The Fate of the Singlehanded Farallones and TransPacific Races
Singlehanded Farallones Race
The board of the Singlehanded Sailing Society met Wednesday night. Among key topics of discussion was the fate of near-future races. “The Singlehanded Farallones race, scheduled for May 16, remains on calendar, subject to the May 4 lifting of the current stay-at-home orders and other safety considerations,” they announced yesterday. “The board is reconvening the week of May 4 to consider race possibilities. Attention will also be given to a possible June or July rescheduling of the postponed Round the Rocks race.” Originally scheduled for April 11, Round the Rocks sails a Bay tour course and includes doublehanders as well as singlehanders.
Singlehanded TransPacific Yacht Race
The biennial Singlehanded TransPacific Race was due to start off the deck of Corinthian YC in Tiburon on June 27. Regarding that epic rite of passage, the SSS wrote: “Given the gravity of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the Singlehanded Sailing Society and registered skippers have concluded that the solo race from Corinthian Yacht Club to Hanalei Bay in Kauai, with events at Nawiliwili Yacht Club, will be delayed until 2021. Factors playing heavily on the minds of the group included the need to not spread infection, the strain the pandemic has already placed on facilities in both locations, plus consideration of the risk of virus exposure to United States Coast Guard personnel in an emergency. The SSS is moving forward to offer an exciting event in 2021 for the singlehanded race to Hawaii.”
Learn more about all of the above at www.sfbaysss.org.
Wise move on the part of SSS regarding the Single handed TPac. My take is that all sailors of all stripes, should support the current policy of Staying Home, and limited involvement in public. We are now in a phased opening of all reentering work and social activities. Maybe spend the time volunteering to help those who do not have such options. It will not be forever!!
Smart in the current conditions – thanks Latitude! (PS – it would be great if regular readers didn’t need to provide their name, email, boat name etc. every single time we comment. It hurts interactivity.
I am sorry that it came to this but last month I replied to an avid solo sailor who wanted to argue that there would be no reason to SUSPEND the race….
I am also a solo sailor, not to mention the dog and a retired Kauaian who has traveled enough to be aware back in January of the potential of a world wide pandemic that possibly could wipe out the fragile economy of our island….
God help us now!
I wonder if it could have been done like other sports, with online video spectators only. Obviously singlehanded is the ultimate in distancing. Only at the end points is there interaction and that could be controlled, at least as well as arena sports. In most cases the crossing is just about the same as the quarantine period. As for a rescue at sea, I can’t imagine a virus getting from one person to another considering all that seawater washing everything, and responders deal with that daily on land where it is an issue. Or simply test participants before departure. Not objecting at all, just sayin’ since solo is the ultimate isolation.