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.

This is going to be special! Drinks and food and friends amongst some remarkable restorations. There will be a welcome to the Regatta and brief description of the vessels being worked on in the shed.

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.

It’s been a month since the announcement of the re-designed and re-energised 2023 CUP REGATTA and the level of interest has been impressive (if a little daunting).

Planning and executing Wooden boat events can be a chicken and egg situation. People will sign up if they know it will be a rousing event, and yet it will only be rousing if people sign up! We urge you to take a leap of faith.

The top end of the course near Port Melbourne means tricky twisting shifts off the beach and apartment infill but flat water. The southern end exposed beyond Altona produced difficult rolling slop for the downhill legs. Thrown in on both days on the western side of the course was a huge tidal outflow from the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers with recent rain and floods.

A tricky day on Port Phillip, with torrents of brown water gushing out of the Yarra and wind from 14-28 knots with rain squalls. Big congratulations to the boats that completed the two races.

This was a weekend to celebrate the boats and the shipwrights who maintain them. The willingness to share information, answer questions and put in for each other is the way. While we like to sail well, winning races has small interest for this classic community.