Royal Geelong Yacht Club announces new dates for 2017 Festival of Sails
by Silvia Knoppien 24 Jul 2016 11:35 BST
21-24 January 2016
Sydney 38 racing at the Festival of Sails © Craig Greenhill / Saltwater Images
Festival of Sails to shine in January feast of sporting action!
The Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC) has just announced new dates for Geelong's iconic Festival of Sails.
The change of date is designed to optimise the benefits of an earlier event, position the Festival in a consistent calendar spot in January each year and also run the much loved sailing event across a minimum of four days of competitive sailing and increase opportunities for 'on' and 'off' water activities outside of the formal regatta.
A change of date for the 2017 Festival of Sails will now see it launch a nine day feast of sporting action on the Geelong waterfront in January, which will open with the largest sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere and conclude with the internationally lauded Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
Festival of Sails Chairman, Peter Alexander said the growing relationship between the two hugely popular Geelong events created a unique offering for sports lovers and the community from January 21 through to January 29.
"We've now moved our event into an effectively fixed slot a little earlier in January. This offers the real bonuses of being closer to the timing of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and concludes well clear of families preparing to get children back to school," he said.
"We believe this change will appeal to 'Sydney to Hobart' competitors to now consider sailing in Geelong and along with a raft of new additions to our program, we're confident that the Festival will become bigger and better."
The Festival of Sails sees a feast of first class racing as Australia's finest sailors battle for trophy honours on Corio Bay and more than 100,000 people flock to the Geelong foreshore for the live entertainment, market stalls, family activities and carnival atmosphere.
The 2017 Festival of Sails, presented by Rex Gorell Land Rover, will be held from Saturday, January 21 to Tuesday, January 24.
The RGYC will once again host the traditional Australia Day festivities and fireworks display on Thursday, January 26.
For more information, please visit www.festivalofsails.com.au