2015 Petersville Regatta preview

by Melanie Quirk on 23 Nov 2015 The Petersville Regatta is proudly returning to the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron Sailing Calendar. This family friendly, relaxed regatta will be held from 27 – 30 December 2015 and is set to be reinstated as the club’s flagship annual event. We welcome Barbeques Plus as our Principal Partner.

Back by popular demand, the Petersville Regatta’s return will attract a competitive group of keel and cruising boats from across the Peninsula, Victoria and Australia who will enjoy the return of the family friendly, social atmosphere of the original regatta held during the 1980’s. The Petersville Regatta is held in high regard by yachting enthusiasts from Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and beyond and is considered a nostalgic and historic event.

...a ‘spectacular event’ and the ‘social highlight’ of the season.

Historically, the Petersville Regatta has attracted keel boat owners from surrounding yacht clubs and was successfully held from 1981 – 1990 before the race was combined with Geelong Week. Successful boats who featured in the historical race include Shambles and Dry Reach skippered by R.Hick and subsequently G.Matthews, both of whom were the most successful boat competitors during the history of the event.

‘There is no doubt that the day at Blairgowrie has become a very special annual event for a great number of keelboat and trailable sailors from other clubs, and the way in which BYS sailors are received in those clubs certainly has something to do with their enjoyable experiences at Blairgowrie’
– Commodore Frank Paine, 1992

This year the Petersville Regatta will follow the annual ORCV Boxing Day Dash and will coincide with the expansion of the Blairgowrie marina and the opening of the much anticipated Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron clubhouse.

The relaunch of the Petersville Regatta in 2015 will attract boat owners from around the region and across the eastern seaboard who are already competing in the ORCV Boxing Day Dash or those that choose to cruise alongside the fleet as they make their way from Melbourne to Blairgowrie.

Racing will take place over three consecutive days from 28 – 30 December, with an opening function on the 27th, a long day race on day one, a half day racing and a twilight race on day two and a long day race on day three followed by a closing function.

Located on Victoria’s southern Mornington Peninsula, Blairgowrie is one of Victoria’s leading holiday destinations, only a 75 – 90 minute drive from Melbourne. Adjacent to well known Sorrento and Portsea, Blairgowire Yacht Squadron is one of the area’s most famous landmarks, with a distinctive pier and marina and stunning bayside location. This return of this spectacular event coincides with the opening of the new BYS clubhouse and harbour, which opens in late 2015.