Both competitions are staged annually, but this year a co-ordinated approach is being taken to attract people to Friendly Bay at Oamaru Harbour.
"Ultimately, I would love to see lots of families down at Friendly Bay with their picnic rugs, chilly bins, frisbees and rugby balls, really enjoying the day," Waitaki event development officer Jan Kennedy said.
As well as the opening of Signal Hut, the harbour regatta and the birdman competition, visitors to Friendly Bay would be entertained with live music, including Johnny and the Cashtones, Gatling Fun, Jef Mitchell and Kit McGregor.
Children's activities and food, beverage and coffee vendors would also be on offer.
It would be a "family-friendly day". Some of the events planned for the regatta included Seagull outboard motor races, rowing races, sailing dinghy races, bathing beauties (men and women in traditional and retro costumes) and sand castle building.
Traditional and classic boats would be on the water, as well as on display. There would also be a display of coracle seamanship.
The Scott's Own Sea Scouts would also be on the water in their sailing cutters.
The regatta is organised by the Friendly Bay Boat Society, which is based at the Tyne Street Boatshed.
The birdman competition, in which competitors throw themselves off a ramp on Holmes Wharf, is organised by Port FM and, in the past, has been staged on a different day from the boat regatta.
This year, the two will be held on the same day to boost the fun.
"It seems logical that with all of the individual events that are happening on this special day that we should look at a co-ordinated marketing approach," Ms Kennedy said.
