Darwin's Beer Can Regatta in August 1977 02

The Darwin Beer Can Regatta is a festival event which has been held annually since 1974 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia at

Mindil Beach Mindil Beach is a beach in the Northern Territory of Australia, located in the suburb of The Gardens, near Darwin's central business district. Mindil Beach holds the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, which runs during the dry season (from May unti ...

. The inaugural event had 63 entries and was attended by about 22,000 people which was about half of Darwin's population at the time.

Format

Participants create boats using empty

beer can A drink can (or beverage can) is a metal container designed to hold a fixed portion of liquid such as carbonated soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, fruit juices, teas, herbal teas, energy drinks, etc. Drink cans are made of aluminum (75% of ...

s, soft drink (soda) cans, soft drink bottle and milk cartons. Up to 30,000 cans have been used for a single boat. The vessels are not tested for

seaworthiness Seakeeping ability or seaworthiness is a measure of how well-suited a watercraft is to conditions when underway. A ship or boat which has good seakeeping ability is said to be very seaworthy and is able to operate effectively even in high sea stat ...

, prior to water events, and those that fall apart are part of the day's entertainment. A great many sundry events go along with the regatta, including concerts, sandcastles, a

thong The thong is a garment generally used as either underwear or in some countries, as a swimsuit. It may also be worn for traditional ceremonies or competitions. Viewed from the front, the thong typically resembles a bikini bottom, but at the ...

-throwing contest and the "Henley-on-Mindil" competition (named after the

Henley-on-Todd Regatta The Henley-on-Todd Regatta (also called the Todd River Race) is a "boat" race held annually in the typically dry sandy bed of the Todd River in Alice Springs, Australia. It began – and continues – cautiously as a joke at the expense of the ...

), where participants run their "

boats A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

" around like ''

Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbor ...

'' cars. Other events held on the day have included a thong-throwing contest and a competition for the best novelty hat.

History

The Regatta was begun in 1974 by Darwin businessmen, Lutz Frankenfeld and Paul Rice-Chapman, as a way to clean up beer cans littering Darwin's streets. The Darwin Regional Tourism Promotion Association was the organiser of the event until 1978 when it came under the aegis of the combined Lions Clubs of Darwin. In the 1980s the Regatta had about 18 classes, which included motorised beer can boats. The 2014 Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta took place on 6 July 2014, watched by 15,000 people and attended by visitors from all over Australia. The winner of the first beer can regatta was Kevin Jaques driving the Darwin Powerboat Club's entry "Pistol Knight". Des Hoare the cricketer and then Sales Manager for Swan Brewery Darwin, presented Jaques with the winning cheques totalling $1,000, doubled because the beer can boat used only Swan beer cans. As Jaques used his 80 hp Mercury Motor he was also presented with a Mercury First sticker. The perpetual trophy is held within the NT Museum storage area and the keepsake trophy is on the mantlepiece at Jaques' home. Jaques holds copies of the news clippings and the photographs of the presentations. In 2020 the Beer Can Regatta was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. In its place, on 8 August a much smaller, 4-hour, Mini-Regatta was held in which the vessels were made of milk cartons. Located at

Darwin Waterfront Precinct The Darwin Waterfront Precinct is a tourist area in the Northern Territory of Australia in Darwin City. Restaurants, bars, a wave pool and a man-made beach are available for local community and tourists. It is located five minutes’ walk from ...

, instead of the usual

venue where as many as 15,000 watched the races, only a few hundred spectators attended. In 2021 the Regatta was back at Mindil Beach on Sunday 5 September from 10am to 5pm., and in 2022 is scheduled for 26 June.

References

External links

* {{coord, 12, 26, 42.18, S, 130, 49, 51.72, E, region:AU-NT, display=title Recurring events established in 1974 Festivals in the Northern Territory Tourist attractions in Darwin, Northern Territory Beer festivals in Australia 1974 establishments in Australia Annual sporting events in Australia Boat shows in Australia Boat festivals Sport in Darwin, Northern Territory

Format

History

See also

References

External links