Royal Hobart Regatta

Royal Hobart Regatta
Royal Hobart Regatta in 1914
Also called	The Regatta
Observed by	Southern Tasmania
Type	Southern public holiday
Significance	Australia's largest aquatic event
Celebrations	Sea farers
Date	Three days, ending on the second Monday in February
2024 date	10–12 February
Frequency	Annual
First time	1 December 1838
Started by	Governor of Tasmania - Sir John Franklin

The Royal Hobart Regatta is a series of aquatic competitions and displays held annually in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and is Tasmania's oldest sporting event. The regatta began in 1838.^[1][2]

The event runs for three days and incorporates a public holiday observed in Southern Tasmania on the second Monday in February.^[3]

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. In recent years the Royal Australian Navy, sends a warship to serve as flagship for the three day spectacle. The Royal Australian Air Force, also regularly performs aerobatic displays using military aircraft such as the RAAF Roulettes. The Australian Army's elite Red Beret parachute regiment has previously provided sky diving displays.

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 Ross Doddridge.

On 1 December 1838, the first Hobart Town Anniversary Regatta was held in Hobart to celebrate the anniversary of the 17th-century European discovery of Tasmania by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who made the first reported European sighting of the island on 24 November 1642.^[4]

It was decided that an annual anniversary regatta should be held and include the wearing of a sprig of silver wattle blossom tied with British navy blue ribbon,^[5] a tradition instituted by Governor of Tasmania, Sir John Franklin.

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 a public holiday 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.

• 1853
• 1854
• 1967 - Cancelled due to "Black Tuesday" bushfire on 7 February

The Regatta continued throughout World War I and World War II.

• 5 December 1942 - commemorated the 300th anniversary of Abel Tasman's exploration
• 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^[6]
• 11 February 2023 - commemorated the 185th anniversary of the event

The Royal Hobart Regatta has played host to ten royal visits, the most notable being a visit from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1963 when they arrived aboard HMY 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.

Originally staged at Pavilion Point, the Regatta moved in 1856, to grounds near Macquarie Point known as the "Regatta Grounds" at the Queens Domain 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, 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 World War I. A stone tablet was laid in 1942 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Regatta.

A plethora of events take place each year, and include:

• Jet ski and power boat races
• Dragon boat racing
• Tug of war
• Open water swimming
• Sailing
• Rowing
• Woodchopping

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

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

This paddling event sees kayakers travel from the Tasman Bridge to the Bowen Bridge before returning to the finish line at the Royal Hobart Regatta grounds. A total distance of 15km is covered.

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

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.

• Royal Hobart Regatta website

42°52′34″S 147°20′17″E / 42.876158°S 147.338089°E / -42.876158; 147.338089