Starting off Williamstown, Victoria, the historic 180th Passage Race heralded the opening of the 2023 Festival of Sails. More than 250 yachts were expected to start the Race, one of the oldest sporting events in Australia, first run in 1844 by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

A grey sky, light breeze and showers prefaced the final day of Royal Geelong Yacht Club’s 2023 Festival of Sails, but nothing was going to wipe the smiles from competitors faces, particularly those who were still in the running for trophies and divisional top three places.

The Passage Spinnaker Series attracted the largest numbers, while the Passage Rating Series was next best. The event also hosted the Melges 24 Australian Championship and the S80 Series.

In all, there were 297 boats split between 13 series and multiple divisions, while the VIC Sailing League held its two-day final and the Cadet dinghies, synonymous with the Festival of Sails, also raced.

It was no walk in the park, the weather threw challenging conditions at competitors – shifty winds that bent in all directions and light winds from 1 to 10 knots for the most.

(See Australian Boating March-April #302 for a full report.