Paddle Australia and AOCRA make difficult decision to cancel the 2021 PA Canoe Ocean Racing Championships and AO Ocean Downwind Race 4

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted on many events around Australia due to interstate travel restrictions and state lockdowns.

Our respective teams have monitored the daily federal and state government information over the last month and the current directives do not allow the opportunity to hold a national ocean racing event for all outriggers and ocean ski paddlers.

For that reason, the 2021 Paddle Australia Canoe Ocean Racing Championships and the last race in the AO Ocean Downwind Series 2021 is cancelled.

Both national sporting organisations offer ocean racing competition pathways for their respective canoe disciplines being outrigger canoe and ocean skis. We collectively see the value in offering quality events for both canoe disciplines to compete in the one ocean racing competition. Therefore, we are in the process of planning events for 2022.

Paddle Australia CEO Phil Jones said: “In the current climate, it is very challenging to deliver on our shared vision for more ocean racing pathways and opportunities to outriggers and ocean skis communities in 2021. I am optimistic that we can deliver on this in 2022.”

President of AOCRA Katherine Cole said: “These are difficult times and I would like to assure our paddling community we are doing everything possible to deliver more ocean racing events for 2022.”

Thank you for your understanding during these unprecedented times.

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