Cancellations continue due to COVID-19

From the Pacific Northwest to the Caribbean, the presence of COVID-19 continues to impact the racing calendar. Here are announcements from three prominent events cancelled for 2021:

St. Maarten Heineken Regatta – March 4-7 (Dutch Caribbean)
While COVID-19 began closing borders after the 2020 edition, the Sint Maarten Council of Ministers decided to cancel the March 2021 execution of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The government body stated, “…various new strains of the COVID-19 virus have been detected in several countries around the world resulting in a travel ban of linked countries; this also includes Sint Maarten for which a temporary ban on incoming flights from high-risk countries containing stronger strains of the COVID-19 virus has taken effect. With these substantial developments, the government was strongly recommended to impose stricter public health measures. This would include the withholding of licenses for large events.”
https://heinekenregatta.com/

St Barths Bucket Regatta – March 17-20 (French West Indies)
After having to cancel in 2020, a January resurgence has resulted in heightened health uncertainties and rapidly changing travel restrictions for prospective regatta participants. One by one, over the last few weeks, yacht owners decided that it had become impossible to attend the Bucket in 2021 and that they would postpone participation until 2022. With a committed field of less than five, the collective decision of the race participants had to be acknowledged and accepted by the Bucket Stewards. As a result, the 2021 St Barth’s Bucket is now officially cancelled.
https://bucketregatta.com/

Swiftsure International Yacht Race – May 19-23 (British Columbia)
It is with the deepest regret that we have decided that, as was the case for the Swiftsure International Yacht Race in 2020, the race will not be run in 2021. After careful consideration by members of the Swiftsure Committee and the Board of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, it was determined that it was in everyone’s best interest to cancel this year’s event as a result of a significant probability that public health restrictions due to COVID-19 will be such that it will not be possible to run the event in a manner that will preserve the events long standing integrity.
https://www.swiftsure.org/