Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - GPS 728x90 TOP

Crowds flock to Australian Wooden Boat Festival

by Australian Wooden Boat Festival 7 Feb 21:23 PST 7-10 February 2025

The crowds heaved at Hobart's waterfront for day two of the 2025 Australian Wooden Boat Festival. The biennial four day festival, which runs Friday 7 to Monday February 2025, buzzed with excitement following Friday's opening events, the Parade of Sail and Festival Welcome, that celebrate this year's Pacific theme.

Saturday's festivalgoers were treated to an array of captivating demonstrations and on-water activities. The waka ama demonstrations drew significant attention, showcasing the skill and tradition of outrigger canoe paddling, offering a unique cultural experience on the water, while the free public rowing and parbuckling was popular with families.

Japanese and traditional woodworking demonstrations fascinated audiences with intricate designs and techniques, highlighting the craftsmanship that defines the festival. The busy Kumundar Japanese Jungle gym and sailing ship were packed with little sailors at Parliament Lawns, while the Pasifika weaving workshops brought a calm reprieve under the shade of nearby trees.

With a bustling atmosphere and a rich program of events, the Australian Wooden Boat Festival continues to celebrate the beauty and history of wooden boats. Enthusiasts, families, and maritime experts alike gathered to admire the stunning tall ships, meet skilled artisans, and immerse themselves in the vibrant festival spirit.

The AWBF, renowned as the largest wooden boat festival in the Southern hemisphere, will continue through to Monday, February 10, with more exciting events, talks, and hands-on activities celebrating the deep maritime heritage of Australia and its Pacific neighbours.

The full 2025 AWBF program and schedule is available online now at awbf2025.org.au.

Related Articles

RS Feva Worlds Qualifying Series complete
Sailors split into three flights of yellow, blue, and red Two days of qualifying series with 168 boats on lake Bourget, Club Nautique Voile d'es Bains, sailors split into three flights of yellow, blue, and red. Posted today at 10:24 am
A defining finale to the Admiral's Cup 2025
Provisional results are in and the overall winner will be officially announced today At the end of the 5th day of the Rolex Fastnet Race just 7 boats in the Admiral's Cup fleet were still racing. The majority had moored up in Cherbourg and the dock was filled with sailors and supporters sharing a beer, a slice of pizza and their stories. Posted today at 9:50 am
2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior Worlds, day 5
Upwind Sprints shake up the rankings as fleets split for the final push tomorrow in the Final Series The fifth day of the 2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championships finally brought the conditions everyone was waiting for in the Bay of Brest. Posted on 29 Jul
43 Copa del Rey MAPFRE Day 1
Italy lead three classes A promising offshore breeze which topped 14kts at times diminished as the afternoon rolled meaning only the one windward leeward race could be contested, but it was enough for top Italian teams to establish an early lead. Posted on 29 Jul
Bonafous scores her first IMOCA class win
After close battle with Charal for Rolex Fastnet Race glory The French sailor Elodie Bonafous' spectacular start to her career in the IMOCA Class continued today as she followed up second place in the Course des Caps earlier this month with her first victory in the Class in the Rolex Fastnet Race. Posted on 29 Jul
Admirals Cup: Day 8 - Match racing the last miles
The front runners in class AC1 (50fters) of the 2025 Admirals' Cup are racing gybe for gybe The front runners in class AC1 (50fters) of the 2025 Admirals' Cup are match racing as they work down the side of the last Exclusion Zone heading for the race finish off Cherbourg. Posted on 29 Jul
Fastnet Race, RS Aeros, Isle of Wight
Fastnet Race, RS Aero Worlds, GL50s, Isle of Wight circumnavigation When the conversation turns to the world's greatest middle-distance bluewater races, talk tends to linger on the Rolex Fastnet Race, which started on Saturday, July 26, and for great reason. Posted on 29 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race Day 4
Black Jack 100 takes monohull line honours ahead of arch rivals Remon Vos' RP100 Black Jack 100, skippered by Tristan Le Brun, has taken Monohull Line Honours in the centenary edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race. Posted on 29 Jul
McIntyre Mini Globe Race Leg 3 underway
12 of the original 15 Solo Sailors take on the toughest leg of entire 24,000 mile circumnavigation. In an emotional and historic departure, 12 intrepid solo sailors set sail from Fiji, embarking on the most perilous leg of the McIntyre Mini Globe Race (MGR)—a 10,000-nautical-mile journey across the Southern Ocean to Cape Town, South Africa. Posted on 29 Jul
Admiral's Cup in the Rolex Fastnet Race update
ROST Van Uden surge into AC1 lead Stefan Jentzsch's Botin 56 Black Pearl (NYYC) leads the fleet on the water with 124nm to go. The immediate chasing pack on the same line and port gybe is Beau Geste, Jolt 3, Caro and Rán. Posted on 29 Jul
Barton Marine Pipe GlandsMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMSelden 2020 - FOOTER