(Salty Dingo) 266323_01
January 28, 2022
Yatchs set sail ‘Home again ‘cross the sea’ to Geelong With the curtain now closed on the 2022 Festival of Sails, the countdown has already started for the milestone 180th event next January. This year’s event was the first full sailing program delivered after two years of COVID-19 restrictions and Royal Geelong Yacht Club commodore Stuart Dickson said it was clear the racing crews had been keen to get back out onto Corio Bay. “It really felt like a long overdue reunion and seeing more than 200 boats take off for the start of the iconic Passage Race from Melbourne to Geelong to kick off the regatta was a sensational sight,” he said. Taking out top honours at this year’s event were the local crew of ‘Extasea’,
skippered by Geelong’s Paul Buchholz who collected the RYGC Bull’s Roar Trophy for line honours in the Passage Race and the crew of Queensland-based ‘Maritimo’, skippered by Ray Roberts, who collected the prestigious AMS Division One series trophy. The AMS Teams Trophy was won in a tight finish by Sandringham Yacht Club with a one-point lead over rival Royal Victoria Yacht Club. Festival of Sails chairman Roger Bennett said he was delighted with the event and the positive feedback from the sailors. “We’ve had a great regatta,” he said. “Now we have our 180th event in
our sights for next year, which is an extraordinary milestone for any event and one we will be very keen to really celebrate with our sailing competitors and the broad Geelong community and visitors to Geelong.” COVID restrictions meant the traditional community waterfront festival, which normally attracted thousands of people to the Waterfront had to be cancelled. But Mr Dickson said he was hopeful the festival’s full program both on and off the water would be back in full swing in 2023. “Events like the Festival of Sails really do deliver strong economic benefits to our region, and we’re keen to leverage
that potential again, particularly with such a headline to celebrate,” he said. “The festival is a really important part of the Geelong community calendar and normally a major drawcard for local families and visitors, and we very much want to have everyone back enjoying the racing, the entertainment and a 180th birthday party. You don’t get to do that too often. “We’ve got our planning hats on already and are keen to make sure the 180th celebrations go off with a real bang. We want it to be our biggest and best event ever.” Ash Bolt
Clear support for Games By Ash Bolt
12496497-CG22-21
The City of Greater Geelong has thrown its support behind a Victorian bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Last week it was revealed the state government was considering a bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, 20 years after it last hosted the event and just eight years after the last Australian Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. No host city has yet been chosen for the Games, despite plans to make the selection in 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was reported last week the Commonwealth Games Federation had approached the state government to host the games in Melbourne, after receiving little interest from other cities.
Premier Daniel Andrews said there was no commitment made to hosting the Games but it was being explored. “What you can all be certain of, and what I think Victorians know, is that the government and Visit Victoria, we’re out there every day working as hard as we can to get all the big major events to come to the major events capital of our nation,” he said. There has been speculation that the Games, if held in Victoria, could be also be spread across larger regional centres, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton, as well as Melbourne. City of Greater Geelong deputy mayor Trent Sullivan said the city was supportive of an investigation into the option. “We support detailed consideration of a Victorian government bid for the 2026
Commonwealth Games,” he said. “The City of Greater Geelong has previously worked with other regional centres across Victoria to consider the feasibility of a ‘fully regional’ Commonwealth Games bid. “Hosting competition across major regional centres, as well as Melbourne, would deliver a range of benefits for Geelong and the wider region. “Geelong has a strong record of hosting world-class and elite competition across a range of sports involved in the Commonwealth Games. “Our stadiums and facilities are suitable for sports such as cricket, rugby sevens, athletics, basketball, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, judo and table tennis. “We also have the ability to host road cycling, triathlons and marathons.”
Cr Sullivan said there would be noticeable economic benefit to the Geelong region if it was able to host events. “Commonwealth Games generally attract about 5000 athletes from more than 70 nations,” he said. “The economic benefits of hosting the Games are enormous and Geelong is ready to play a key role in delivering it if the government proceeds with a bid.” The city had previously supported a regional Victoria bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. That bid would have seen events hosted in Geelong, Shepparton, Bendigo, Ballarat, Nagambie, Traralgon, Warrnambool, Wodonga and Yarrawonga. It was put on hold last year due to the pandemic.
FREE DIGITAL EDITION
SIG N U P N O W!