A highlight of every Australian Wooden Boat Festival, the Derwent Class World Championships celebrate a uniquely Tasmanian class of yacht. With renewed interest and a wave of recent restorations, these elegant boats continue to capture hearts and showcase serious sailing talent. Held at the most recent Festival in February 2025, the championships remain a much-loved tradition, blending maritime heritage with spirited competition on the River Derwent.
 
First launched in the late 1920s, the 25-foot Derwent-class yachts were designed as affordable keelboats for young sailors and built locally through to the 1950s. Around 26 were constructed, often bearing whimsical names like Gnome, Goblin, Gremlin and Pixie, and they became a mainstay of Tasmanian river racing through the mid-century.
 
Although many boats were abandoned or lost from the 1970s onwards, a revival led by Kettering locals has brought the class back to life. Restorers tracked down surviving hulls and helped a new generation rediscover the joy of D-Class sailing. In 2025, thirteen restored yachts lined up for the largest fleet in decades, contesting a proudly home-grown “world championship” on the River Derwent.