More than 450 sailors have been welcomed by the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron this afternoon for a twilight race to kick off the 2024 Petersville Regatta.
Competing in the opening race of the regatta in pristine conditions off Mornington Peninsula, all divisions headed out in a 15-20 knot southwesterly, kickstarting this iconic local event with some great action.
Event Director Phil Beattie said the event was a significant one for Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and that it had helped shape the club’s history for many years.
“The Petersville Regatta has an amazing history, going back to the 70s it was a huge event,” he said.
“We brought it back a few years ago and it’s just grown in popularity.
Beattie said the Petersville Regatta gave many keelboat sailors across Victoria the opportunity to race in a larger fleet while remaining in Port Phillip Bay.
Known for attracting a large calibre of sailors, the event also aims to cater to all skill levels, with an exciting and dynamic event format providing more opportunities for sailors of different experience levels to participate.
That exact regatta formula is what Beattie said had become a crowd favourite for local sailors, with long course, short course and twilight racing scheduled throughout the four-day regatta.
Tomorrow’s racing will see the cruising divisions take on the long course, while the sportsboat division will start their short-course races.
For regatta results, head to https://sailingresults.net/?ID=81927
For more information about the regatta, head to https://www.petersvilleregatta.com.au/
