Darwin beer-can regatta
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The Darwin Beer Can Regatta is an event which has been held annually since 1975 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia at Mindil Beach. Participants create boats using empty beer cans. They then are tested for seaworthiness. There are a great many sundry events that go along with the regatta, including concerts, a thong-throwing contest, and the "Henley-on-Mindil" (Named after the Henley-on-Todd Regatta), where participants run their "boats" around like Flintstones cars. The Darwin Stubby seems to be the beer bottle of choice for this festival, and it reigns as the largest "stubby" of beer in the world at 75 ounces, or roughly 2.1 litres.
The Beer Can Regatta originally started when Cyclone Tracey hit the town on Boxing Day, 1974. The tradesmen employed to rebuild the town drank a lot of beer due to the tropical climate. The empty beer cans were thrown into the street. The Beer Can Regatta was started up as a means to get rid of the empty beer cans.
The Beer Can Regatta is now managed by the combined Lions Clubs of Darwin to raise funds for charitable purposes. The Beer Can Regatta is also known as the Lions Beer Can Regatta.
The 2008 Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta will be held on Sunday 13th July 2008 at Mindil Beach.
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