Pure Aussie Motorsport at its absolute finest.
Words Tom Foster
Us Aussies are an ingenious bunch, right? To farken right, mate.
If we don’t have a sport that suits us, we’ll damn well go ahead and invent one…
Enter Dinghy Racing. Yep, what you see here are very much the same tinnies you drop in the river of a weekend to wet a line or two; they’re just a little faster and little more modified.
Not content with just catching the filthy carp that litter the Murray River, the tip-tip folks from Renmark in South Australia decided that their tinnies would make far better race craft.
WTW dropped in on their annual Riverland Dinghy Derby event to see what these crazy blokes and even crazier boats were all about.
Where It All Began
Like all good Aussie sports, dinghy racing came to life over a few beers and a couple mates betting each other who could get from one point to another faster than the other.
Where the whole concept becomes unique to the Renmark community is that they’re lucky enough to back onto the Murrary River; a system of water that’s like some sort of aquatic puzzle.
With an intimate knowledge of the local area and some careful planning (no doubt over a few frosty jars… On ya’ lads), a 100km course was drawn that intertwined its way through some of the gnarliest creeks you ever did see, and set to a backdrop of some of the Australia’s most picturesque natural surrounds, creating the perfect cauldron for a motorsport fiesta.
Nearing four decades of racing, the club and sport are well and truly established, and over the years, have created generational rivalries, friends and foes.
It’s a classic story of a bit of fun turning into a fully-fledged sport… Straya, ay?
Want to read the full story about the Dinghy Derby Race? Get yourself a copy of the What Tradies Want magazine now!