Get set for the Ferry and Workboat Challenge

by Samantha McDonough on 18 Feb 2005 The National Maritime Museum invites everyone to board one of the competing vessels and join the excitement of the Great Ferry and Workboat Challenge on Sydney Harbour on Sunday, 6 March.

With 40 contestants lining up for the starter’s gun, the race will start near the museum, on Darling Harbour, at 1 pm.

To join a ‘crew’, you only have to arrive at the museum earlier than 12 noon and buy a ticket ($10 adult, $5 children).

On board you’ll take a seat and enjoy a special 45-minute outing on the harbour as your vessel – a classic old example of its type - races to Fort Denison and back to the Darling Harbour finish line.

The National Maritime Museum’s Great Ferry and Workboat Challenge is a feature of Sydney Harbour Week (Friday 4 – Sunday 13 March).

It coincides with Sail Expo 2005 (Friday 4 – Sunday 6 March), a major sailing exhibition which introduces Sydney Harbour Week at the National Maritime Museum.

At Sail Expo, more than 50 classes of cruising and racing yachts will be displayed on the water, a further 12 classes of sailing dinghies will be featured on ‘the hard’ and there will be 40 stalls selling sailing equipment and other marine products.

Another special feature will be an outstanding photographic exhibition in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race, presented by The Daily Telegraph, and there will be a series of talks on sailing by TAFE and sailing association representatives.

‘The whole idea is to promote sailing and to show people how to get into sailing on Sydney Harbour,’ says Sail Expo spokesman Les Galbraith.
Tickets for Sail Expo ($15 adult, $8 child, $35 family) include admission to the museum ships HMAS Vampire (Daring Class destroyer) and HMAS Onslow (Oberon Class submarine).

The National Maritime Museum is open daily, 9.30 am to 5 pm.

All enquiries (02) 9298 3777