Defending champion: Sapphire was the fastest boat on the river at the last Southern 80, crossing the line in just over 30 minutes. Photo: Steve Huntley
Organisers of the Southern 80 have announced a new date for the ski race, with the event to be held from Friday, March 24 to Sunday, March 26, 2023.
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The race is traditionally held on the second weekend in February, but it has been pushed back due to safety concerns.
The high water levels in the Murray River mean that access to the river is restricted in certain areas, with emergency crews potentially unable to get to the water, if required.
The latest delay means the Southern 80 will be held outside of its usual timeslot for the third year in a row.
The race has not been held in February since 2020 — the 2021 event was cancelled, while this year’s race was held in May.
Given the recent disruptions, organisers had two dates for the 80 pencilled in to the race calendar as a contingency should the event need to be pushed back.
“One of the things the last few years has taught us is that we need to be flexible, so we had a back-up date built into the calendar,” Southern 80 communications manager Julie Golledge said.
The new race date means the Southern 80 will sit in the middle of a bumper few weeks in the ski racing season.
The Robinvale Euston 80 will be held over the Labour Day long weekend Saturday and Sunday, March 11 and 12, 2023, with the Southern 80 two weeks later.
Following that, the Mildura 100 will take place over Easter on the Saturday and Sunday, April 8 and 9.
Held across three days, the Southern 80 usually kicks off with breakfast with the stars on the Friday.
Racing gets under way on Saturday, headlined by the Baker’s Blitz and the President’s Dash.
Sunday is the main event, with boats racing along the full 80km course.
Sapphire was the winning boat in the 2022 Southern 80, posting a blistering time of 30 minutes and 9.2 seconds to beat out 2020 winner Superman.
Pushed back: The Southern 80 2023 will be held from March 24-26 instead of in its traditional timeslot in February. Photo: Steve Huntley
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