US Sailing’s Para Sailing Championship canceled
June 16, 2020
First-ever US Sailing-sanctioned event for Special Olympics has been taken off-calendar because of Covid-19.
BRISTOL, Rhode Island—News of canceled sailing events continues to trickle in – nearly 100 days into the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest cancelation: 2020 U.S. Para Sailing Championship. The Doolin Cup, which is an annual adaptive regatta, was also canceled. Both cancelations were announced on June 5 by US Sailing.
The 2020 U.S. Para Sailing Championship was the first-ever US Sailing-sanctioned Special Olympics North and South American Championships; it was set to take place Sept.25-27 at the Sea Star Base Galveston in Texas.
Sea Star Base Galveston also hosts the Doolin Cup, which was also set to take place Sept. 25-27.
“Sea Star Base was incredibly proud to be the first venue to hold these combined championships,” Regatta Chair David Gaston said in a released statement. “We cannot ensure a safe, quality event with the current knowledge of the Covid-19 situation. An event of this size is not possible without many months of planning and preparation, so we all felt the safest and most practical path to take is to look ahead to next year. We look forward to hosting the Doolin Cup and other events in 2021 and beyond.”
This year’s event, according to US Sailing, would have marked the first time sailors from Special Olympics would have had a division in the U.S. Para Sailing Championships.
“The U.S. Para Sailing Championships is one of the oldest sailing regattas in the U.S. for sailors with disabilities. The talented field often includes Paralympians, US Sailing Team members, and new contenders,” US Sailing staff said in a released statement. “The event includes multiple fleets in various disciplines, including single-, double-, and triple-handed sailboats and has become a regular ‘go to’ event on the North American calendar for sailors from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and South American countries.
“The Doolin Cup is an annual adaptive regatta hosted by Sea Star Base Galveston typically raced in Sonars, a triple-handed boat used in the Paralympics from 2000 to 2016,” the released statement continued.
Contact US Sailing at championships@ussailing.org for more information.
