The Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC) and the International Fireball Association (FI) has announced the Fireball World Championship will be held in Geelong.
The event, running from February 9 to 16, 2024, will be the first time the Fireball world titles have been held in Australia since 2012, and the first time in Victoria since 1998.
It also marks the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the RGYC has hosted a truly international sailing event.
RGYC Commodore Roger Bennett said the club was both excited to host the world’s best Fireball sailors and confident it could deliver a world-class experience for international visitors and locals alike.
“Corio Bay is highly regarded by all sailors, especially off-the-beach sailors; its flat water and consistent summer sea breezes make it an ideal sailing venue,” Commodore Bennett said.
“The level of sailing and the quality of some of the sailors will be second to none. It will be exciting racing and a true world class event.
“These sorts of events are our lifeblood, really. It’s what keeps the sport fresh and invigorates interest in sailing.”
Event chair Brendan Garner said the RGYC expected 60 or more boats from over 10 countries to be competing in the 10-race event, with competitors travelling to Geelong from Great Britain, Ireland, Switzerland, France, USA, Canada, Czech Republic, South Africa, Italy, Japan and elsewhere.
“I think one of the exciting things is the RGYC is always striving to do better and better with these events,” Mr Garner said.
“I think something the yacht club’s doing really well now is embracing the whole Bellarine and Geelong community. That becomes a real focus for the competitors, to make sure they get out and see what the region has to offer.
“We’ve got a big summer of big events coming up. Obviously the Festival of Sails is one of the big ones we have every year, and next year we’ll also have the Wooden Boat Festival, which will follow the Fireball Worlds.”
The world titles will also be preceded by the Fireball Australian Championship, which runs from February 5 to 8, and Fireball Victoria president Glenn Peverell said he was looking forward to the back-to-back events in Geelong.
“We are looking forward to racing in Geelong, it’s a great opportunity for new sailors to join the class and compete in a nationals and a worlds,” he said.
“We invite new sailors to join and old sailors to dust off their boats and come for the fun.”
The Fireball is a high-performance, two-person dinghy designed in the 1960s as an entry-level boat that can be sailed by just about anyone in a wide variety of wind conditions.
Mr Garner said the boat’s design meant the age of high-level competitors ranged from teenagers to those in their 60s.
“It’s one of the great things about the Fireball class; the age range covers the whole spectrum, from juniors right through to grandmasters,” he said.
“Our racing range is basically five knots through to 25 knots. When it’s windy, the Fireball is still very manageable in those conditions compared to some of the newer classes, and they perform quite well in the light weather too.”
Mr Garner, who is the 2023 Victorian Fireball champion, will be looking to compete in the 2024 world championship, as will his son, Ben.
Ben, a junior instructor at RGYC, said he was looking forward to the chance to compete in the international event.
“I’ve met some of the best sailors around Australia and it’s going to be really exciting competing against them,” he said.
“Seeing how we measure up internationally as well, figuring out where we stand, is going to be really exciting.”
For more information visit 2024.fireballworlds.com.
