2020 Offshore Sailing World Championship has been canceled
June 3, 2020
World Sailing takes another international racing event off the calendar because of Covid-19.
BRISTOL, Rhode Island—Another major sailing competition has been taken off the calendar because of the Covid-19 pandemic. US Sailing and World Sailing announced the 2020 Offshore Sailing World Championship, which pits One Design L30 charter boats against each other, won’t be held this year.
This year’s event was supposed to mark the first-ever running of the Offshore Sailing World Championship. The sailing event will now make its debut in 2021.
“The many uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic have forced the postponement of the one-design L30 charter boat production and distribution across Europe, and have disrupted the ability of Member National Authorities (MNAs) to run qualification events to decide who may enter the event,” a statement issued by organizers said. “In light of these difficult circumstances, World Sailing’s Board of Directors decided it is prudent and fairer to cancel the 2020 edition of the Offshore Worlds.
“The event was expecting to feature teams of mixed sailors from 20 nations from each continent,” organizers continued. “The inaugural edition of the Offshore World Championship will now take place in 2021.”
US Sailing’s posted selection procedures for this year’s 2020 Offshore Sailing World Championships have been declared void because of the event cancelation, according to US Sailing.
Mixed Doublehanded Offshore will be one of the five new sailing classes debuting at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, according to US Sailing.
One of the qualifiers for the Mixed Offshore World Championships is still on-calendar. The qualifier – the 2020 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac – is still set for July 17-21.
