Key Facts 2018 Festival of Sails Information  Australia’s oldest sporting event and designated a major event in Victoria  Geelong’s largest event, last year more than 100,000 visitors bringing an economic benefit of more than $12million  Australia’s biggest celebration of sailing and the largest annual yachting regatta in the Southern Hemisphere  The Passage Race opening event is the oldest ocean race in Australia  Combines first-class racing with a day and night festival which draws 110,000 people to the Geelong waterfront.  Held annually around Australia Day, organised by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club  A key part of the Australian yachting calendar attracting participants from around the world – the combination of flat water and reliable summer winds produce exceptional sailing conditions on Corio Bay  Highly competitive and diverse, catering to all levels of sailing from high performance racing machines to family cruisers and junior sailors  Something for everyone: sailing action, on-water activities, family friendly activities, live music, free entertainment and plenty of fun  Older than Wimbledon, the Ashes, the Melbourne Cup, the modern Olympics and the America’s Cup  Truly a world-class event for Geelong – combining history with tradition, the very best of sailing, family activities, top entertainers and a day and night festival. The 2018 Festival of Sails  Starts on Australia Day, Friday January 26, and runs through to Sunday, January 28  304 boats – the biggest fleet since 2012, and more than 2,500 competitors participating  The 175th anniversary of the first running of the iconic Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race  Coincides, for the first time, with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race  Aussie music legends Ross Wilson and Mental as Anything headlining the Australia Day line-up.  Attracted some of Australia’s elite yachts and crews, such as Ray Roberts returning with his latest Team Hollywood and Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban, fresh from their triumph as winners of the 2017 Sydney to Hobart  A diverse range of other vessels mixing with grand prix racers on Corio Bay, from family cruising boats to multi-hulls and dinghies.