Crowds convene across entire Hobart waterfront to celebrate the long weekend

The Australian Wooden Boat Festival has gone off with a bang, with revelers enjoying the live entertainment in the Ironhouse Waterside Tavern, with crowd pleasing bands Baby Come Tack, Yacht Rock and The Royal Australian Navy Band, until well after dark last night. After a hugely successful day two, day three has also seen record crowds grace the waterfront.

A lucky group of patrons were aboard Soren Larsen early this morning to start the day with a sold out special Champagne Breakfast event with Chef Eloise Emmett.

As the clouds cleared this morning the crew from the My First Boat Precinct proudly paraded their hand built My First Boats from Old Woolstore Little Sailors Village into Constitution Dock, accompanied by The Stranded Wailers. Child & Adult teams have been working hard for several months to build their boats ready to be launched at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival.

The River Derwent was packed with small and big yachts, with the Derwent World Championships taking place at 12pm, with the popular D Class yachts battling it out. While the Forster Cup Rally also took place at 12pm, two of the three traditional 21ft yachts have travelled from the big isle to take part.

The iconic Ketch Review also took place at 2pm, with 5 traditional trading ketches heading out the river to have a friendly sail. AWBF General Manager Paul Stephanus said “It has been incredible to have a third day of packed wharves and venues, boat owner’s are saying it’s the busiest festival ever”.

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2023 – photo © Bluepatch Photography

Day four – final day highlights

• Australian National Maritime Museum Wooden Boat Symposium at the Dechanieaux Theatre, Hunter St – Speakers include Kim Marsh, Mirjam Hilgeman and Douglas Brooks.
• Eat More Tassie Seafood Marquee at Mures Carpark – Waji Spiby and Eloise Emmett
• 2:30pm the Clennett’s Mitre 10 Quick & Dirty Race in Constitution Dock
• 4:00pm the closing Admiral’s Sail, to celebrate the end of the AWBF & Royal Hobart Regatta

For more information please visit the AWBF website – www.awbf.org.au.

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2023 – photo © Daniel Guajardo

by Australian Wooden Boat Festival

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