Despite hopes earlier this year that the event would go ahead as planned, the Royal Western Yacht Club of England has formally announced that the OSTAR & TWOSTAR 60th anniversary race is postponed to May 2022.
Last year’s event was postponed amid the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, with a new start date set for 9 May 2021.
But following an update on COVID-19 compliance and revised restrictions from the Newport Yacht Club in the US, the RWYC “made the very reluctant decision to postpone the OSTAR & TWOSTAR races once again”.
Rear Commodore Oceanic and race director, Adrian Gray, said, “CV-19 rules for entering both the UK and USA have led to a last-minute reduction of entries due to them being unable to comply with these measures.
“This in turn as made the running of OSTAR and TWOSTAR physically and financially unviable for 2021.
“Therefore, we have no alternative but to postpone the running of the 60th anniversary race again, now to a new date of May 15th, 2022.”
He continued: “COVID is still a threat to us all and we must remain cognisant of all this means. However, the vaccine is being rolled out now and so we see this as a very positive thing from the summer onwards.
“Unfortunately, Atlantic weather systems prevent us from looking at a start later this year, but we are sure that the OSTAR will return with a much bigger fleet and a world in a much healthier position [in 2022].”
The 60th anniversary race entry List will officially reopen on 9 May but expressions of interest can be sent now to [email protected]
In addition, the RWYC confirms that next year’s OSTAR will remain as a recognised mile builder and qualifier for the Global Solo Challenge, a non-stop round-the-world event set for 2023.
