04 Jun Oakcliff Pioneers Safe COVID-19 Boating Protocol To Kickstart Local Economy
Oakcliff continues to lead the way towards safe Covid-19 boating as featured in Newsday and Sailing Magazine. Just days after the start of the quarantine, the Oakcliff team began developing a protocol and product recommendation list for hosting sailboat regattas that can be applied to the general boating population to keep people safe while using sanitation procedures that are as environmentally-friendly as possible. View Oakcliff’s full “Covid-19 Boating Safety Protocol.”
On the weekend of June 6-7, Oakcliff will test their protocol for the first time during their Quaranteam Regatta. The crews of 5 or 6 on each boat will consist of a household or a quaranteam of sailors who mutually attest to one another that they have been safely and strictly quarantined for at least two weeks prior. Oakcliff has created an affidavit to formalize the team’s agreement and may implement testing in the future if it becomes more reliable and widely available.
To keep teams socially distanced from one another while on site, Oakcliff will transport one team at a time to their boats, with the driver separated from the crew by a line designating a 6-foot boundary. At all times, including during racing, the competitors will be required to wear face covers. Oakcliff has developed and is producing athletic face coverings that offer UV protection and are antimicrobial and wicking. The face coverings also have a straw hole (patent-pending) in the back for use in social settings. Performance in the front, party in the back! Buy Your Performance Party Buff here.
After racing is completed for the day, there is normally a regatta party and a debrief. The social aspect of sailing is important to the community too so Oakcliff has created solutions to have a food and beverage boat going around to the teams who will remain on their individual boats in the mooring field. The boats are all within shouting distance so they can still socialize with other teams while enjoying some well-earned, post-race food and drink in a responsible setting.
Spectators can view the regatta from their own boat in Cold Spring Harbor. Oakcliff Race Operators will be on VHF 69 to give instructions on where to watch from. There will also be live updates of the racing action on the Oakcliff Facebook page.
If you don’t have a boat, you’re in luck. Oakcliff has partnered with Barton & Gray, a Mariners Club that recently opened a location in Oyster Bay, whose members have all of the joys of yachting without any of the hassle. They are providing spectating from their beautiful Hinckley picnic boats. If you’re interested in a day on the water with front row seats to a regatta, email Andrew at Barton & Gray to reserve your charter at ataubman@bartonandgray.com. They have full day and half day options available on the first day of racing, Saturday, June 6.
Oakcliff is excited to kickstart the racing community but also wants to stimulate the local economy. They are working with a number of local businesses to provide their “Performance in the Front, Party in the Back” drink-ready face coverings so customers can enjoy a beverage while still maintaining some level of protection. If people don’t have to sacrifice safety to socialize and drink, they will be more likely to go out and spend money at the restaurants and bars who have been hit so hard by this outbreak.
One business Oakcliff has partnered with is the Coach Meeting House to provide an on-the-water delivery service for their famous spiked curbside slushies.
Oakcliff Sailing Press Contact: Francis George, Media & PR Manager, T: +1 631 935 5573 (USA), E: PR@OakcliffSailing.org