Community at the fore of milestone Festival of Sails

WIND is well and truly in the sails of the Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC) as it prepares for its milestone 180th anniversary of the Festival of Sails.

The four-day event, which kicked off yesterday (Thursday, January 26) with the running of the annual Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race, features an array of entertainment and sailing activations from Friday to Sunday.

“Community involvement was certainly one of the key pillars we are striving for with this year’s festival,” Festival of Sails chair Paul Buchholz said.

“Sailing has been taking place here for 180 years, and this year we have the highest number of boats taking part in the festival with more than 300, which covers off on the sailing part of this festival.

“However, we are eager to get the public involved and really show them what sailing is all about and what we can offer at RGYC, not just from a sailing perspective, but also a community perspective.”

The program features a full line-up of local artists jam-packed with musical performances and a range of come and try activities along the Geelong Waterfront.

Coastal rowing exhibitions, beach volleyball tournaments, dragon boat exhibitions and a Making Waves Foundation boat catering to children with disabilities eager to try sailing headline the activations around The Esplanade precinct.

“We’re extremely pumped as a club and as a committee to be celebrating the Festival this year,” Mr Buchholz added.

“Not only because of the milestone itself, but it allows us to continue to make the yacht club an essential stop for sailors in Victoria.

“Festivals like the Festival of Sails permit us to continue being community minded and an essential asset of the Geelong community fabric.”

Festival proceedings begin at 8am today (Friday, January 26), tomorrow, and Sunday.

All information on the festival’s program can be found at festivalofsails.com.au