By PETER MASON
AHOY, there – it’s that time of year again and the organisers of one of Sunshine Coast’s most celebrated nautical events are appealing for support for the best-ever Christmas boating flotilla.
The Noosa Waters flotilla, which celebrates its 18th anniversary this year, will take place next Friday 18 December.
The event regularly sees up to 100 brightly decorated watercraft join in the festivities and compete for a place in the best-dressed-boat roll of honour.
Organisers are hoping to make this year’s nautical parade one of the biggest and best ever, and will be looking to better the record turnout of five years ago when over 100 tinsel-adorned boats of all shapes and sizes took part.
Noosa Waters Residents Association president Dick Patterson said with such a fabulous waterway right on their back-step, he wanted to encourage all boat-owning residents to light-up their boats and take part.
“At the same time we want to provide a special Christmas treat to the thousands of spectators who are expected to flock to Noosa from all over the coast to watch,” he said.
“We want this to be Noosa’s best-ever Christmas flotilla.”
Noosa Community Radio 101.3 FM is one of the key promoters and will be calling the event as it happens and playing Christmas Carols from 6 to 8pm on the night.
Boats will assemble at the Saltwater Avenue/Masthead Quay bridge from 6.30pm, with the parade scheduled to start at 6.45pm. Noosa Coast Guard boats will lead out the parade after signalling the start with two blasts from their air horns.
For more details, visit www.noosawaters.org/events.html, or phone Warren Burrows on 5473 0545 or 0418 191 505.
