THE YANMAR WOODEN BOAT SHOP WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL OF GEELONG
The 2018 Wooden Boat festival of Geelong will be held over the Labour Day weekend commencing on Saturday, March 10 and running until Monday 12. This will be the eighth festival and it will again attract the highest calibre of boats from all around Victoria and interstate.
We are expecting over 175 entries, approximately 1200 direct participants and in excess of 30,000 visitors to the waterfront festival, there is no doubt that the event is growing and it has become a major biannual regatta on the sailing calendar. The festival gives the Geelong community the opportunity to see first-hand some of the most historic wooden boats in Australia.
Three Tall Ships have confirmed their attendance – the Enterprize, Alexander Stewart and the Julie Burgess from Tasmania. These boats will be taking visitors on regular trips around the bay as well as hosting other events including whisky tastings.
Located an hour from Melbourne’s CBD, Geelong is recognised as Victoria’s largest regional city. The region’s natural beauty, state-of-the-art infrastructure and the newly renovated and rejuvenated waterfront precinct makes Geelong the perfect city for events of all kinds. The weekend will feature loads of family fun. There will be treasure hunts, face painting, an art competition and hands on Bote-Cote Quick and Dirty boat building competition presented by local community service organisations. Captain Jack Sparrow and the Funfit team will be on hand entertaining the kids throughout the weekend.
There's nothing like a gaffer to recreate the romance of sailing in a wooden boat. Image Tom Smeaton Photography
Friday night entertainment kicks off with our outdoor movie night and there will live music throughout the weekend as well as a busker’s festival. The RAN Jazz band will be performing as well as a huge Rock and Roll night on Saturday.
Our extensive program which will comprise both on water and shore based activities, including a Grand Parade of Boats and Cavalcade of Sail, a Concourse d’ Elegance, racing for the Corio Bay Couta Boat Cup, the Corio Bay Classic Wooden Yacht Cup and the Passage Races from Portarlington. We will again be running off the beach races. We are looking forward to a good fleet of old classic dinghies. The Victorian International Cadet State titles will also be held during the festival.
Get ready to watch the Classics carve up Corio Bay as they contest for The Cup. Image Tom Smeaton Photography
We are extremely pleased to have Mr Ian Smith as our keynote speaker. Ian is president of the Historical Sailing Skiff Association in Sydney and is the author of the book The Open Boat – The 18 Footer, Origin, Evolution and Construction. He is also a boat builder and regular sailor on Sydney Harbour with the Sydney Flying Squadron as well as being the moderator of the website www.openboat.com.au
Come along and bring your family, there’s plenty to do and see.
