Balmain Regatta: Sails set, full-steam ahead for 173-year-old Sydney Harbour sailing competition
The 173-year-old Balmain Regatta returned on Sunday as sailing boats and a formation of workboats set their sights on the glistening harbour. See all the pictures from a historic day.
Inner West
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The sun shone above unbroken blue skies in Sydney’s glistening harbour on Sunday as a famous and historic regatta returned to the waves, and the wind, slight at first, picked up to give the event a roaring finale.
The Balmain Regatta, first established in 1879, saw racing sailing boats run the harbour gauntlet to crown a winner, while, for the first time ever, a formation of historic work and tugboats capped the day off on the water with aplomb.
“To be able to put this back on after the last couple years has been extraordinary,” Balmain Sailing Club commodore Campbell Reid told the Inner West Courier.
“It’s a lot like trying to organise a party, you put the invites out and hope people come!”
For those behind the scenes, after two years of Covid-induced disruption, the hard work to make this year’s incarnation one of the best yet was paid off.
David Stenhouse, general manager at the Balmain Sailing Club, said he would be sleeping well after the successful event, noting the inclusion of the workboats.
“They’re really popular, and it’s something new for us and an evolution of the regatta,” Mr Stenhouse said.
“These sort of events always need to evolve and draw interest from new areas, and that’s what today was all about.”
This year’s event was the first fully public regatta since the onset of Covid in 2020, and teams from across the country and state arrived to compete in the race and join the festivities.
Declan Brennan, captain and co-owner for winning C-class team, Andiamo, called it a great day.
“The breeze was fantastic, sailing in front of the Opera House – you don’t get to do that everyday,” Mr Brennan said.
“It’s what makes this regatta so good.”
The regatta capped a busy few months for the club, who also received $50,000 in council funding for a new pontoon, designed to make the club even more accessible and embedded in the local community.
“This is council supporting a hardworking and longstanding community club,” Inner West deputy mayor Philippa Scott, who attended the prize-giving ceremony, said.
“They have absolutely earned this contribution to their project, and there’s been many more than $50,000-worth of hours of community and volunteer work, and we’re proud to support the project.”
The pontoon will allow safer birthing of smaller boats at the club.
The Inner West Courier joined the sailors on the harbour to document the day, races and faces of those who took to the water.
All photographs by Thomas Lisson unless stated otherwise.
BALMAIN REGATTA FULL GALLERY
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