Australian Wooden Boat Festival
Image by Doug Thost
It’s interesting which sailing events in Australia have found a way to make things work in a Covid World and which events, have found it all too hard. Kudos to the Rolex Sydney Hobart for holding off until the last moment to find a way to make sure that their event will run for the 76th consecutive year.
Sure, there might be a smaller fleet this year and some of the fly in fly out professionals, might not be able to make it, but that’s a great opportunity for some of the lower profile boats to shine. (Did you know that both the Classic Timber yachts in the race are owned by women?) It seems to me, without knowing all the facts that the Festival of Sails decision on the 15th October, to call off the Geelong event well over three months before the regatta might have been a little premature.
So, it’s good to see that despite the cancellation of the 2021 Australian Wooden Boat Festival, the organisers led by Paul Stephanus, have decided to go ahead with the spectacular biennial Parade of Sail on the Derwent. on Sunday 7th of February 2021.
One of the special things about the Parade is that it brings the culture of wooden boat sailing to a population that understands the importance of its particular maritime history. Even those without a boat can, and do, head to the banks of the river, to such places as Alexander Battery Park, Long Beach Sandy Bay, Wrest Point and anywhere near the wharf to witness the magnificent sight.
STORM BAY 1925 storms down the Derwent, 2019
Designed by Alfred Blore. Current custodians : Tim and Sally Phillips of
The Wooden Boat Shop, Sorrento
As you may already know, John Bertrand AO is now the Patron of the AWBF and he has been invited to be in Hobart for the Parade. The Governor’s Launch EGERIA will be the lead vessel, then the Tall Ships, Rhona H, Lady Nelson, Windward Bound, and Yukon.
And the absolute best way to experience the Parade of Sail is from the decks of one of these Tall Ships among a fleet of 100 wooden boats racing up the Derwent.
If that sounds like the perfect Christmas gift to you, then follow the links below to see what each operator has on offer:
https://www.rhonah.com.au
http://www.ladynelson.org.au
https://www.windewardbound.com.au
https://yukon-tours.com.au
And we understand that the Parade is not the only event that the AWBF team been able to organise despite the cancellation. There will be a Maritime Trail on April 10th & 11th April, a perfect opportunity to see behind the scenes of Tasmania’s world class Wooden Boat culture.
If you’re a wooden boat owner, please register your interest to participate in the Parade of Sail 2021 by emailing dockmaster@awbf.org.au with your name, boat name, email and phone number.
All others - Mark Chew
