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Bangor Town Regatta on Belfast Lough Falls Victim to Covid-19

23rd March 2020
Bangor Town Regatta had attracted an entry of 63 boats so far Bangor Town Regatta had attracted an entry of 63 boats so far

Northern Ireland's biggest sailing event, Bangor Town Regatta on Belfast Lough has been cancelled over Covid 19 concerns.

A statement from the organising club, Royal Ulster, says: - “It is with deep regret that the Organising Committee of Bangor Town Regatta has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 regatta. This is a decision that has not been taken lightly and we do so in full consultation with the current Government guidelines on the ongoing Covid-19 situation which is expected to last into at least June 2020”

The Regatta was scheduled for 25th - 28th June with a programme of nine races and had already attracted 63 entries from across the British Isles and the Republic of Ireland.

The neighbouring Scottish Series, Scotland's biggest sailing event that was scheduled for the Clyde on May 22, has also become a casualty of Coronavirus restrictions and was cancelled last Friday.

The plan now is to run the Bangor Regatta from June 24-27 in 2021.

The statement continues:  “We understand that this will be deeply disappointing to competitors, as it is for everyone involved, however, the health and wellbeing of our competitors, volunteers, supporters and the residents of Bangor are our utmost priority.  The preparation involved in an event of this size is considerable both for the event organisers, host yacht club, suppliers and of course for competitors and their families and it is with this in mind that we have made the decision at this point.  Full refunds will be available to those who have paid already and can be obtained by contacting the Royal Ulster Yacht Club Office.

Betty Armstrong

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Betty Armstrong

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Betty Armstrong is Afloat and Yachting Life's Northern Ireland Correspondent. Betty grew up racing dinghies but now sails a more sedate Dehler 36 around County Down

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): Irish Sailing & Boating

Since restrictions began in March 2020, the Government is preparing for a 'controlled and gradual return to sport' and the 2020 sailing fixtures are being tentatively redrafted by yacht clubs, rowing clubs angling and diving clubs across Ireland as the country enters a new phase in dealing with the Coronavirus. The hope is that a COVID-19 restrictions might be eased by May 5th as Sport Ireland has asked national governing bodies for information on the challenges they face. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) information

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.

To help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) everyone has been asked to stay at home. But some people may need to do more than this.

You may need to either:

You do these things to stop other people from getting coronavirus.

Read advice for people in at-risk groups

Read advice about cocooning.

Restricted movements

Everybody in Ireland has been asked to stay at home. You should only go out for a few reasons, such as shopping for food.

But you need to restrict your movements further if you: 

  • live with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus, but you feel well
  • are a close contact of a confirmed case of coronavirus
  • have returned to Ireland from another country

You need to restrict your movements for at least 14 days.

But if the person you live with has had a test and it is negative, you don't need to wait 14 days. You should still follow the advice for everyone - stay at home as much as possible.

Close contact

This is only a guide but close contact can mean:

  • spending more than 15 minutes of face-to-face contact within 2 metres of an infected person
  • living in the same house or shared accommodation as an infected person

How to restrict your movements 

Follow the advice for everybody - stay at home.