Updated September 15, 2020
Any decisions to hold club events or regattas in this Covid world we currently occupy need to be made by the club.
Many of you will have seen that the Murrays Bay Sailing Club decided to cancel their Icebreaker regatta this weekend. This is obviously disappointing for the club and everyone who was going to be involved, from sailors to parents, coaches and race officials.
But, ultimately, the club felt they couldn't host the event and follow the government guidelines set out in alert level 2.5. Yachting New Zealand supports that decision.
For anyone who has been to Murrays Bay, you will know that it is a small beach, with a relatively small boat park and a small clubhouse. And it is well frequented by members of the public.
They already had about 70 entries and were expecting more than 100 by the time the weekend rolled around, making it very difficult to safely hold the Icebreaker regatta.
Yachting New Zealand have provided guidelines to clubs about how to operate safely under the various alert levels. This is constantly updated as new information comes to hand.
Clubs need to consider their own situation when making decisions, bearing in mind their facilities, surrounding area, club capability and their ability to follow the government guidelines.
If you can operate safely, we encourage you to proceed with club activities because it's even more important than ever for people to get out and enjoy themselves. If not, then it's prudent to either cancel or scale back activities.
We were approached by the Murrays Bay Sailing Club and agreed with them that it would have been difficult to host the Icebreaker regatta within the government guidelines.
Clubs need to be mindful at all times about what is required at each level, particularly around personal hygiene, social distancing, using club facilities and gathering sizes. The Yachting New Zealand regional support officers are always available should you wish to discuss anything to help you make the best decisions.
Hopefully restrictions in Auckland will be eased next week and the rest of the country can enjoy life in level 1. I look forward to seeing you out on the water.
Kia kaha
David Abercrombie
Yachting New Zealand chief executive
