Weekend festival for outrigger regatta

Ettalong Beach will hold a weekend festival when it stages the fourth annual Brisbane Water Outrigger Regatta next March.

The creation of the Brisbane Water Outrigger Regatta Festival is a project involving the Ettalong Beach Business Group and the Te Iku Nui Outrigger Canoe Club.

"Te Ika Nui has been holding an Australia Outrigger Canoe Racing Association sanctioned regatta at Ettalong Beach for three years," Ms Wilson said Festival coordinator Ms Lindy Wilson.

"By helping to expand this into a community festival, we feel we can utilise our location strengths and village atmosphere and the natural beauty and pristine waterways of the region.

"The multi-day event will feature a changes race which starts at Ettalong Beach, goes through the Brisbane Water to Gosford and back.

"This course allows for unprecedented waterfront viewing by many different communities.

"It is a spectacular and exciting relay where teams change over in the water.

"This is a unique race format seen in few Australian Outrigger regattas."

Ms Wilson said the festival would also feature stalls and entertainment threaded through Ettalong including a Polynesian twist with a Saturday night Luau.

She said the festival would be a great opportunity to showcase local businesses and community groups while providing a sporting event that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

"Although the regatta originates in Ettalong, we see this as a whole Brisbane Water event and plan to build it into a major tourist attraction and the largest outrigger regatta in Australia," Ms Wilson said.

"We are looking to involve as many local community groups as possible around the Brisbane Water."

Ms Wilson said the festival committee were always looking for more sponsors, stall holders, volunteers and ambassadors to get involved.

For further information, contact Lindy Wilson on 0417 210 674 or at ebbgi@hotmail.com

Clare Graham, 20 Aug 2009 Press release, 17 Aug 2009 Lindy Wilson, Ettalong Beach Business Group