Serious heat, combined with the Top End's noted love of a drop (they average about 225 litres of beer for every man, woman and child) means there is plenty of materials to work with when it comes time to put together an entry for this illustrious of boating events, held annually in August.

Now something of a family day with tug-of-war events, concerts and other events on Mindil Beach, the regatta is still mainly an excuse for going to the beach and drinking beer, as if an excuse was needed in Darwin!

Contests on the beach include the Henley-on-Mindil, a series of races along the beach with bottomless boats ala the Henley-on-Todd race at Alice Springs. Competitors, standing inside the boats simply pick them up to around waist height, and just run along the beach . Bathing beauty contests, thong throwing (the footwear kind, not the other kind) , and other bizarre events make up the warm up roster.

The real event of the day is the sailing of the beer can regatta, usually sporting a field of at least 20 entrants, few of whom finish. Its a hilarious sight as they teams try to paddle, sail and bail their unseaworthy craft over the course distance before sinking! The boats come in a wonderful variety of shapes and sizes, with variations on canoes, speedboats, rafts and even viking-style longships being attempted.

This years Regatta will be run on Sunday, August 8. If you're heading to the Top End for a bit of sport, why not get there a week earlier and make it along to the Darwin Cup? While not exactly in the same league as its more famous cousin in Melbourne, the Darwin Cup does provide a great day out at Fanny Bay racetrack.

A few racegoers do attempt to dress up, and I've even spotted some hats there that weren't made of terry-towling. There is a nice grandstand overlooking the winning post, but it does require strict dress standards. Gentlemen must have a collared shirt on, and be wearing long pants or shorts with knee-high socks (available at all reputable bowling clubs). Women can wear almost anything, as long as they look respectable.