Can-do boat crews make a splash at Beer Can Regatta

08-06-2025

Boat race crews with a can-do attitude have battled it out at the famed beachside Beer Can Regatta, now in its 51st year.
Thousands of people gathered at Mindil Beach in Darwin on Sunday for sand and sea competitions culminating in the free-for-all Battle for Mindil between determined beer-can boat crews.
The regatta began in 1974 as a clean-up initiative featuring 63 homemade boats and some 22,000 spectators - about half Darwin's population at the time.
An Australian army team won one of the key boat races in 2024 but this year wants to win the main event, the Battle for Mindil, in which crews battle it out with water pistols, flour bombs and boat ramming.
Vittoria Vitiello of the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment says this year they aim to win the battle for "bragging rights".
"Last year we turned someone's boat over so that was lots of fun," the team leader said.
"It's what Darwin is all about - being a bit silly and getting things down."
The 2025 battle features hidden underwater treasure, which the tacked-together tinnie crews have to find and get back to shore without having it seized.
Other makeshift boats also feature in the regatta, including ones made from large plastic water containers and cardboard milk cartons.
NT Tourism and Major Events Minister Marie-Clare Boothby said the regatta celebrated the territory's unique lifestyle and was all about creativity, sustainability and having fun.
Funds raised at the event go to local community groups.

Hashtags

#1stCombatEngineerRegiment

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Ryan Daniels: Inside Harley Reid's contract talks and the multi-million dollar offers on the table

West Australian

12 minutes ago

West Australian

Ryan Daniels: Inside Harley Reid's contract talks and the multi-million dollar offers on the table

It wasn't quite high-powered Wall Street execs in Armani suits, marching in to close a billion-dollar deal — but the stakes, in a footy sense, were just as high. Harley's Melbourne-based manager Nick Geischen rolled into town, and while he didn't utter the words 'Show Me the Money', he didn't need to. The phrase was emanating from his $24 million smile. It's been a hectic week in Harley-world, with a somewhat surprising shift in the situation. Earlier this year, the Eagles put forward multiple contract options to Harley's team. Three, five, seven-year deals — a pick-your-own-adventure approach. Nothing came of it. which had people thinking — he's gone. Even before the Eagles drafted him, there was talk Harley would bail. That the Eagles would be better off trading the pick. Victorian journalist Sam McLure now famously declared 'they won't pick him, Mitch (Cleary)' — suggesting West Coast would be better off passing on one of the most prodigious talents the draft has seen in years — just to avoid the inevitable messy exit. It's always been perceived as a matter of when Harley will leave, not if . Then, the twist. Geischen had come bearing gifts — a proposal for West Coast. An 11-year deal. $2.2 million per year, on average. $24 million all up. The largest deal in AFL history. More money per year than Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins. Unprecedented numbers across the board. While it sounds like monopoly money, in 11 years, $2.2 million won't be as crazy as it sounds right now. By then, Harley will be 32 and potentially edging out of his prime — but with the growth of the AFL's salary cap, he might end up a bargain at some stage. Remember, back in 1994 Alastair Lynch signed a ten-year deal for $1 million — at $100,000 per season, people lost their minds at the money. By the time Lynch retired, he was woefully underpaid. As part of this proposed deal, Harley would have the option to leave after two years. If not, he'd be here until the end of 2037. Let that sink in. In 2037 we might actually have flying cars and robot slaves. Or we'll be slaves to the robots. I'll be 54 years old. Bring me a pair of warm slippers, a glass of prune juice, and cap it off with a few episodes of Murder She Wrote. Maybe my idea of what it's like to be 54 is a little dated — but you get the point — 2037 is an eternity away. Harley's people bringing this to the table signals his intention to stay — if terms can be agreed. So, what's changed? Nothing, really. All along we've heard Harley, the Eagles, even his management declare the young midfielder was taking his time, happy in Perth. In recent weeks Reid's form has elevated, he's exhibiting an edge, leadership around the club. He's forming strong bonds with teammates. My understanding is he's told Andrew McQualter he wants to stay. At 20, he's living on his own, cooking, cleaning, he's got a dog. He's handling the media/fan pressure superbly. Some 20-year-olds can barely remember to flush the toilet. This kid is settled. Credit to the Eagles for an environment where a country kid from the other side of Australia feels comfortable, happy. Saying that, nothing is guaranteed here. The new proposal isn't quite a gun to the head, an ultimatum — but it's not miles off it. This is how keeping Harley Reid looks. If that's too rich, there will be other suitors. It's a fairly simple situation — other than the overwhelming commitment. That's the holdup, if there is one. No one saw this coming. Not even the Eagles. The deal, or at least the sheer enormity of it, has blindsided West Coast. They've taken a pause. In the month following the contract proposal landing in their inbox, there's been no response. Some meals take a lot longer to digest, and this is like going to a steak joint and being served an entire cow. Don't panic Eagles fans, they know what they have in Harley. They love him. If they believe they've found the sun which all other planets can rotate around, that he could be their Dustin Martin, their Patrick Dangerfield, then they need to do it. Maybe it's a slight variation of this proposed deal, a happy compromise, but they can't get too cute here. Harley could be the AFL's best player within a few years. Yes, a deal that long, with that kind of financial commitment comes with risk. In my opinion, it's a risk worth taking. This kid is special. He wants to be here and he's box office. After a disastrous four years at the West Coast Eagles, the signature of Harley Reid would be a significant victory and a sign that things might finally be turning around. Years of endless chat about a move back to Victoria for Harley, now the Eagles have a chance to keep their man. They just need to sign on the dotted line.