Rob Mills and Santa among entrants in the Moomba Birdman Rally

Moomba Monarch Rob Mills says there were pre-jump nerves before his “exhilarating” plunge into the Yarra while Santa’s effort was frankly ho-ho-hopeless. See the pictures.

Moomba Monarch Rob Mills takes flight at the Moomba Birdman Rally on the Yarra River in Melbourne. Picture: David Crosling

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp has declared she would fly in next year’s Birdman Rally, one of the headline attractions of the city’s annual Moomba Festival.

Cr Capp made the call after Sunday’s rally event on the Yarra, which included Moomba Monarch Rob Mills taking the plunge.

“My big hope is that since we’re able to get a man on the moon that we can get a woman across the Yarra,’’ Cr Capp told the Herald Sun.

Mills makes a splash. Picture: David Crosling

Spectators gave their views on the Birdman Rally efforts on the Yarra. Picture: David Crosling

“It might be time for the Lord Mayor to participate in the Birdman Rally.

“It’s the 70th birthday next year of Moomba and we want to make it extra special. So if humiliating myself can add to the fun, let’s do it. OK.’’

The 2023 rally featured 10 intrepid wannabe flyers, leaping off a 6m-high platform at Birrarung Marr in front of thousands of people who lined both sides of the Yarra from midmorning.

As Cr Capp said, Moomba was a time to “embrace your dagginess”. She’s not alone, with the

festival on course to surpass the 1.4 million record attendance from last year.

As for the rally, of course the aim is to fly across to the southern bank of the river. But ambition and reality rarely meet in Birdman world.

Santa in the Birdman Rally. Picture: David Crosling

A big splash for the big jolly man in red. Picture: David Crosling

Lifeguards – and a scuba diver – were on standby in case a brave flyer came unstuck in the murky waters of the Yarra.

Mills was the one of the first to commit to failed flight, before drying off and dashing to the matinee performance of & Juliet at the Regent Theatre, the first of two Sunday shows.

The entertainer admitted to nerves before the leap – not helped but not actually having a flying craft, except for his flowing regal cape.

“It was so exhilarating,’’ he said later.

Cr Capp described Mills’s efforts as superhero-like. The performer will back up on Monday morning to appear on the monarch float in the parade.

“Good on Rob Mills,’’ Cr Capp said. “A great Melburnian.’’

A series of dodgy and dodgier contraptions and themes were to follow Mills. It was also clear that no aerodynamic experts were consulted in the making of the flying craft.

Princess Peaches, flanked by other Super Mario characters, launched with just a pink parasol.

Santa on his far-too-heavy sleigh – and sans reindeer – was frankly ho-ho-hopeless.

Daniel Mazzei, a winner in 2018, embraced a Star Wars theme and somehow the force was with him to reclaim the title and collect $10,000 for the Braveheart children’s charity.

In the end, as always, gravity was the winner.

As the great philosopher Buzz Lightyear once observed – “That’s not flying, that’s falling with style.”

The five-day Moomba Festival wraps up on Monday, headlined by the parade which starts about 10.45am on Linlithgow Ave and finishes near the Shrine of Remembrance.