It’s council v council as Warrnambool and Moyne line up to take honours at this year’s South West Regatta.
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Councillors from the two municipalities will race, along with teams from Tasmania, South Australia and across Victoria at the two-day event this weekend.
The councillors will crew whaleboats and vie for the Council Cup at noon on Sunday.
Warrnambool mayor Robert Anderson said his side had the upper hand, as they were racing on their home waters.
“We’ve got the advantage,” he said. “We know how the river runs.”
Moyne mayor Mick Wolfe said his side was “prepped and primed”.
“We’ve had three practise runs and we’ve got it mastered.”
It is expected there will be more than 150 competitors on the Hopkins River near Proudfoots Boathouse for the event this weekend.
Racing will begin at 10am each day with finals to be held approximately 3.30pm. The regatta is free for spectators to attend.
“Rowing is a fantastic form of exercise, it’s a lot of fun and some of the region’s most idyllic natural spaces can only be seen from a boat,” Cr Anderson said.
“While the regatta is all about enjoying a great day on the river in an affable environment, there are state and national titles on the line, so the races are always eagerly contested.
“The course length is about one kilometre and the banks of the Hopkins River near Proudfoots Boathouse will make for the perfect spot to take in the excitement.
“It’s always nice to be able to catch up with our counterparts in Moyne, and if we can get one over them in the whaleboats, so much the better.”
Whaleboats are crewed by five rowers and a sweep while the slightly smaller skiffs have four rowers and a sweep.
A novelty race will be held at 10am on Saturday where a whaleboat will be raced against a St Ayles Skiff and a dragonboat to see which is the superior vessel.
Saturday will also see a wooden boat expo showcasing some exquisite hand-crafted vessels, including a Huon pine whaleboat and a Herreshoff dinghy.