Youth update
Australian Sailing announces that the Australian Youth Championships has been cancelled for 2021.
Photography by Sailing Energy
31 July 2020
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After a joint decision by Australian Sailing, host club the South of Perth Yacht Club, and partner club Royal Perth Yacht Club, the Australian Youth Championships for 2021 has been cancelled.
Australian Sailing cited the uncertainty created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, border closures and the impact of holding a national event in the current climate on the health and wellbeing of participants and members of the local community as reasons for the cancellation of the 2021 Australian Youth Championships.
Alternative options were considered, including postponing the event, but after reviewing the current travel and health restrictions in consultation with local and state authorities – and implications on other related events – it was decided to give certainty to interested parties by expediting a decision.
The impact of the interstate travel restrictions meaning that some sailors would not have the opportunity to compete at a National Championship event was also considered in the decision.
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In a statement, Australian Sailing thanked South of Perth Yacht Club and Royal Perth Yacht Club for their commitment to hosting the event.
Australian Sailing will undertake review the impact of the event cancellation on the selection criteria for the Australian Sailing Youth Team to compete at the 2021 Hempel Youth Sailing World Championships.
The cancellation will also impact athlete qualification criteria for State Institute Scholarship programs, the Australian Sailing Team and Australian Sailing Squad, with a decision on how to manage the impact to be communicated in due course.
2020 NSW Youth Championships
The 2020 NSW Youth Championships, scheduled to be held at Point Wolstoncroft this October, is also regrettably cancelled as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NSW currently has a restriction on mass gatherings of more than 500 people, and with close to 1,000 attendees anticipated, the decision was made to cancel this year’s edition of the regatta.
A number of alternatives were considered, including staggered race sessions, but with the standing NSW Government public health order requiring an exemption to host mass gatherings of more than 500 people, it was deemed that at this point in time there is no imperative to hold an event that is non-essential.
Other state Youth Championship events
The 2020 Tasmanian, Queensland, South Australian and Western Australian Youth Championships are currently all scheduled to proceed as planned as they meet all current relevant state and federal health guidelines regarding hosting events.
“Australian Sailing recognises the importance of youth sailing to the development of life-long participants and the future stars of our sport, and are committed to ensuring appropriate opportunities for emerging athletes to compete at national level regattas as and when the time is right,” said the national body in a statement.
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