The Royal Yacht Club of Victoria has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Lipton Cup Regatta, which was scheduled for November 14-15, as the club monitors the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cancelling this important club event was a difficult decision, however a necessary one to ensure the health and safety of competitors, and to follow current health guidelines provided by the Victorian Government.

RYCV General Manager Michael Neumann said the club was working hard to monitor information provided by authorities and continue its planning to return to the water safely.

“This year has been extremely difficult for our club and our sport,” he said.

“The decision to cancel the Lipton Cup will no doubt be sad news for our members and visitors that enjoy being at that event.

“However it is important for all of us to follow the health advice and do all we can to stop the spread of the virus, so we are able to return to the water when restrictions are eased.

“This is the flagship annual event for our club and it deserves to be run in the same spirit as previous years.

“While the club does not see the possibility of the Lipton Cup being run in its current form in 2020, a small casual event could potentially be run on the same weekend if it is considered safe to do so.”

The 2019 Lipton Cup was a very successful regatta for the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, with a record number of entries and a new format that revitalised the historic event.

The club is committed to ensuring the Lipton Cup continues to strengthen and become an integral part of the sailing calendar in Melbourne.

For further queries, please contact Royal Yacht Club of Victoria at [email protected]