The Geelong Waterfront will come alive this weekend, with the biennial Wooden Boat Festival of Geelong taking place on the waters of Corio Bay.
Hosted by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, this year’s festival will feature an array of wooden and classic vessels from around Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.
Highlighting the festival will be three tall ships, including the youth training vessel the Young Endeavour and the vessels Enterprize and Coral Trekker, from Melbourne and Sydney respectively.
The vessels will be located on Wangim Walk with visitors invited to enjoy short sails aboard the tall ships throughout the weekend.
Royal Geelong Yacht Club will be open to the public all weekend and hosting live entertainment, including local musicians Kenny Miller and the Handsome Gargoyles, Steve Clark, and The Sweethearts.
Boating enthusiasts will have the opportunity to view the wooden boats up close with static display boats located on the club’s new floating marina arm, while kids will be treated to face painting, Fun Fit, and a visit by Captain Jack Sparrow.
Wooden Boat Festival of Geelong chairman Bill Chittenden said he was “extremely excited” to welcome the public back to the festival.
“After a challenging few years, it is great to have the ability to host an event open to the public,” he said.
“The Wooden Boat Festival celebrates the history and workmanship of wooden and classic boats.”
Royal Geelong Yacht Club commodore Stuart Dickson said Geelong had a long history with wooden boats.
“It’s a celebration of Geelong’s long-term heritage, going back to the Clipper days,” he said.
“It recognises the skills and traditions of wooden boat building and provides a place for people who love them and still sail them to come together.
“I am a lover and an owner of a wooden boat and I think everyone loves that connection to the past – I think people can relate to a wooden boat more than a fibreglass one.”
Mr Dickson said he hoped to see families come down and enjoy the range of activities, with a particular focus on the kids’ entertainment.
He said there would also be entertainment for the adults, with Portarlington to Geelong Passage Race.
Spectators will be able to view the vessels making their way along the northern coastline of the Bellarine Peninsula on Saturday as they participate in the race.
The festival will also feature the Parade of Sail along the Geelong Waterfront at noon on Sunday.
Wangim Walk will provide the perfect opportunity to view the Parade of Sail, bringing spectators within touching distance of the vessels.
Alongside the festival, Royal Geelong Yacht Club will also be hosting the 2022 International Etchells Victorian State Championship.
Designed in 1966, the International Etchells is a one-design yacht, meaning all boats are identical in their design. This class produces some of the world’s tightest racing, with talent like 1983 America’s Cup-winning skipper, John Bertrand, amongst the regular competitors.
Geelong MP Christine Couzens is the festival’s ambassador and said it was great to see major events back running in Geelong.
“The Wooden Boat Festival of Geelong, with its unique display of classic and historic yachts, really showcases the exceptional waterfront we have here on Corio Bay,” she said.
