Super Yachts Celebrate Australia Day

Sydney Plays Host to Superyacht Regatta

On 26^th January Australians celebrate Australia Day, a national holiday and in Sydney many superyachts will join in the celebrations with a cruise through the harbour waters.

The main events include the Sydney Regatta, events in Darling Harbour all day where there are competitions for the best dressed vessels, along with gun salute, fireworks in the evening and a free outdoor Jazz concert – Jazz on the Water – that often has fantastic bands and singers and is definitely worth a look.

Many Australians see it mainly as a day off and a good excuse to have a few beers and a barbeque – the Australian national dish!

Around the country there are parades, bands, and races of various kinds. Also it is common to see flag raisings and local citizenship ceremonies, welcoming new immigrants into Australia. It can be surprisingly moving to watch people taking the Australian Citizenship Pledge.

By far the biggest ceremonies and events take place in and around Sydney. This is because Australia Day commemorates the “first landing day” or “foundation day” in 1788 when the first fleet arrived at Sydney cove. Australia Day, in other words, commemorates the founding of New South Wales, so it is unsurprising that it is more warmly celebrated there than in the other states.

Australia Day is also seen as a “day of mourning” or protest by Aboriginal groups, the “anniversary of the Whitemen’s seizure of our country”. In response to this there have been various attempts to make Australia day more inclusive, but this tension continues.

Lazyshark.com “What’s on in Australia and New Zealand” section means crew working on superyachts can keep themselves in the know as to what events and festivals are happening whilst they are travelling around Australasia and when they are taking place.