Beer Can Regatta

Beer Can Regatta battlers have been warned – the Laser Electrical team is coming to reclaim their title.

By Tamara Howie

After losing their crown last year, the team will be pulling out all the stops to steal back the Battle of Mindil title.

The battle is the main event of the day, with teams vying for glory by collecting a piece of treasure in the water and returning it to officials.

Media coordinator Sacha King says it’s always the highlight of the day.

“There’re no rules in the Battle of Mindil, so it’s always exciting,” King says.

“You can take flour bombs and eggs, attack each other’s boat and even if you don’t find the treasure it doesn’t matter – it’s only the person who hands it over to officials that wins, so there’s always a mad tackle race at the end.”

Laser Electrical captain Trent Fowler says the no-rules race will live up to its name, but they’ll go a bit easier on opponents this year in their 2000-can boat.

“We’ve toned it down so there will be no eggs this year, but we’ll have tomatoes and flour and maybe some perfume water that makes them stink.”

“It might take some cheating at the end – we’ll find out who’s (got the treasure) and we’ll mug them.”

Fowler says the team has competed every year since 2009 and has a trophy room full of their accolades, including multiple wins for best boat and Battle of Mindil.

“We do it for team building,” he says.

“We’ll do a few Friday sessions and glue a few cans together, and we’ll put the boat together on a few Saturdays over a few beers and a BBQ.”

King says organisers are expecting a huge turn out this year and encouraged everyone to register their boats early.

“We had low numbers last year because it fell on the same weekend as the V8s but we’re expecting more this year,” she says.

“If we can get 10-15 boats it makes for a really good Battle of Mindil.”

All the profits from the day will go to the Asthma Foundation NT.

Sun 22 Jul | 10am-5pm | Mindil Beach, Darwin | Gold coin donation | See the event listing