Tourism Awards and the South Australian Tourism Awards. It was also a semi-finalist in the 2017 Community Achievement Awards.
