Festival of Sails 2026 Wrap: Celebrating sailing, community, and family fun in Geelong

30 January 2026

Festival of Sails 2026 Wrap: Celebrating sailing, community, and family fun in Geelong

Geelong’s waterfront came alive over the January long weekend as Festival of Sails 2026 drew to a spectacular close. From world-class racing on Corio Bay to vibrant onshore festivities, the event showcased the city’s unique blend of maritime tradition, community spirit, and local pride. The STS Young Endeavour kicked off the celebrations on Saturday morning, setting the stage for the weekend and firing canon to signal the start of the iconic Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race, presented by Holiday Inn...

24 January 2026

Festival Of Sails Underway For 2026

The Festival of Sails presented by TLC Healthcare is underway with spectacular scale and tradition, drawing more than 260 boats to Victoria’s waters for one of Australia’s premier sailing events. At the heart of the action is the Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong Passage Race, which today marked its 183rd edition, with more than 200 yachts starting their journey from Melbourne at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and racing toward the Royal Geelong Yacht Club. Conditions were glorious for...

21 January 2026

Plan your weekend on Geelong’s waterfront for the biggest party of the year

Tickets on sale now. Geelong’s waterfront is set to come alive this January long weekend as the much-loved Festival of Sails returns for another year. Back and bigger than ever in 2026, get ready for three days of free waterfront festival celebrations and five days of world-class sailing across Corio Bay, from Wangim Walk to the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.   Recognised as the Southern Hemisphere’s largest keelboat regatta, Festival of Sails blends elite international competition with one of regional Victoria’s biggest and most vibrant community...

9 January 2026

STS Young Endeavour Returns to Fire the Festival of Sails Start as Entries Close This Sunday

Australia’s greatest sailing celebration is set for a spectacular beginning, with the iconic STS Young Endeavour confirmed as the official start boat for the Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race presented by Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong, firing the ceremonial cannon to launch the 2026 Festival of Sails. Returning for the second consecutive year, the historic tall ship will once again lead the fleet from Melbourne before becoming a centrepiece of the Geelong waterfront, open for public exploration on the second...

12 October 2025

Regatta News: Enter Early for the Chance to Win A New Chartplotter!

The Festival of Sails 2026 is coming up quickly, and and this year there’s an extra reason to get in early… Your entry could win you an incredible Zeus SR 10” Chartplotter, valued at $4,999, thanks to our generous partners at B&G. Early Bird Bonus: For the Chance to Win Register your boat before 11.59pm (AEDT) on Sunday, November 30th, 2025, and you’ll automatically go in the draw for the chance to win this cutting-edge chartplotter. The Zeus SR 10”...

18 September 2025

The Party is Back: Festival of Sails 2026 Sets Sail with New Look and Expanded Program

It gives me great pleasure to launch the brand for the Festival of Sails 2026, along with this year’s slogan: “The Party is Back.” This theme celebrates the return of the festival in full force, both on the water and ashore, and reflects a new era for the Royal Geelong Yacht Club as we host the event for the first time with full access to our completed Victorian Sailing Centre. The VSC is a true game-changer for our Club and...

4 August 2025

The Festival of Sails returns for 2026… bigger and better than ever!

Australia’s largest celebration of sailing just got even bigger, with the Festival of Sails expanding to five action-packed days of racing. In 2026 the Royal Geelong Yacht Club will play host to the Australian Multihull Championships throughout the festival, seamlessly adding two days of weekday sailing on Corio Bay in the lead-up to the flagship long weekend regatta. With the official Notice of Race for the Festival of Sails released today, entries are now open for the iconic celebration, including...

27 January 2025

Team Hollywood Shines At Festival Of Sails 2025 

Team Hollywood shone at the Festival of Sails 2025, which wrapped today from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.The regatta was hosted 246 boats, 1100 sailors, 100,000 visitors, and close to twenty divisional champions crowned post racing. “Luck is the king of all wins,” said Raymond Roberts of his win with Team Hollywood in Passage Rating Division 1 on both IRC and AMS. Always a gentleman, Roberts politely recognised the win prior to the final day of racing, which was abandoned...

26 January 2025

More Than 500 People Try Sailing At Festival Of Sails 2025

One of the largest learn to sail programs in Australia’s history took place as part of the Festival of Sails 2025. More than 500 participants took part in the free “Come & Try Sailing” sessions on 25 January and 26 January, 2025. Unlike traditional “off the beach” dinghies, the Come & Try Sailing sessions took place on RS21 keelboats supplied by Royal Geelong Yacht Club, with trained instructors on board to guide participants through the experience. “We’re ecstatic about the...

25 January 2025

Chutzpah Takes Line Honours At Festival Of Sails 2025

The 182nd Nautica House Festival Of Sails Passage Race from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria to the Royal Geelong Yacht Club started today, 25 January, under the cannon of the STS Young Endeavour. More than 240 boats and 1100 sailors set off in the oldest continual annual sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere, but it was the 46-time veteran of the race, Bruce Taylor and his team on Chutzpah who won on line honours.  At sunrise, hot air balloons...

22 January 2025

Australia’s Largest Learn To Sail Program To Take Place At Festival of Sails 2025

The 2025 Festival of Sails is set to host one of the largest Learn to Sail programs in Australia’s history. As part of the festival’s exciting lineup, free “Come & Try Sailing” sessions will take place on Day 1 and Day 2 of the Festival, giving both locals and visitors the unique opportunity to experience the thrill of sailing firsthand. The response has been overwhelming, with over 528 participants already signed up for the Come & Try Sailing sessions, making...