12/6/20
Hi NZRYA chairman
Do you realize we have just put the IOM nationals on top of the current DF65 nationals date
Reply
Dear Graham,
Thank you for your email regarding the date conflict for the DF65 Nationals and the IOM Nationals.
Issues around COVID-19 lead to a decision not to hold the IOM Oceania Regional Regatta in 2020.
Among those issues was a lack of maintenance of Pegasus Lakes and as a result of that a possible weed problem from November through to March.
PRSC recommended that the IOM Nationals be moved forward into October to avoid the possible weed problem and this was agreed to by the IOM NCA.
A further criteria around setting the regatta dates was to try and have the Top of the South IOM Regatta and IOM Nationals on successive weekends so as to provide 6 days of sailing over a 9 day period.
This would allow for “down south road trips” for those who were interested and also to make the events attractive to possible entries from Australia.
Labour weekend falling on the 26th of October reduced the date options to get the regattas organised on successive weekends.
NZRYA is ultimately responsible for the National Sailing Calendar and I personally discussed with Graeme Perry the conflict of date issue between the DF65 Nationals and IOM Nationals before confirming the dates.
We agreed it was less than desirable to have two National Regattas on the date but given the unique situation that we faced this year there were limited options for us to avoid the conflict of dates.
NZRYA will be doing its best going forward to avoid such conflicts but as more classes come on board and the sailing calendar becomes more congested it will become increasing difficult to avoid such conflicts.
Regards
Michael McLachlan
Chairman NZRYA