15 January 2024
Dear Commodore,
A reminder to encourage your skippers to sign up and participate in the 188th Australia Day Regatta – the
oldest continuously run annual sailing event in the world – to be conducted on our national day, Friday,
January 26, 2024.
The regatta boasts a remarkable unbroken record that began in 1837, which has survived economic
depressions, devastating epidemics, two World Wars and then, as now, the odd bout of political meddling.
Above the challenges and the politics, we believe the desire among sailing folk to mark the day – based as it
around a celebration of community, inclusiveness – and being at one with nature out on the water – remains
undiminished. It is a day for all Australians.
Participating in one of the regatta sailing activities conducted across the length and breadth of the harbour and
up and down our east coast , we believe it is a typically informal Australian way to acknowledge all that is to be
truly “Australian”.
Join us, as Sydney Harbour, in all its glory, will burst with colour, spectator fleets and action including the
Harbour Parade, Ferrython, the Tall Ships Race, Parade of Sail Australia and Defence Force flyover prior to
the start of the main regatta at 1:30 pm in the presence of our regatta flagship, HMAS Choules.
We respectfully request you, as commodores, to promote the event to your members and encourage skippers
and crew to join us out on the water and enjoy activities back at your club after the event.
We would also ask that boats participating in either the Botany Bay Race or the main harbour regatta fly our
sponsor – Naiad’s pennant – from the backstay during the race as both a means of acknowledging its
generous support and aiding NSW Martime and the Water Police to readily identify boats participating in the
regatta and allow passage into potential exclusion zones.
More information and links to the Entry Form and Notice of Race are available on our web site
www.australiadayregatta.com.au
Bruce Dover Noel Cornish
Chairman President
