Experience the fun and excitement of sailing Airlie Beach Race Week held in Airlie Beach, the Whitsundays, Australia - one of the most exciting venues in the world

The annual Spice Islands Darwin Ambon Yacht Race is organised by the Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association and the Ambon City Government. It is a 630nm international sailing classic starting in Darwin Australia and finishing in Ambon Indonesia. The race is supported by the Northern Territory Government and the City of Darwin, and is a major feature supporting the Darwin and Ambon Sister City Program by fostering international relationships and cultural exchange. All types of sailors and sailing boats are welcome. The south-east trade winds dominate the weather and can provide wonderful reaching conditions through the tropical waters of northern Australia and the Indonesian archipelago. The fastest yachts take just over two days whilst the more relaxed sailors take up to six days. Darwin City, NT Australia

First held in 1844, the Festival of Sails is Victoria Australia's oldest ongoing sporting event, and the largest annual keel boat regatta in the Southern Hemisphere. The Festival of Sails attracts over 400 yachts and 4,500 competitors to Melbourne and Geelong over the Australia Day holiday period.

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is one of Australia's favourite yachting events and a firm fixture on the international sailing calendar. Competitors, family and friends come together to enjoy the convivial atmosphere and unique camaraderie of the event's on-water and off-water carnival. Perfectly situated on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, amongst Queensland's 74 Whitsunday Islands, Hamilton Island offers an experience like no other: glorious weather, azure waters, brilliant beaches, awe-inspiring coral reefs, fascinating flora and fauna, fine food and wines, and activities almost too numerous to mention.

Each year the Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto, hosts the Heaven Can Wait Charity Sailing Regatta, in support of the Hunter branch of Cancer Council NSW who provide domestic support services for both terminal and recovering cancer patients. The Heaven Can Wait Charity Regatta was conceived and inaugurated by Lake Macquarie resident, keen sailor and cancer survivor Shaun Lewicki as a major annual sailing event on the lake, to promote sailing, the Lake Macquarie/Newcastle/Hunter region – and to raise funds for cancer research. The Venue is the Toronto Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto, Lake Macquarie, NSW Australia

Sail Melbourne is Australia’s premier Olympic and Invited Classes Regatta, held annually in the waters of Port Phillip, Victoria. Established in 1992, it has become the largest annual ‘Off the Beach’ regatta in the southern hemisphere and is critical to the growth and success of junior and youth sailors, enabling them to race alongside their Olympic heroes. Sail Melbourne attracts and conducts numerous World Championship Regattas each summer, with over 30 hosted to date. Albert Park, Vic, Australia

For a quarter of a century, two iconic Queensland yachting events Airlie Beach Race Week and Hamilton Island Race Week, have attracted hundreds of boats from the southern states each August, but very few had ever ventured further north. But now that has changed. SeaLink and the Townsville Yacht Club have worked to make sure the Magnetic Island regatta is old fashioned affordable fun. Townsville, QLD Australia

The Osaka Cup double handed yacht race is held every four years on average, organised through the collaborative effort of three yacht clubs: Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) in Melbourne, Australia; Hokko Yacht Club (OHYC) in Osaka, Japan; The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) in Melbourne, Australia. The Osaka Cup is a 5,500 nautical mile 2 handed yacht race starting in Melbourne and finishing in Osaka and it's one of the only South-North long distance ocean races in the world. The route passes through multiple weather systems and seasons as it crosses the Pacific Ocean.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is organised by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia with the co-operation of Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. Over the past 68 years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart has become an icon of Australia's summer sport, ranking in public interest with such national events as the Melbourne Cup horse race, the Australian Open tennis and the cricket tests between Australia and England. No regular annual yachting event in the world attracts such huge media coverage than does the start on Sydney Harbour, Australia.

Sail Port Stephens is one of the fastest growing regattas in Australia, and there's lots of reasons why. It's family friendly, with a wide range of affordable accommodation and plenty of fun day and night, both on and off the water. Sail Port Stephens is now firmly established as an annual event on the national regatta calendar - organised by the Corlette Point Sailing Club in partnership with Events Port Stephens, an initiative of Port Stephens Council. Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia

Part of the Sail Down Under series incorporating Sail Brisbane, Sail Sydney and Sail Melbourne. Sail Sydney has been categorized by ISAF as a Grade 1 event of the Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, 470, 49er and RS:X. Other classes invited include the Moth, Hobie 16, 505, 420, 29er, BIC Techno 293 and the Laser 4.7. For the first time Sail Sydney will incorporate the Paralympic Classes namely the 2.4mR and the SKUD 18. Sydney, Australia

The Solo Trans Tasman Yacht Challenge, 1220 nautical miles from New Plymouth, New Zealand to Southport, Australia. The Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge competitors spend days at sea alone and pit their skills, mental capacity and physical agility against ferocious weather conditions, huge seas and the worry of being hit by a ship, whale or frequent gear failure. The Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge is contested every four years and is the second-oldest continuously-run single-handed ocean race in the world. It's also the only race of its kind in the southern hemisphere and the race will cover 1240 nautical miles. Three classes will be catered for: Adventure class - Monohull, Adventure class - Multihull and IRC. Line honours is awarded the Sir Francis Chichester Trophy. The race will finish at the Southport Yacht Club on Queensland's Gold Coast.

Swan River Sailing is Perth's premier corporate sailing & team building provider and Australia's leading professional regatta management specialists. We are dedicated to promoting Perth as a world acclaimed yachting venue and building the profile of the sport through our annual regattas, while also providing corporate sailing and team building using our fleet of Foundation 36 yachts. Swan River Sailing manages a number of local, state and international level sailing regattas, including the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta and the Australia Cup – Australia's premier match racing event. Crawley WA Australia

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia introduced the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in 1986 as 'the great winter escape', taking advantage of the completion of the Gold Coast Seaway. Extensive harbour works funded by the Queensland Government had opened up an all-weather entrance at the Southport bar to deep keel yachts, large pleasure craft and fishing trawlers. Since then the 384 nautical mile race has attracted fleets of between 70 and 80 yachts each year, with entries coming mainly from New South Wales and Queensland, but also from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and New Zealand.

Hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club, the Sydney Harbour Regatta is one of the largest, competitive keelboat regattas in Australia. The Sydney Harbour Regatta was inaugurated in 1996. Racing is open to all Australian and International yachts, from IRC and PHS racing and cruising classes to the very popular International Classes. Racing is conducted on the waters of Sydney Harbour and offshore for the IRC grand prix yachts. Over 300 yachts in over 24 divisions on 8 course areas grace the magnificent harbour for this weekend of competitive yacht racing. The prestigious nature of this event is heightened by its part in the Audi Australian IRC Championship. Now an iconic Sydney event, the Sydney Harbour Regatta is excitement in yacht racing never seen before on this splendid harbour.