OK Worlds 2020 in Marstrand is cancelled!
Our world is no longer recognizable, more upside down
than ever before, with new twist and turns making each new day
unpredictable.
We at MSS have, as many of you, been following the Covid-19 situation on a daily basis for several weeks now, hoping every day that things will change to the better, but unfortunately so far it hasn’t. Actually more in the opposite direction here in Sweden as in many other countries.
Today we gathered the project group and the Swedish OK association and members from the OKDIA to discuss how we should act with regards to OK-worlds 2020 and the ongoing situation in the world.
There are several aspects driving our decision and the first one is of course the health and safety of everybody, the sailors, the volunteers and the people of Marstrand. The second one is that we see that we will not be able to create the great event we would like to have in the aspects of social activities and everything around the competition that makes it that little bit extra. We have many of our sponsors stepping down due to the crisis we currently are experiencing and this is off course understandable in this extraordinary situation, so sponsoring is not their main concern at the moment. The third aspect is that no AUS or NZ boats will be able to come to Sweden. And if they are not able to come we would only get half a worlds and then we would not be able to call it a world championship.
So after some discussions we have taken the extremely sad decision that we have to cancel OK-worlds 2020. We at MSS have really been looking forward to this event and it feels strange to have to take a decision like this, but we have to realise that we are now in the middle of situation that is completely unpredictable and therefore also out of our control. And that a small virus can have such an enormous impact on the whole world is really hard to take in.
We are soon starting up the discussion with OKDIA to see if we can find a new year and date for hosting the worlds here in Marstrand and then we will give it a new fresh start.
We hope that you will all take care, both yourselves and others, so stay safe and be considerate to those more vulnerable!
We will start to refund the regatta fee to all of you that have registered as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Marcus Blomberg
Commodore
MSS
We at MSS have, as many of you, been following the Covid-19 situation on a daily basis for several weeks now, hoping every day that things will change to the better, but unfortunately so far it hasn’t. Actually more in the opposite direction here in Sweden as in many other countries.
Today we gathered the project group and the Swedish OK association and members from the OKDIA to discuss how we should act with regards to OK-worlds 2020 and the ongoing situation in the world.
There are several aspects driving our decision and the first one is of course the health and safety of everybody, the sailors, the volunteers and the people of Marstrand. The second one is that we see that we will not be able to create the great event we would like to have in the aspects of social activities and everything around the competition that makes it that little bit extra. We have many of our sponsors stepping down due to the crisis we currently are experiencing and this is off course understandable in this extraordinary situation, so sponsoring is not their main concern at the moment. The third aspect is that no AUS or NZ boats will be able to come to Sweden. And if they are not able to come we would only get half a worlds and then we would not be able to call it a world championship.
So after some discussions we have taken the extremely sad decision that we have to cancel OK-worlds 2020. We at MSS have really been looking forward to this event and it feels strange to have to take a decision like this, but we have to realise that we are now in the middle of situation that is completely unpredictable and therefore also out of our control. And that a small virus can have such an enormous impact on the whole world is really hard to take in.
We are soon starting up the discussion with OKDIA to see if we can find a new year and date for hosting the worlds here in Marstrand and then we will give it a new fresh start.
We hope that you will all take care, both yourselves and others, so stay safe and be considerate to those more vulnerable!
We will start to refund the regatta fee to all of you that have registered as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Marcus Blomberg
Commodore
MSS