Imagine This. You are standing amongst some of Australia’ most important wooden vessels, smelling the huon pine, admiring the gracious curves and soaking up the history. You have a glass of Tahbilk Ambassador Shiraz 2020 in one hand and a bespoke snag from Lygon Street’s greatest butcher in the other.

As I write British Classic Week is half way through its program (report to come), and the Aucklanders run a good Racing Weekend, but apart from the Sydney Hobart Veterans Regatta on the Harbour, there is a dearth of genuinely competitive sailing events exclusively for heritage boats in Australia.

The Blue Peter comes down… a minute to go… the Div One boats are jostling for the final run to the line…. It’s all about max. boat speed at the gun… winding these things up takes minutes not seconds… Five 40+ footers all get it right… as the gun goes 60 tonnes of timber elegance come up onto the breeze on starboard tack, waterlines fizzing, gunnels just yards apart.

It’s an eclectic mix of craft, from out and out racing boats from every decade from the 1920’s to the 1970’s, to 90 year old fishing boats, to world girdling cruisers.

We have a seriously diverse, storied and decorated fleet of wooden boats coming to Williamstown on the weekend of 3rd 4th 5th November… A couple of Admiral’s Cup winners, a Newport Bermuda race overall winner, a three of circumnavigators, Victoria’s most successful keelboat, Sayonara Cup challengers and a plethora of Sydney Hobart contestants.