Wooden boats to cruise into Geelong

THE Yanmar Wooden Boatshop Wooden Boat Festival is sailing back to Geelong’s shores once again next weekend.

Now in its seventh year, the event is organised by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club and will be held over the Labour Day weekend, from Saturday March 12 to Monday March 14. The festival is growing each year, and more than 150 entries, 1,000 participants and 12,000 visitors are expected this time around to take part in the water and on shore.

Now a major biannual regatta on the state’s sailing calendar, the festival also gives the Geelong the most historic wooden boats in Australia.

In 2016 the focus will be on family participation with lots of children’s activities on offer. Geelong This will include the tall ships Enterprise and the Alexander Stewart, treasure hunts, an art competition for local schools and hands on wooden boat building activities.

The festival will again attract the highest calibre of boats from all around Victoria and interstate to compete in an extensive program of events.

based activities, including the 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 to Geelong.

Public viewing and participation in the event is free.

Visit woodenboatfestival.yachting.org.au for detials or email festival chair Stuart Dickerson at [email protected].