February 2 - 8, 2014: Issue 148
R Marine Riley Pittwater Festival - Celebrating all that Pittwater offers!
R Marine Riley Pittwater Festival - March 2014 - Celebrating all that Pittwater offers!
The Royal Motor Yacht Club at Newport will be hosting the Pittwater Festival throughout the five weekends of March, celebrating the magnificent Pittwater estuary water way and the surrounding landscape that thousands of water lovers enjoy every year.
A number of aquatic events including Surf Boat Sprint Racing, Stand Up Paddle Board Expo and Scotland Island Race, a Game Fishing Tournament, with a ‘Riv Kids’ children’s Fishing Competition included, a Classic Yacht Regatta and a Power Boat Navigational time trial will be held at the Club and on the water. The festival will provide an ideal opportunity for RMYC members and guests to join in the celebration of Pittwater.
Proudly sponsored by Riley Riviera, and supported by Pittwater Council, Surf Life Saving Northern Beaches and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, this event provides a unique opportunity for the Northern Beaches community to get involved and experience new events never seen on Pittwater. The RMYC, which is the perfect venue to bring the family and friends to either witness the magnificent on water action or get involved in the events, also has a series of post event entertainments planned for each day. With the new
CEO Mark Riley - Riley Riviera said “This festival will be one of the major calendar events for Sydney’s boating community. Riley Riviera are so proud to be a part of this event. We look forward to seeing the whole community coming together to experience the best that Pittwater has to offer.”
Rob Brown RMYC Development Manager – Event Organiser.
“We are very excited to be able to host the Riley Riviera Pittwater Festival for 2014. The original format for this event stems back as far as 1888, whereby the first Pittwater Regatta was held. Over subsequent years, this regatta grew into a number of events apart from sailing and also included Speed Boat racing, Rowing Races, and of all things an Aerial Derby which saw aircraft race from Kingsford Smith Airport, via Manly, Palm Beach then finish off RMYC. That was in 1948. These events brought the local community together to enjoy the magnificent waterway and surrounds of Pittwater. In line with this original concept, we are proud to re-establish this event in the form of the Riley Riviera Pittwater Festival.”
The Royal Motor Yacht Club – Broken Bay at Newport would like to extend an invitation to your family and friends to come and join in and be part of the fantastic array of on water entertainment and the RMYC hospitality.
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The Events
Saturday March 1st Surf Boat Shoot Out
Short course sprint races to determine the best Northern Beaches Men’s and Women’s crews. Racing against the clock, over a 500meter course, there will be ideal spectator viewing of all the action right at RMYC. This will form part of the Official Festival Opening, with Celebrity Races, the winner’s Presentation and a Best Life Saver’s Bum Competition!
Sunday March 2nd – R Marine Riley 34 Years of Riviera – Parade of Boats
Riviera is Australia's largest and most awarded luxury boat builder. Here R Marine Riley will provide a wonderful overview of these classic boats using a boat parade to showcase the evolution of the Riviera design, with everything from the very first designs up to the latest in cutting edge modern technology included.
There will also be one of the new Riviera boats on the dock available throughout for viewing and a chance to get inside and see the great modern design that Riviera has evolved through the years.
Saturday 8th of March R Marine Riley Power Boat Tuition for Ladies
From 11am-1pm the ladies R Marine Riley will provide a 2 hour lesson with a qualified instructor which will follow:
• How to manoeuvre the boat
• What to do in an emergency
• Raise alarms and distress signals
• Give way and distance off
• Navigation marks and signs
• Anchoring
• Tying and docking the boat
After the lesson R Marine Riley will invite all the ladies back to their Riv Area at the RMYC where they can enjoy a glass of champagne and afternoon tea whilst discussing all their new acquired knowledge!
Sunday March 9th Stand Up Paddle Event –Scotland Island Race & Expo
The first SUP Race around Scotland Island! Try Stand Up Paddling, get involved with the demonstrations conducted by the sports’ best.
The Expo will provide an exhibition of latest products from the sport’s leading suppliers! Try it out, it is the fastest growing sport in the world and Pittwater is the ideal waterway to go paddling.
Over 200 competitors are expected to take on the inaugural Scotland Island Race which starts and finishes at the RMYC. Throughout the day, Short Course time trials will be conducted with great prizes awarded. When you need a break witness the Northern Beaches SUP Celebrity Races. A great day for you and the family. All welcome.
Saturday March 15th Simrad - 21st International Game Fishing Tournament
Hosted by RMYC – Broken Bay Game Fishing Club, this is one of the most prestigious Game Fishing Tournaments in Australia. 80 boats are expected for this year’s event attracting over 400 competitors all vying for that “Big Catch”. Several categories will be contested under the Tag and Release system. Over $100,000 of cash and prizes are up for grabs over the weekend. Best viewing times are 4.00- 6.00pm each day at RMYC.
Sunday March 16th Simrad - 21st International Game Fishing Tournament and 'Riv Kids' Fishing Competition
‘Riv Kids” Fishing Competition – one for the little fishing people in your family! R Marine Riley plan to have three main age categories; 3-6, 7-11 and 12-16. Each child will be set up within their age category with a dock buddy(parent or guardian), here they will be given a time frame in which they must see how many fish they can catch*! There will then be prizes for the following categories;
• Heaviest Fish
• Smallest Fish
• Ugliest Fish
• Most unusual fish
Each child must bring their own equipment and life jacket if under 12, however R Marine Riley will have a few spare rods for children and will also provide the bait. There will also be a BBQ and refreshments held down near the dock to create a really fun event and to include the whole family. Each child will also receive a Riv Kids certificate on completion of the event to take home with them.
* Fish will be released back into the water after being caught.
Sunday March 16th - R Marine Riley Power Boat Tuition for Ladies
From 11am-1pm the ladies will have a 2 hour lesson with a qualified instructor which will follow the below points
• How to manoeuvre the boat
• What to do in an emergency
• Raise alarms and distress signals
• Give way and distance off
• Navigation marks and signs
• Anchoring
• Tying and docking the boat
After the lesson R Marine Riley will invite all the ladies back to their Riv Area at the RMYC where they can enjoy a glass of champagne and afternoon tea whilst discussing all their new acquired knowledge!
Sunday March 16th - R Marine Riley Safety at Sea
This will be a demonstration showing the process taken when in an emergency situation out at sea i.e., a step by step guide from the use of the radio to the inflation of the life raft and the correct us of EPIRBs (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon). A brief but in depth overview of how to cope in an emergency situation.
Saturday and Sunday 22nd and 23rd March Classic Yacht Regatta
The natural event for the festival. Over 70 classic yachts from yester year will fly their sails in a two day regatta celebrating the wonderful waters and Pittwater provides. Some of the best known yachts from around the country will join in and race to be the Regatta Champion. Various classes and categories will be sailed. From the serious racing yachts including the America’s Cup 12 metres, Sydney -Hobart veteran’s and the Historic 18’Skiffs will all be out on Pittwater over the two days. A number of Spectator Ferries will be available to watch all the action, leaving RMYC. After sailing on each day a regatta party time at night back at the club, presentation of prizes Sunday afternoon.
Saturday 29th March - Blue Water Navigational Trial.
For the keen power boat enthusiast a navigational time trial that will see competitors negotiate a predetermined course testing their accuracy in navigation. Electronic Navigational aids can be used, which is an ideal opportunity to use all that gadgetry on board!
Sunday 30th March - Pittwater Paper Chase
A fun event for everyone who can get on a boat! The challenge is to use the clues provided, locate the key points around Pittwater and answer the questions provided. A cruise around Pittwater and a test of your observation skills. Finishing back at RMYC for lunch, presentation and Party! This will be the final event of the Riley Riviera Pittwater Festival where the curtain will close on
what will be a fantastic month long celebration of all that Pittwater provides.
Sunday 30th March R Marine Riley Docking Competition
A fun where each competitor will be given an allocated time in which they must bring their boat to an allocated area just off the main marina at the RMYC. Here they will be faced with four inflatable buoys forming a square.
The challenge is to dock your boat within the square in both a forward and reversing manoeuvre. Each boat will be judged on the number of attempts to get their boat inside the square and also by the amount of times the boat hits a buoy. This part of the event is not timed as it is not a race; the aim is to find the competitor who holds the most skill and keeps calm in the docking procedure.
There will be two categories for the size of boat;
• to 30ft
• 30ft – and above
There will be prizes for; Best overall skipper who completed both manoeuvre’s with the lowest about of try’s and least about of hits of the buoys. Best lady skipper
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Extra transport to the RMYC has been arranged with Mark Farrell, proprietor of the wonderful Reliance ferry to and from Rowland Reserve. There will also be special offers on becoming a Social or Boating member of RMYC – Broken Bay throughout the 2014 Riley - Riviera Pittwater Festival. Pittwater Online News will bring you further details of each event during the next few weeks as well as a few insights into the historical basis and traditions of some of these.
This is going to be a wonderful, very exciting festival that will showcase and celebrate aquatics and Pittwater with family friendly events for all tastes.
