Sydney Festival of Boating to go ahead, for now
Organisers will meet on Tuesday to decide if Sydney’s only boat show in two years will go ahead as plannedOrganisers behind next month’s Sydney Festival of Boating say they will decide next week if they will go ahead with the show as scheduled in the wake of today’s Sydney COVID-19 lockdowns.
The NSW Government today introduced stay-at-home orders – a lockdown by any other name – across four Sydney local government areas for a week as it tries to apply the brakes to a fast-spreading COVID-19 outbreak across the city.
One of those government areas includes Darling Harbour, the site of next month’s 2021 Sydney Festival of Boating.
Neil Prachett, a spokesman for show organiser the Boating Industry Association, said the group was closely monitoring the developments in NSW and the unfolding government directions introduced to manage it.
“The BIA says the COVID-19 situation has created some uncertainty regarding the Sydney Festival of Boating, which is scheduled to start on 29 July at Darling Harbour,” Pratchett told boatsales.com.au.
“The four-day festival remains on track for delivery, however, the BIA believes the responsible action is to look [at] all contingencies and is liaising with government and venue partner, the International Convention Centre,” he said.
“The BIA board is to meet on Tuesday to consider the latest information from the State Government and will on the same day update members, suppliers and exhibitors on the status of the festival.
“The Sydney Festival of Boating is currently sold out regarding exhibition space and is oversubscribed for the event marina,” Pratchett said.
“The event has a fully documented COVIDSafe plan, which provides for measures to adapt to tightened restrictions and to ensure the safety of all involved.”
At least one boat importer has already told boatsales.com.au that it is now unlikely to attend the event in the wake of the Sydney outbreak.
NSW currently has 54 locally acquired cases of COVID-19, with 12 of those acquired locally in the last 24 hours. Of those, 49 have been acquired in the last week.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of a number of boat shows since early last year, with May’s Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show and last November’s Sanctuary Cove Festival of Boating – a scaled-down version of this year’s event – the only ones to go ahead.
If it goes ahead, the new-format Sydney show will be a scaled-down version of the traditional Sydney International Boat Show, but adhering to strict government-mandated COVID-19 control measures.
The Boating Industry Association of Victoria, which organises the annual Melbourne International Boat Show, is planning for a new-look event to be held in November.
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