Golf and Tennis Doubles competition returns on Monday, May 10th in a further relaxation of Government COVID rules that has not extended to sailing.

Sailing clubs had been urging officials to lobby the Government's Sport Ireland's Expert Group to classify sailing with sports such as golf as a non-contact, outdoor and low-risk activity but there has been no such green light for sailing so far.

The latest Golf Ireland protocols confirm that from next Monday 10th May, golfers will be allowed (1): Casual-play rounds for handicap purposes for members and visitors, with no restrictions on numbers of household per group, and (2): Club competitions for members. 

In tennis, Doubles play involving players from different households is allowed from May 10th. Adult coaching can be delivered in pods of six players per court with four players on court at any one time from May 10th.

Sailing may resume training next week but yacht racing is not permitted until June 7.

Training Mini-Series

As regular Afloat readers know, however, clubs are taking advantage of the permission to train from May 10th with the introduction of training mini-series. Most notably in Dublin, series are underway next week by both Dublin Bay Sailing Club and ISORA,

It's been a frustrating time for the sport over the last ten days attempting to grapple with vague guidelines that have led to some inevitable consequences, including the cancellation of Ireland's biggest regatta. 

It's a theme taken up discussed by Afloat's WMN Nixon here.

Although the summer sailing season draws closer and anticipation builds around a returning to training and competition, there was little concrete for sailing in the cautious government easing of COVID restrictions announced last night.

On Dublin Bay, Ireland's boating capital, the calendar says boats will lift-in at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on April 10th to be followed by the first ISORA Coastal Race on April 17 and for DBSC to start its summer season on April 24.

It's certainly a nice idea and a lot better than staring at the four walls. Or watching Dun Laoghaire pier strollers, cyclists and sea swimmers all currently partaking of the sea air in their droves. With our knowledge of how safe sailing can be from 2020, the view is that organised sailing, training or even racing can't be far behind. Surely?

Sailing is not the enemy at the gate. On the contrary, it is a low risk, non-contact outdoors activity which is what the Government's Sport Expert Group has been told through the Federation of Irish Sport submissions.

Even though we know that there is little difference between sailing in training and racing modes, the sport is reliant on the not so small matter of lockdown measures easing from Level Five to Level Two (when racing is permitted) but, as widely anticipated, this did not materialise in last night's announcement.

It certainly doesn’t look like organised sailing can be underway anytime before April 26 at best and only then if sailing is categorised as a 'distance sport' like golf and tennis that were specifically mentioned by the Taoiseach last night.

Obviously, club administrators will take time to chew over what this easing can mean for Irish sailing but reaction gathered by Afloat after the easing announcement ranged from shoulder-shrugging to a need for more action: "Nothing new as far as I can see", "Not sure", "Could start in May, depends on interpretation", "Sailing needs to be linked to Golf"! 

The Government has announced the phased easing of some Covid-19 restrictions during the month of April.

They plan to continue this cautious approach, gradually easing restrictions, while a substantial level of the population are vaccinated during April, May and June, after which, it should be safe to reopen society more widely.

The Government has announced that from April 12 people will be allowed to travel within their county or within 20 km of residence if crossing county borders.

The Taoiseach said from April 19 some additional high-performance training will be allowed, including senior inter-county GAA training to facilitate national league competitions starting in May.

He said training for high performing athletes approved by Sport Ireland will also be allowed. 

Mr Martin said from April 26 outdoor sports training for under 18 can begin again.

Some training will be allowed in May but competition will not be permitted initially.

He said golf and outdoor tennis can be played and there will be a return to 'distanced sport'.

But it remains unclear as to how sailing will be categorised in all of this.

2021 Regatta programmes

For regatta organisers who are keen to finalise programmes, there still remains a lack of clarity. Likewise for club leagues which are the backbone of the scene. Ann Kirwan Commodore of DBSC told Afloat, "Despite the lack of clarity in the Government announcement, DBSC is still hopeful that we may begin our season in some form before mid-May". 

It is anticipated that bars and restaurants will not open till July, creating a problem for the shoreside segments of any events scheduled prior to that. 

Logistics

Certainly in Dun Laoghaire, boat owners boats who live outside five km of the harbour will not be able to return to boats until April 12 under the new restrictions, two days after the scheduled lift in.

Marine industry suppliers are also caught between a rock and hard place. Sailmakers, for example, are currently closed, so sails left in for winter servicing or repair may yet not be back on boats. Will sailmakers for example we be allowed to open and deliver these sails?  

Trades and chandlers are providing the regular pre-season service against the odds and battling COVID restrictions and slow delivery of spare parts due to Brexit in a bid to be ready.

Even though we may now have to defer some early racing dates, these are easily moveable and there's a logic in originally setting them. As Peter Ryan of ISORA told Afloat recently,  "it's important to put a date down for people to aim for". He's right. Without dates, the risk is the racing calendar will drift and the early season be lost altogether.

An outbreak of COVID-19 at the European Championships in Poland a fortnight ago has led organisers to contact all 300 competitors alerting them to the outbreak of the virus at the event.

Sailors competing in Gdansk received an email communication from organisers, Eurilca, that a male Portuguese competitor tested positive for Covid-19 and is still in quarantine in Poland.

Last night, Irish Olympic team manager James O'Callaghan told Afloat, it was a case of 'all good' for the seven-boat Team IRL who finish their quarantine period after travelling to the Polish event today. 

Some competitors were reported as feeling unwell as soon as they returned home.

The championships drew competitors from as many as 40 countries in the men's and women's divisions of the Tokyo Olympic class.

In Denmark, the championship silver medalist, Anne Marie Rindom is reported to have tested positive by national media. 

Rindom, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist,  is said to be recovering from 'some hard days with covid-19'.

“It has gotten a little better over the last few days, but I have had a high fever, pain in my head and all over my body,” she told Denmark's TV2 Sport.

During the course of the Gdansk event, the Polish government moved to put the country into a ‘yellow zone’ in a bid to curtail the spread of COVID, according to the organisers who provided health checks as part of the regatta set-up.

The championships were heralded as the 'first opportunity since the pandemic outbreak for Olympic campaigners to race again in such a big fleet', so it will be very disappointing news for all concerned that despite measures taken - including onsite testing - that the virus has had such an impact on the international sailing circuit.

A copy of the email received by the sailors is below.

Senior Europeans 2020 In Poland: Very important information

Dear Sailor,

We have been informed later this morming that a sailor from the portuguese was tested positive to covid-19 and is still in quarantine in Poland.

His portuguese roomate in the room during the event is back in Portugal and has been also tested positive.

The rest of the portuguese team has been now tested and waiting for the results of the test in Portugal.

The organizing committte and EurILCA wanted to inform you of that situation and if you have been in contact with them suggest to be testing.

Please follow the procedures with the medical authorities in your country and contact them as they will advise you how to proceed.

We know some people were tested arriving at their airport destination if they were flying.

But it could not the case for all and for the ones who travel by car or van.

We suggest to extremely carefull and we will update you if any more news. [SIC].

Irish sailors say there has been no further follow-up by organisers since the event.