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The World’s Oldest Continuous Annual Regatta - founded in 1837

by Peter Campbell on 25 Jan 2005
Sydney yachtsman George Snow is out to make yachting history tomorrow by sailing his famous maxi yacht Brindabella to back-to-back wins in the traditional Australia Day ocean race from Sydney to Botany Bay and return.

Brindabella heads a fleet of more than 60 ocean racing yachts expected to line up for the start off Watsons Bay at 11am, heralding the start of the Commonwealth Bank-sponsored 169th Australia Day Regatta on Sydney Harbour, offshore and on harbours and lakes along the New South Wales Coast.

On Australia Day 2004, Brindabella scored a triple victory in the Australia Day ocean race for the City of Sydney Cup, taking line honours and first place on corrected time in the IMS and IRC handicap categories.

Brindabella is returning of the ocean racing tomorrow after finishing third across the finish line in the recent 60th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, as are many other yachts in tomorrow’s event, including Howard de Torres’ Nips-N-Tux, which won IRC Division C of the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Brindabella’s main competition for line and IRC handicap honours should come from Bob Oatley’s canting keel 66-footer Wild Oats, which earlier this month look line honours in the Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race.

In total, more than 700 sailing craft, ranging from ocean racers to famous Sydney 18-footers and replicas of skiffs that raced on the harbour a century ago, along with classic gaff-rigged yachts, former Olympic class boats and a wide range of dinghies, skiffs, trailable yachts and catamarans will be celebrating Australia Day afloat in competitive regattas.

Among the famous yachts entered for the 169th Australia Day Regatta on the Harbour, where racing starts at 1.30pm, is the International 5.5 metre class boat, Barranjoey, in which the late Sir William Northam won Australia’s first Olympic sailing gold medal, at the Tokyo Games in 1964.

Helming the beautifully restored boat, distinctive with its varnished timber hull, will be Bill Solomon’s, who skippered Barranjoey at the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968.
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