On May 30 the 22nd Bribie Classic Boat Regatta assembled in Pumicestone Passage near the Volunteer Marine Rescue boat ramp to mark the start of the local marine market at Sylvan Beach. The day was organised by Bribie Aquatic Community Events (BACE) and attracted a large crowd of curious onlookers and wooden boat enthusiasts.
BACE was formed in 2021 to ensure the Bribie Classic Boat Regatta went ahead, and it intends to develop other events to service Bribie Island and the broader community. The Bribie Island Classic Boat Regatta was started in 1997 by Alan Graham and was continued from 2003 by the Bribie Island Boating Club. The regatta is supported by the Wooden Boat Association of Queensland.
Classic boats are classified as follows:
Historic – built up to and including 1918
Antique – built between 1919 and 1942
Classic – built between 1943 and 1975
Late Classic – built after 1975 but before 25 years prior to the current year
Contemporary – built in the last 25 years
This year’s event was sponsored by many local businesses, including Bribie Island Brewing, Southern Fish Marine, Caboolture Bus Lines, Bribie Island Golf Club, MBRIT, Bribie RSL, Busy Fingers, Ray White, L J Hooker and many more.
The markets included food stalls and representatives from the sponsors as well as traders looking to buy and sell boats on site. Many of the boats on display had history cards with information about the building of the boat, location of operation over the years, details of refurbishments and specifications such as timbers used to build the vessel, motors used, the range of the fuel tanks and top speeds.
Probably the most notable vessel, “Jewel”, was built in Breakfast Creek in 1932 using Queensland timbers such as hoop pine and ironbark and has been used as a trawler, game fishing boat and live- aboard general bay boat. She also travelled to Hobart for the boat festival in 2019.
