Henley-on-Todd Regatta

The Henley-on-Todd Regatta, also known as the Todd River Race, is a mock regatta held on the dry riverbed of the Todd River in the Australian town of Alice Springs. The event has been held every year since 1962 (with only one exception), it has an annual attendance of about 20,000.

The Henley-on-Todd Regatta was founded by Reg Smith who worked as a meteorologist at the Alice Springs Meteorological Bureau. In 1962, members of the Rotary club of Alice Springs met for an annual picnic to discuss ways to raise money for charity. That’s when Smith came up with the idea of organizing a “waterless boat race” on the dry sandy riverbed of the Todd River. When asked whether the participants would tow or push the boats, he answered that they would cut the bottoms and carry them. And so the Henley-on-Todd Regatta was born.

The event was named after the famous Henley Royal Regatta held in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. Such a name was chosen because the regatta was conceived as a joke at the expense of the original British settlers in North Australia and the formal atmosphere of the British boat races. The Todd River Race is the world’s only dry river regatta.

The first regatta took place in December 1962. It has been held every year since, except for 1993 when the regatta was canceled because of flooding. Nevertheless, two teams put their boats into the water and completed the course. Originally held in summer, the event has since been moved to late winter. It is usually held on the third Saturday in August.

The original idea was to use actual boats with their bottoms removed. At the present-day Henley-on-Todd Regatta, the “boats” are made from metal frames decked with banners and advertisements. The competitors stand within their bottomless boats, pick them up and run down the course. There are competitions for different types of boats including Mini Yachts, Rowing 4's, Kayaks, Rowing 8's, Oxford Tubs, Mixed Mini Yachts, and BYOB (Bring Your Own Board).

Alongside the boat races, the regatta includes other events for participants of different ages such as Tour d Todd (races in giant hamster wheels), a tug-of-war competition, surf rescue, boogie board, sand shoveling, beach sprint, sand skis, lolly scramble, and the annual parade. The main highlight of the regatta is the Battle of the Boats. It features three modified trucks driven by Rotary club teams armed with high powered water cannons and flour mortars.