140year old trophy for 171st Australia Day Regatta

by Peter Campbell on 11 Dec 2006 A fine claret jug won by the yacht Ella in the 1866 Anniversary Regatta, as the Australia Day Regatta was then known, has been donated for competition once more, starting with next month’s 171st Australia Day Regatta.

The world’s oldest continuously-held sailing regatta will be held on Sydney Harbour on 26 January 2007 as a focal part of celebrations of Australia’s national day which marks the first settlement on the shores of Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788.
The first Anniversary Regatta was held in 1837 with Ella being a prominent competitor in the regattas between 1866 and 1873. At her first start she won the race for Second Class Yachts, an event for yachts under 12 tons displacement. Her owner, Colonel J.Richardson, received the claret jug as his trophy.

The claret jug recently surfaced in a Sydney antique shop and was bought by Suzanne Davidson, wife of Colin Davidson, a past chairman and life member of the Australia Day Regatta Inc.

She has donated it to the Australia Day Regatta as a perpetual trophy to be known as 'The Davidson Family Trophy' for future regattas for competition between yachts Division 2.

The yacht Ella was a cutter of 11 tons built for Colonel Richardson in 1866 by Dan Sheehy at Wooloomooloo, under the supervision of her designer William Bourke Russell Watson.

The full story of the locating of Ella’s trophy is a feature article in the programme for the 171st Australia Day Regatta now available from yacht and sailing clubs as well as ships chandlers.

The Notice of Race and Entry Form for the 171st Australia Day Regatta is also available on the Regatta’s new website, www.australiadayregatta.com.au and from major yacht club websites.

The regatta is again sponsored by Premium Business Services of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, with Group Executive Stuart Grimshaw commenting: 'To sponsor such an iconic event and be involved with the celebrations in Sydney of our national day is an honour.

'While the Australia Day Regatta maintains the traditional being an event on the Harbour, it has expanded to include regattas on waterways that include Botany Bay, Lake Illawarra, Lake Macquarie, Brisbane Waters and Pittwater.

'Throughout the afternoon hundreds of sailing b oats and other vessels join in a spectacular maritime celebration of Australia’s national day…as they have since 1837.'

Renowned Australian and international artist Charles Billich has again painted a striking cover for the program.

171st Australia Day Regatta website: www.australiadayregatta.com.au