108th Anglesea Regatta ready for the new year

OVER a century of Surf Coast rowing history will be celebrated on New Year’s Day when the Anglesea Regatta celebrates its 108th year of competition.

Apart from a few years during World War II, the event has been held annually since 1911 – even during the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit in a slimmed-down format.

Coinciding with the Anglesea Riverbank Markets, organisers are buoyed by the lack of restrictions on holding public events and an improved bill of health for the estuary that unusually remains open to the sea but has decreased in height.

“The river is in good health, but there’s not much water in it, unfortunately… but we’re used to such challenges,” Anglesea Recreation & Sports Club president Elly Stewart said.

The regatta is distinguished from others for its continual use of the four boats – two pairs and four oared – that were purpose-built for the event in 1913.

“The boat builder was on the banks of the Yarra, just near Princes Bridge, near where Birrarung Marr is now, they were then transported to Anglesea,” Ms Stewart said.

“Our volunteer committee manages to keep the upkeep of the boats going… the fact they’re stored near the ocean in a shed has actually been beneficial, because the humid salt air has helped them by not letting the timbers dry out.”

Maintaining timber boats is an arduous task, and Ms Stewart remembers as a child having to “sink” them in the river before the regatta to ensure they were sealed.

“We would row up the river around Boxing Day and sink the boats, and then retrieve them before the regatta, to expand them, so they were water-tight on New Year’s Day. New materials mean we don’t have to do that any more.”

There will be several other nods to the event’s history on New Year’s Day, including displays of honour boards dating back to 1911 and a selection of historic boats donated over the years by clubs across Victoria.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of the Anglesea community and a world own event where we row in the same boats that we’ve been using since the start.

“It’s great to run without restrictions and have full crews, we have great support from Geelong rowing clubs and others like Melbourne, Nagambie, as well Anglesea and Aireys Inlet.”

For more information, head to anglesearegatta.com.au