COVID 19 continues to affect our everyday activities of life, whether home, work or leisure.  How will it affect our coming hard water season and what are the IDNIYRA Governing Committee’s plans?  Here are a few Q&As to help keep you informed.

Q: Will the 2021 Gold Cup happen?

A: We don’t know yet, but we have plans in place and a decision-making schedule.  There are also decision-making schedules for the North American and European Championships.

Q: What is the decision-making process and schedule?

A: The Governing Committee will hold a conference call on November 24^th, 2020 to decide whether the Gold Cup (24 – 30 January, 2021) can be held and the decision will be published forthwith after the meeting.  This allows two months lead time for the regatta, both for the organizers and for those competitors who need to plan international travel.

If the Governing Committee decides that the Gold Cup cannot be held, we will plan on running a 14-race North American Championship like years where the Gold Cup is in Europe.  Of course, a North American championship requires that both Americans and Canadians be able to attend, at the very least, but given that Americans and Canadians normally drive to the event the go/no go decision can be made several weeks later than November 25^th.

If the Governing Committee decides that the North American Championship cannot be held, we will plan on running a US-based, US Championship during the same period as the scheduled Gold Cup and North American Championship.  Canadian members might decide to run a Canadian regatta in the same period.

The IDNIYRA EU National Secretaries will hold a conference call on December 19^th 2020 when they will decide whether the European Championship (21 – 26 February, 2021) can be held.

Q: What criteria will the Governing Committee use for decision-making?

A: The key criterion for decision making is whether people can travel.  As of October 11^th, 2020:

• The Canada-US land border was closed to non-essential travel (with a few exceptions),
• Most Europeans were prohibited from entering the US for non-essential travel,
• All non-Canadian citizens or permanent residents were prohibited from entering Canada for non-essential travel,
• Americans were either prohibited from entering European countries, or could enter some countries only after quarantine,
• Some American States and Canadian Provinces had internal travel restrictions or quarantine requirements, and
• Many European countries had travel restrictions or quarantine requirements for travel within Europe.

Under these conditions, neither the Gold Cup nor the two Continental Championships (North American and European) could be held.  How can you hold a World or a Continental championship when no international competitors can attend?  It would fail the most basic measure of fairness.

As of October 13, 2020, we are seeing increasing numbers of COVID 19 cases internationally.  Should this increasing trend be reversed, governments may be prepared to relax border restrictions and quarantine requirements.  Re-opening the Canada/US land border to recreational travel would allow a North American Championship to be held.  Re-opening of trans-Atlantic travel would be required for the Gold Cup to be held.

Q: Does the Governing Committee have contingency plans?

A: Yes.

We are planning for the best case of a Gold Cup and the North American Championship but prepared to run just a North American Championship or a US Championship.  Our Race Committee volunteers are predominantly American and Jody Kjoller, our Vice-Commodore, is prepared to step in for John Curtis, our Canadian Regatta Chair, should travel restrictions remain.

Whatever happens we recognize that our registration numbers may be lower than normal so we will endeavor to reduce regatta costs and fees.  We expect that public health considerations may reduce or even prohibit large indoor social gatherings, which would coincidently reduce our financial risk.  We are also considering delaying purchase of keeper prizes until after registrations are known, even if it means that prizes are mailed to recipients after the event.

Q: If we do not hold the 2021 Gold Cup, where will it be in 2022?

A: The Regatta Management Agreement, Paragraph 7(a) says that the regatta be held “alternating between continents, even if the previous event was not sailed.”  If COVID 19 forces cancellation of the Gold Cup it is no different than losing the regatta due to a snowstorm.  So IDNIYRA EU will host the 2022 Gold Cup.

Q: If we do not hold any ranking regattas what will it do to my ranking?

A: Potentially, ‘nothing’.  Your rank is based upon your best finish in the previous two Gold Cups, North American or European Championships, so if an event is not held, the two previous events still count for ranking purposes.

Please feel free to engage the Governing Committee if you have further questions.  We are committed to offer racing this winter subject to constraints that might be imposed by COVID 19.

Photo: Debbie Parker

2021 Gold Cup Q&As

The soft water regatta scene has been significantly affected by COVID 19. Will it do the same for the hard water season? Members have been asking questions of the IDNIYRA Governing Committee, so we have prepared the following Q&As.

Q: Will the 2021 Gold Cup happen?
A: We don’t know yet. If it were to be held now (pretend it is winter), the answer would be no. But public health conditions may be better in late January and allow the regatta to be held.

Q: What is the Governing Committee doing about it?
A: We are planning on the basis that there will be a regatta but have contingency plans. John Curtis, the Canadian Rear Commodore, is our regatta chair and key regatta volunteers have already been identified and agreed to serve. Some work towards the regatta has already started.

Q: What are the contingency plans?
A: Our dates are fixed for January 24 to 30, 2021, since there is a coordinated regatta schedule between North America and Europe. As Gold Cup host we had first choice of dates and those are the ones we selected. The base plan provides for the usual seven race Gold Cup series followed by a seven race North American Championship.In the October time frame, Europeans would ordinarily begin planning their travel to the Gold Cup. If in October, we still have travel restrictions or quarantine requirements in place (and no prospect of removal) that restrict or prevent international competitors from attending, then it would be inappropriate to hold a Gold Cup. At that point we would consider cancelling the Gold Cup and holding a 14-race North American Championship series instead.
If the Canada/US border remains closed, or significant quarantine requirements remain in North America, then Canadian participation in a US-based regatta (or vice-versa) would not be feasible and it would be inappropriate to hold a North American Championship. This decision can be made much later than a Gold Cup decision. If we do not hold a North American Championship, then we would hold a US-based event, perhaps the ‘annual regatta’ of old or a US Championship. All our key volunteers are American. Jody Kjoller, our Vice Commodore, would assume the chairmanship of the US-based regatta. This would not be a ranking regatta. Canadian members might choose to hold their own national championship at the same time.

Q: What would cancellation of the Gold Cup do to my ranking?
A: DN ranking is established annually “using regatta results from the previous two (World Championships, North American Championships, and European Championships)” (2020 Yearbook, p.110) and is defined in Section 14 of the Regatta Management Agreement (2020 Yearbook, p. 188). If a ranking event is not held, whether due to COVID 19, a snowstorm or unsafe ice conditions, the two previous events are still used for ranking purposes. If your ranking is based solely on North American events and we do not hold a ranking regatta in 2021 your rank will not change.

Q: What does this mean financially?
A: The COVID 19 situation increases our financial risk. We are making financial contingency plans too. We could limit our up-front financial risk, for example, by not pre-purchasing keeper prizes and limiting regatta freebees. We could then order keepers according to actual attendance and mail them to recipients. Such measures might also allow reduced registration fees.
Please feel free to engage the Governing Committee if you have further questions. We are committed to offer racing this winter subject to constraints that might be imposed by COVID 19.