The Royal Hobart Regatta is a series of aquatic competitions and displays held annually in Hobart,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, Australia and is Tasmania's oldest sporting event. The regatta began in 1838. The event runs for three days and incorporates a

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...

observed in

Southern Tasmania Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

on the second Monday in February. It is regularly well attended by the public in addition to local and interstate competitors In its beginning the Regatta was well supported by the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

. In recent years the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

, sends a warship to serve as flagship for the three day spectacle. The

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

, also regularly aerobatic displays using military aircraft such as the RAAF Roulettes. The

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), wh ...

's elite Red Beret parachute regiment has previously provided sky diving displays.

Royal Hobart Regatta Association

Governance of the Royal Hobart Regatta is executed by an association of the same name; The Royal Hobart Regatta Association. The Association is controlled by a Board, Executive and Committee. The current president is Mr David Skegg.

History

On 1 December 1838, the first Hobart Town Anniversary Regatta was held in Hobart,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

to celebrate the Tasmanian Anniversary of the 17th-century European discovery of the island by Dutch explorer

Abel Tasman Abel Janszoon Tasman (; 160310 October 1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first known European explorer to reach New ...

, who made the first reported European sighting of the island on 24 November 1642. It was decided that an annual anniversary regatta should be celebrated and include the wearing of a sprig of silver wattle blossom tied with British

Navy blue Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue (contrasted with naval white) worn by officers in the Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world. When this color ...

ribbon. A tradition instituted by

Governor of Tasmania The governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The incumbent governor is Barbara Baker, who was appointed in June 2021. The official residence of the ...

Sir John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through t ...

. Franklin provided free food and beer for all of the spectators, and the tradition of free entry continues to this day. The Monday was declared as a

by the Governor and is now the oldest public holiday still continuing in Australia. Since 1879 the regatta has been held in January or February, rather than December. The regatta of 6 February 1934 was the first to be called the Royal Hobart Regatta, the title being conferred by

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

Cancelled Events

It's noteworthy that the Regatta continued throughout

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. * 1853 * 1854 * 1967 - Cancelled due to 'Black Tuesday' bushfire on 7 February

Significant Milestones

* 5 December 1942 - commemorated the 300th anniversary of Abel Tasman's exploration, was held on 5 December * 11 February 1955 - 80,000 people attend the Regatta in a single day a number that represents 90% of the Hobart Population * 2013 - 175th Regatta * 11 February 2023 - Will commemorate the 185th anniversary of the event

Royal Visits

The Royal Hobart Regatta has played host to 10 royal visits the most notably being a visit from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip in 1963 when they arrived aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. In preparation for the occasion the main grandstand was extended and accommodated the Royals who stayed for lunch before departing for Sydney in the late afternoon.

Location

Originally staged at Pavilion Point, the Regatta moved in 1856, to grounds near Macquarie Point known as the "Regatta Grounds" at the

Queens Domain The Queens Domain, also known as The Domain to locals, is a small hilly area of bushland just north-east of the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, alongside the Derwent River. It is traditionally land that "belongs to the people", as commissi ...

along the western side of the River Derwent. Records indicate the move was necessitated following a quarrel with Government House concerning broken beer bottles along Macquarie. Access to the site is along McVilly Drive. The grounds are shared with the

Hobart Cenotaph Hobart Cenotaph (usually The Cenotaph, also referred to as Hobart War Memorial) is the main commemorative military monument for the Australian state of Tasmania. It is located in the capital Hobart in a prominent position on the Queens Domain, o ...

, a war memorial to Tasmanian's fallen from global conflict. The primary Regatta structure on the site is the John Colville Memorial grandstand which pays tribute to members of the aquatic fraternity that fell in the first world war. A stone tablet was laid in 1942 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Regatta.

Events

A plethora of events take place each year and include; *

Jet Ski Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki, a Japanese company. The term is often used generically to refer to any type of personal watercraft used mainly for recreation, and it is also used as a verb to ...

& Power Boat Races *

Dragon Boat Racing A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China, different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family of t ...

Tug of War Tug of war (also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war, rope pulling, or tugging war) is a sport that pits two teams against each other in a test of strength: teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a certa ...

* Open Water Swimming *

Sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...

Rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

Wood Chopping Woodchopping (also spelled wood-chopping or wood chopping), called woodchop for short, is a sport that has been around for hundreds of years in several cultures. In woodchopping competitions, skilled contestants attempt to be the first to cut or s ...

There is also an Ambassador quest, and the regatta always has an official attendance ceremony by the Governor.

Trans Derwent Swim

Commencing adjacent Montagu Bay the 'Trans Derwent Swim' sees competitors cross the Derwent River Estuary, a distance of 1.5kms. In recent years a 'return' trip has been added as an extra race.

Two Bridge Kayak Race

This paddling event sees kayakers travel from the

Tasman Bridge The Tasman Bridge is a bridge that carries the Tasman Highway over the Derwent River in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Including approaches, the bridge has a total length of and it provides the main traffic route from the Hobart city centre ( ...

to the

Bowen Bridge The Bowen Bridge is a four-lane road bridge crossing the Derwent River in Tasmania, Australia. Description The bridge lies on the river about halfway between the Tasman Bridge and the Bridgewater Bridge. The bridge links the East Derwent Hi ...

before returning to the finish line at the Royal Hobart Regatta grounds. A total distance of 15kms is covered.

Wood Chopping

Woodchopping sees axeman from across the state compete in various events and age divisions chopping and sawing blocks and wood.

Flagships

A Flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships and/ or the finest, largest, or most important one of a group of things.

References

External links

Royal Hobart Regatta website
{{coord, 42.876158, S, 147.338089, E, type:event, display=title 1838 establishments in Australia Annual fairs Annual sporting events in Australia Fairs in Australia Festivals in Hobart Hobart Regatta, Royal Recurring sporting events established in 1838 Rowing competitions in Australia Sailing competitions in Australia Sailing regattas Sport in Hobart Public holidays in Australia Sailing in Tasmania February observances Boat races