The Darwin Beer Can Regatta is an event which has been held annually since 1974 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia at Mindil Beach. Participants create boats using empty beer cans, soft drink (soda) cans, soft drink bottle and milk cartons. The vessels are not tested for seaworthiness, prior to water events, and those that fall apart are part of the day's entertainment. A great many sundry events go along with the regatta, including concerts, a thong-throwing contest and the "Henley-on-Mindil" competition (named after the Henley-on-Todd Regatta), where participants run their "boats" around like Flintstones cars.
The first Beer Can Regatta was held in June 1974. This is contrary to popular belief that the regatta started in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy which hit Darwin on Christmas Eve, 1974.
The 1st Beer Can Regatta was the brainchild of Lutz Frankenfeld and Paul Rice-Chapman, both of whom were members of the Darwin Regional Tourism Promotion Aassociation. At the time, Paul (working at local newspaper "the NT News") had a deal with Swan Breweries to stage a water festival of some sort, and was developing the idea of building rafts out of empty beer cans. Lutz took this idea a step further and added an outboard motor to the vessel, and things grew from there.
The Beer Can Regatta is now managed by the Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta Association Inc, which is essentially a partnership of the three Lions Clubs of the Darwin region, to 1/ promote tourism in the Northern Territory, 2/ raise funds for charitable purposes, and 3/ promote Lionism.
The Beer Can Regatta is also known as the Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta.
The Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta has in recent years taken place on Mindil Beach on Sundays 8 August 2010, 19 July 2009 and on 13 July 2008. The date changes every year, but will generally take place on a Sunday with favourably timed high water.
The 2011 Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta will be held on Sunday 10 July 2011, and the 2012 Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta will be held on Sunday 15th July 2012.
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