Port Cygnet Regatta
The Port Cygnet Regatta is one of Australia's oldest sailing events — held since 1863 on the sheltered waters of Port Cygnet in Tasmania's Huon Valley, and still going strong on the first holiday weekend of March.
Photo: Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
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The Port Cygnet Regatta is one of Australia's oldest sailing events — held since 1863 on the sheltered waters of Port Cygnet in Tasmania's Huon Valley, and still going strong today. Few regattas anywhere can claim more than a century and a half of near-continuous history, and fewer still combine it with the warm, welcoming character that keeps sailors coming back to the Huon.
What it is
The regatta is a keelboat and dinghy event held on the sheltered waters of Port Cygnet, south-west of Hobart, run by the Port Cygnet Sailing Club. It takes place on the first holiday weekend of March, drawing boats to the Huon Valley for a weekend of racing and community. The protected bay makes for accessible sailing, and the event is as known for its hospitality as its racing — the essence of a grassroots regatta.
A regatta since 1863
The Port Cygnet Regatta's history is remarkable. The first 'Huon Regatta' — now the Port Cygnet Regatta — was held on 2 January 1863 at Beaupre Point, Port Cygnet, and it has been staged almost every year since. That makes it one of the oldest sailing regattas in Australia, nearly as old as the Royal Hobart Regatta itself. It sits within Tasmania's deep sailing tradition, on the same island that hosts the finish of the Sydney Hobart and the racing described in our guide to sailing in Hobart and the Derwent.
How to enter and follow
Entries and event information are published by the Port Cygnet Sailing Club. Crews should read the Notice of Race for their class and enter before the deadline. As with any mixed fleet, results are decided on handicap — see line honours versus handicap — and for newcomers, our guide to getting into sailing in Australia is a good start. The sailing terms glossary covers the language of the racing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Port Cygnet Regatta?
- The Port Cygnet Regatta is a long-running Tasmanian sailing regatta held on the sheltered waters of Port Cygnet, in the Huon Valley south of Hobart. Run by the Port Cygnet Sailing Club, it dates to 1863, which makes it one of the oldest continuously held sailing events in Australia — nearly as old as the Royal Hobart Regatta.
- How old is the Port Cygnet Regatta?
- It has been held almost every year for more than 160 years. The first 'Huon Regatta', now known as the Port Cygnet Regatta, was held on 2 January 1863 at Beaupre Point, Port Cygnet. That long history places it among the oldest sailing regattas in the country.
- When is the Port Cygnet Regatta held?
- It is held on the first holiday weekend of March each year, on the waters of Port Cygnet. The regatta is known for its warm hospitality and enjoyable sailing, drawing keelboats and dinghies to the Huon Valley for a weekend of racing and community.
- Where is Port Cygnet?
- Port Cygnet is a sheltered bay in the Huon Valley of southern Tasmania, near the town of Cygnet, south-west of Hobart. Its protected waters make it a fine venue for regatta sailing, and the surrounding valley adds to the event's relaxed, welcoming character.
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