Making Waves Foundation celebrated the launch of two new Rainbow Dinghies last week – ‘Sticky Beak’ in Geelong at the Western Beach Boat Club marking the first vessel built outside of NSW, and ‘Kitchen Paper,’ at the Concord Ryde Sailing Club, the second build in Sydney, crafted by youth participants in the Wright of Passage program.
“These boats demonstrate precision and skill,” says Shane Greaves, Wright of Passage Program Manager at Making Waves Foundation. “Each vessel represents hundreds of hours of dedicated work by young people learning traditional wooden boat building techniques.”
The launch marked a historic moment for Victoria’s sailing community, as it represented the first time in nearly 50 years that a Rainbow Dinghy has been launched in the state. Australian Classic Dinghy Network President, John Fairfax, noted the significance of this milestone at the Geelong ‘Wright of Passage’ launch.
After four terms and two Rainbow Dinghy build’s Sydney Wright of Passage participant Callum said “‘Kitchen Paper’ was easier to handle than ‘Red Kite,’ as the sail is a different shape,” after the on- water launch Wednesday 11 th of December. “This build felt better as we did more, understood more and took leadership for the new guys. Looking forward to next year with Wright of Passage and hopefully getting an apprenticeship to be a shipwright.”
Following these launches and the earlier debut of ‘Red Kite’ at Concord Ryde Sailing Club, the Foundation has opened a raffle for a professionally-built Rainbow Dinghy valued at $12,000 (package valued at $16 000). Proceeds will support the program’s expansion within Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane. Win a Brand New Rainbow Dinghy! – Making Waves
“When you buy a raffle ticket, you’re not just entering to win a beautiful classic wooden dinghy,” explains Greaves. “You’re supporting a program that helps young people develop practical trade skills and workplace experience.”
The Wright of Passage program has been invited to the prestigious Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, where participants will demonstrate their boat-building skills in front of thousands. Our first Rainbow Dinghy build ‘Red Kite’ was also nominated for the Halharpur Award, wooden boat building excellence award.
Thank you to all our partners and sponsors that have enabled the building including
- Ronstan
- Rakau Designs
- MD Spars
- Concord Ryde Sailing Club
- Sector7G Sailing
- Western Beach Boat Club
- North Sails
Program Features:
- Training in wooden boat building techniques
- Mentoring from skilled shipwrights and volunteers
- Development of workplace skills and trade knowledge
- Experience in project completion and teamwork
Win a Rainbow Dinghy:
Win a Brand New Rainbow Dinghy! – Making Waves
- Tickets: $25 each or 5 for $100
- Prize value: $12,000
- All proceeds support program expansion
- Winner announced at Australian Wooden Boat Festival
Making Waves Foundation:
Making Waves Foundation has delivered maritime programs since 1994, engaging over 61,000 participants. The foundation provides opportunities for youth and people with disabilities through sailing and boat-building programs.