For those of you who like a beer, sport and like to be on the water, here’s a great way to combine all of your favorite pastimes into one – (Yeah, drinking is probably a sport for some).

You could try your luck at the annual Beer Can Boat Regatta. Now that I’ve got your interest, all you need to do is head ‘DownUnder’  to the Australian outback north. It is here that the annual festival known as the  Darwin Beer Can Regatta has been held since 1974 at Mindil Beach, Darwin. The event is affectionately known as the Henley-on-Mindil.

To qualify, all you have to do is create a boat or floating craft using empty beer cans, soft drink (soda) cans soft drink bottles and/or milk cartons. (Get it? you have to empty them). Now, there is a subtle complexity in letting you know when this year’s event will be run, which may hamper with your entry, however, there is a rule of thumb which indicates an appropriate date is organised somewhere between June and August each year, dependent on a Sunday with a favorable high tide.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it is… to run your “boat” around a course like a ‘Fred Flinstone’s car. All I can say is – may the best man (can) win.

This picture is of an historic ‘beer-can boat’ which is on view at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. Bottoms up!

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