More Events Big and Small Canceled

News Flash

While we were preparing this update on Monday morning, we learned that Sail America has canceled the Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show, scheduled for April 16-19 in Richmond.

The Big

The biggest event cancellation that dropped into our inbox in the hours and days after we posted Friday’s ‘Lectronic Latitude came from SailGP. The 50-ft foiling cats from seven nations will not entertain crowds of fans by the thousands in the Bay Area on May 2-3 after all.

The Small

Around the same time we heard from SailGP, we received this message from Folsom Lake Yacht Club:

“The FLYC board has moved forward with a difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Camellia Cup. State Parks will not issue a use permit given the current virus situation, and the lake level is very close to our minimum safe elevation for race operations.” (We’re guessing the lake level at least is looking more promising after three days of rain.)

The Camellia Cup had been scheduled for April 3-5. “All paid Camellia Cup entries will receive a full refund. This announcement does not impact the remaining Spring Series races nor the upcoming Trans-Folsom regatta [on March 21]. We hope everyone will stay safe and continue to enjoy sailing Folsom Lake as long as we have water.” Update: The Trans-Folsom Regatta has since also been canceled.

Richmond Yacht Club has canceled the Big Dinghy Regatta on April 11.

Like their counterparts in the NCAA, the “Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) executive committee has voted to cancel the remaining 2019-2020 college sailing season, which includes all in-conference, promotional, interconference, and national championship competitions.”

The Medium

Shortly thereafter we got this from the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta San Diego event:

“As a result of growing concerns over COVID-19 and after conferring with our host clubs, San Diego Yacht Club and Coronado Yacht Club, we are all in agreement that for the health and safety of everyone involved, Sailing World will postpone the San Diego NOOD with the intent to hold it at a later date,” wrote Jen Davies. “The San Diego NOOD will not be held on March 20-22, 2020, but we will work closely with our host clubs to find a date that will work for us all and try to get that scheduled as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will refund entries for the current dates with hopes that you can join us again once the new regatta dates are determined. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this new world.”

Betsy Crowfoot reports from Long Beach: “Long Beach Yacht Club has hoisted the postponement flag, announcing the 56th Congressional Cup regatta and events running up to it — including next month’s California Dreamin’ Series Long Beach stop and the 2020 Ficker Cup — will be rescheduled later this year. The Congressional Cup was originally slated for April 28 to May 3, kicking off the 2020 World Match Racing Tour. Organizers are exploring dates later in the year.”

“Considering that travel restrictions affect many of our competitors and officials, and for the general safety and well-being of our attendees, organizers, members and volunteers, we have decided to postpone the Congressional Cup until the situation has improved,” said Congo Cup chair Cheri Busch. “We are not cancelling the Congressional Cup, however, and hope to have our sailors back on the water and competing for the Crimson Blazer soon!”

The Caribbean

St. Barths Bucket Regatta, an invitational regatta open to cruising yachts of 30.5 meters (100 feet) or greater, has been canceled. Eighteen teams had been entered for the event planned for March 19-22.

Organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta have postponed the 2020 event, originally scheduled for March 27-29. This decision was made in line with health and safety recommendations taken by the government of the US Virgin Islands in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judy Petz, director of the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival writes, “The BVI Spring Regatta board has been instructed to postpone the 2020 BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival as a matter of public health and safety. Updates will be published on our website at www.bvispringregatta.org as information becomes available.” The Spring Regatta had been scheduled for March 30-April 5.

The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta has been canceled due to the COVID-19 situation in Antigua and the government recommendation to avoid social and sport gatherings. Originally planned for April 1-7, 2020, the proposed dates for 2021 are March 31-April 6.

The 2020 Antigua Bermuda Race has been canceled. The race was to have started on May 6.

The Global

“We just made it back to Subic Bay, and it looks like we are quarantined,” Harmon Shragge wrote to us over the weekend. Harmon, you may recall, is a sailor from San Francisco who is crewing in the Clipper Race. “Maybe for 14 days. A Clipper AQP (equivalent to a first mate) had to go to the hospital with a GI problem that the locals think is corona. Until this is worked out, we are stuck at the dock.” The Clipper Race canceled all three of their stops in China, using Subic Bay, the Philippines, as a host port instead. The next leg will take the 11-boat fleet from there to Seattle. We’ll have more from Harmon in the future.

The second event of the 2020 52 Super Series season has been canceled. Planned to also be the 2020 TP52 World Championship, it had been scheduled for March 31-April 4 in Cape Town, South Africa.

It’s Not Just Races

As Friday the 13th rolled along, Philip Freeman wrote: “Berkeley YC has decided to cancel the March 29th swap meet. In accordance with recommendations recently published from the Alameda County Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control, we have decided to postpone all gatherings at our club until at least the end of March.”

Over the weekend, California Governor Gavin Newsom required all bars and nightclubs to close. This includes yacht club bars.

Nevertheless, the marine industry is open for business. With so many event cancellations, this is the perfect time to make like the ant in the ant and grasshopper fable and get work done. Sailmakers, boatyards and canvas shops, as well as boat dealers and brokers, are ready to serve. We encourage you to contact them to see how they can make sure your boat is ready when you are.

If you know of another event that’s been canceled — or one that’s confirmed to be a go — please email us or comment below. Include your full name, hailing port and organization.