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.
