Ash Bolt
With the curtain now closed on the 2022 Festival of Sails, the countdown has already started for the milestone 180th event next January.
This year’s event was the first full sailing program delivered after two years of COVID-19 restrictions and Royal Geelong Yacht Club commodore Stuart Dickson said it was clear the racing crews had been keen to get back out onto Corio Bay.
“It really felt like a long overdue reunion and seeing more than 200 boats take off for the start of the iconic Passage Race from Melbourne to Geelong to kick off the regatta was a sensational sight,” he said.
Taking out top honours at this year’s event were the local crew of ‘Extasea’, skippered by Geelong’s Paul Buchholz who collected the RYGC Bull’s Roar Trophy for line honours in the Passage Race and the crew of Queensland-based ‘Maritimo’, skippered by Ray Roberts, who collected the prestigious AMS Division One series trophy.
The AMS Teams Trophy was won in a tight finish by Sandringham Yacht Club with a one-point lead over rival Royal Victoria Yacht Club.
Festival of Sails chairman Roger Bennett said he was delighted with the event and the positive feedback from the sailors.
“We’ve had a great regatta,” he said.
“Now we have our 180th event in our sights for next year, which is an extraordinary milestone for any event and one we will be very keen to really celebrate with our sailing competitors and the broad Geelong community and visitors to Geelong.”
COVID restrictions meant the traditional community waterfront festival, which normally attracted thousands of people to the Waterfront had to be cancelled.
But Mr Dickson said he was hopeful the Festival’s full program both on and off the water would be back in full swing in 2023.
“Events like the Festival of Sails really do deliver strong economic benefits to our region, and we’re keen to leverage that potential again, particularly with such a headline to celebrate,” he said.
“The Festival is a really important part of the Geelong community calendar and normally a major drawcard for local families and visitors, and we very much want to have everyone back enjoying the racing, the entertainment and a 180th birthday party. You don’t get to do that too often.
“We’ve got our planning hats on already and are keen to make sure the 180th celebrations go off with a real bang. We want it to be our biggest and best event ever.”
