While holding out hope that by early- to mid-summer we might start to see fully-crewed races happening again, for now 2021 is looking a whole lot like 2020.
The most recent victim is the Southern Straits “Light” Edition, cancellation of which was posted yesterday (Southern Straits - West Vancouver Yacht Club).
The next race on the VARC calendar (more specifically the Short-Handed Series calendar) is the TCYC Passage Island Race on April 24.
The TCYC executive is committed to go ahead if at all possible, but is also bound to follow BC government health directives. As such, the club is keeping the race on the calendar, and will not be preemptively cancelling anytime soon.
There will be a TCYC executive meeting on April 7, and a final go/no-go decision will be made at that point (or shortly after, if a fresh government announcement is reasonably anticipated to closely follow the meeting).
So get your boats and ratings certificates in order, short-handers, and cross your fingers!
Just got an email today stating that the 2021 RVYC Day Race (March 27) is cancelled (I actually thought it already was cancelled – but it truly is now), and the Leukemia Cup, which was scheduled for May, postponed until September.
Also today, a Facebook announcement was posted by the Nanaimo Yacht Club stating that the 2021 Nanaimo SIN Regatta (scheduled for July 2-4) has been preemptively cancelled.
Fuh.
On the bright side, the RNSA/WVYC Single-handed (now with double-handed division, scheduled for June 5) is still currently a go, and is actually taking registrations. It’s a short course to the Pophams again, and once more limited to 50 boats (unless the health rules change), so sign up soon if you want to do it.
TCYC’s Passage Island Race, scheduled for April 24, is now officially postponed, with the club hoping to reschedule it once provincial sport guidelines allow.
The WVYC Collingwood Channel Race, scheduled for May 1, is also postponed to a date to be determined.
TCYC is also postponing its sailpast and sailpast race, which were originally scheduled for May 8.
And there goes the Round Bowen Race, cancelled for 2021. 
Not hugely surprising at this point, but super sad. Fucking pandemic.
Ok my prediction for what it’s worth is the first VARC event will be the English Bay scramble. Place your bets.
I just got an email that the WVYC/RNSA Short-handed “Not Nanaimo” race has been spiked. That one hurts. I’m even not sure who we’d be expected to pass Coronavirus to on a single-handed boat, but I guess they’re following the “Training only – no competitive sport” rule. Fuh.
Got.no.point, I’m not not sure I want to take that bet. With it being almost June already there’s not much time left for organizing, so if it does go ahead as planned I’m pretty sure it’ll be a sailing-only event with no social aspect or prize giving.
Cow Bay spiked now, too:
“With a heavy heart, the Cowichan Bay Sailing Association is announcing the cancellation of the 2021 Cow Bay Regatta. We wish to thank Cowichan Tribes, who graciously allow us to use Kil-Pah-Las Beach, the Cowichan Bay community and businesses, as well as our loyal competitors and sponsors who have supported us these many years. We look forward to returning in 2022, better than ever!”
- PRO Jennifer Guest with the Cowichan Bay Sailing Association.
Time to get all that extra cruising gear back off the boat…looks like we could be back club racing as early as next week.
Jericho sailing centre has races starting May 30
RVYC Wednesday nights could start June 2, time to get the band back together
TCYC “Summer Shorts” Thursdays start up June 17 and are tentatively planned to run for 8 weeks (until Aug 5). There may be some sort of fall series too after that, but that’s to be determined later.
