163rd Logicalis Gorey Regatta set to go ahead

Gorey Regatta © GP Pictures

The 163rd Logicalis Gorey Regatta will go ahead on 11/12 July, albeit adapted to meet the demands of social distancing.

Competing boats will either be sailed single-handed or crewed by members of the same household. Only the larger yachts, where social distancing can be enforced, will be able to have 'mixed' crews from different households. There will be no participants from the other Channel Islands, France or the UK.

Sadly there will be no social events - normally a popular element of this historic event - due to the pandemic restrictions. The main event, the prize-giving dinner, will now probably be held towards the end of the year if the social distancing guidelines are eased.

The Gorey Regatta Association committee considered the various options for the event, including its cancellation, but decided to go ahead with a 'sail only' regatta having noted that local sailing clubs are starting to race again under social distancing guidelines.

This year's event will once again be sponsored by Logicalis, the largest IT services company in the Channel Islands, and will provide local yachtsmen with the opportunity to compete in the picturesque Royal Bay of Grouville, with Mont Orgueil providing a magnificent backdrop.

Yachts of many different classes will be taking part, including cruisers, racers, dinghies and multihulls, and there will be fierce competition for the 19 trophies up for grabs.

'The event will be limited to "reasonable weather conditions",' said GRA Captain Justin Horton. 'We will be abiding by the current Covid-19 guidelines and monitoring them should they change.

'I'd like to pay tribute to Logicalis, our long-standing sponsor, and thank them for their support in underpinning the future of such an historic event.'

For further information and entry details for this year's regatta just log on to the association website, www.goreyregatta.org, or follow the regatta on Facebook where you can find photos and news updates. The closing date for entries is 3 July.