Advertising Promotion

STANSBURY and Port Vincent are poised to present the 2024 Yorke Peninsula Saltwater Classic with a spectacular display of wooden and classic boats from the past this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14.

It will be the first time the usually biennial event has been held since 2018 after the 2020 and 2022 classics had to be cancelled due to Covid-19.

South Australia’s flagship One and All will headline the event alongside maxi yacht Brindabella.

Smaller craft will parade under sail, steam and putt putt propulsion in the waters off Stansbury and Port Vincent.

Event chairman Doug Le Feuvre said the event will feature a fascinating fleet of traditional vessels restored with passion to celebrate the boat building skills of a bygone era.

“The boats will be on display along the foreshore in Stansbury on Saturday morning, allowing people to engage with the owners and restorers before the launch boats for a parade in Oyster Bay (and) then the 12-nautical mile run to Port Vincent accompanied by One and All and Brindabella,” he said.

“People attending the event can watch the fleet on shore, and on Sunday morning the boats will be on display in the Port Vincent marina before a blessing of the fleet and parades close to the town wharf.”

Celebrations will extend to shore-based activities with the Stansbury Seaside Markets, displays of vintage cars and caravans, stationary engines, blacksmithing, local arts, craft and regional produce.

“We are thrilled to announce the Royal Australian Navy Band will provide entertainment in Stansbury and Port Vincent, and we can guarantee there will be dancing in the streets,” Mr Le Feuvre said.

“In the Port Vincent Institute on Sunday there will be a magnificent marine art exhibition, including works from local artists, story banners from the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney, and historical footage of the original ketch fleet that carried grain and other agricultural produce from small ports around South Australia.

“We’ll present double-ended St Ayles skiffs, four-oared rowing boats that are taking the world by storm, hydroplane and model boat displays and interactive exhibitions of wooden boat construction.

“We look forward to welcoming big crowds in Stansbury and Port Vincent for a community-based event with many diverse on-water and shore-based features and fun for people of all ages.”

For more information about the event, go to www.ypsaltwaterclassic.org.au or the Saltwater Classic Facebook page.

A sight to behold

SALTWATER CLASSIC... South Australia’s flagship One and All, based on the original rig of a 19th century brigantine, will headline the Saltwater Classic event this weekend April 13-14.

THE sight of South Australia’s tall ship, the government-owned One and All, with full sails unfurled is indeed a sight to behold, according to Friends of One and All executive officer Annie Roberts.

Based on the original rig of an 1850s brigantine ship, but built in 1987, the majestic craft can be spotted most days in SA waters, where it operates as a tourism vessel and runs programs for at-risk children to learn about sailing and teamwork.

Built by W.G. Porter and Son at North Haven, the One and All is sailed by a host of volunteers.

It is about 43 metres long and made of timber, and its main mast is 27m tall.

Brindabella, a mainstay of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race for many years and claiming line honours in 1997, is now based in SA after being bought by a local sailor.

The pair of boats is now affectionately called the “lady and the legend”.

Although both were built around the same time, Brindabella is a high-tech yacht designed for speed and the One and All is a classic tall ship design straight out of the history books.

“Having these two iconic vessels, it’s a rare thing,” Ms Roberts said.

Special maritime display for Saltwater Classic

SMALL SHIPS DIVISION... Interested seamen check out the small ships division based at Walsh Bay, Sydney, during World War II. Typical craft included trawlers, cabin cruisers and schooners.

LEARN more about Australia’s maritime history at a special display at the Port Vincent Institute to coincide with the YP Saltwater Classic this Saturday and Sunday, April 13 to 14.

The display will include Mission X banners from the Australian Maritime Museum.

Mission X was a World War II initiative in which more than 3000 small ships and boats were assembled in Sydney from March 1942 onwards to be stripped, reinforced, fitted with machine guns and painted grey; each was given an S number and adorned with an American flag .

“The banners have been made in the past six months, and I have been told we will be the first town in Australia to have them displayed,” Sue Hall, from the Port Vincent Progress Association, said.

“There is also a video which has amazing black and white footage of wartime Australia, showing these very brave men and woman, who used their skills to assist in the war effort.

“This is very appropriate for Anzac Day, as well as being maritime themed.

“After the Saltwater Classic, we will move the banners to our Visitor Information Office for display over the coming school holidays.”

The office will be open 10.30am to 12.30pm, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday during the holidays (April 13 to 28).

“However, our wonderful volunteers will open up if anyone needs to see the banners at a different time,” Ms Hall said.