Hello Clubs & Paddlers,

NSW Health Community Sport Recommendations

As many of you would be aware NSW Health released a letter last week with a number of recommendations for community sport, effectively immediately and currently put in place for six weeks (19 August to 30 September).The letter and further clarification from the OoS can be viewed here.

DBNSW in consultation with its Covid Safety Team, DBNSW advisory group and region coordinators have determined the following in response to the NSW Health recommendations...

Districts

• Existing regions (5) will be divided up into districts (only for the period in which these recommendations are in place) which will assist in meeting NSW Health’s objective of reducing mixing and lowering the chance of community transmission. These districts and associated clubs are:
   

  Please note the above districts may be altered should we receive further recommendations from NSW Health.
   

  
  
  
• It should also be noted that whilst DBNSW fully supports the recommendations from NSW Health, we are equally disappointed to have to activate the districts. DBNSW is an inclusive organisation and under normal circumstances would welcome all clubs to each regatta.
  
  Further information
• Unless otherwise specified each district should keep to themselves and not participate in dragon boat activities (regattas or training) outside of their own district e.g. If Mako (South A District) is hosting a one day multi-club paddle session, clubs from Sydney East should not attend but other clubs from South A would be allowed.
   
• No club activities (regatta or training) which involve overnight stay or travel with shared facilities (accommodation, bus) to other areas for dragon boating should take place e.g. Bathurst should not stay overnight in Parkes for a regatta or training camp even though both belong to the same District.
   
• The above two points also apply to officials and volunteers i.e. an official living in Sydney should not travel to Ballina to volunteer at a local regatta.
   
• Clubs should cease any non-vital face to face club social activities. Where possible activities should be done online.
   
• Carpooling and/or bus travel should be avoided when club members are attending dragon boat activity.
   
• Spectators should not attend training or regattas unless necessary. An exemption is made in the case of a single parent whose child is training or racing. These parents should socially distant from others whilst on land.
   
• All COVID safe practices remain in place as they currently were prior to this announcement, meaning that Clubs are still to adhere to their COVID safe plan.
   
• Please note while community sport has been advised that the NSW Health recommendations should be in place for six weeks (19 Aug – 30 Sept) there is the possibility that this is extended by NSW Health and we will adjust our practices accordingly.
   
• Furthermore, until further notice NO NSW clubs will be able to participate in ACT based Dragon Boat events. Additional restrictions are currently in place for the ACT preventing our members to go across and compete.

RACE 1 UPDATE

In light of the above Race 1 (Sat 12 Sept @ SIRC) will still be going ahead as planned albeit with some changes.

Regrettably, to adhere to the NSW Health recommendations, particularly the avoidance of people travelling between Sydney and Regional areas, only clubs from the Sydney East, Sydney North and Sydney South/West Districts will be able  to attend Race 1. Outside of Race 1 any club that is hosting their own regatta will be unable to allow attendance from clubs outside of their own district (for the period in which these recommendations are in play).

For those clubs that are from districts that are invited to attend the Race 1, each area will be designated a time slot to avoid participants from one district mingling with those from another district. These time slots are likely to be around 2 - 3 hours and will be communicated once entries have been received.

With both the Winter Warmer cancelled and clubs only now starting to return to training  Race 1 will no longer be a 6km course but reduced to a 2km turn race on the Competition Lake. Whilst the race is a 2 km race it will be conducted as a time trial to reduce interaction between Clubs. Clubs will be loaded and started with a notable gap between each crew with a small number of boats on the water at the same time. It is likely that a club will keep the same boat/s for their Women's and Open's races, and will clean the boats before the next Club takes over.

Categories have been reduced, again with paddler health & fitness remaining a priority. Available categories include; Premier (open age) Open, Premier (open age) Women, Premier (open age) Mixed, Junior Open and Junior Women.

Covid safe practices will also be in place for Race 1 and will continually be updated on Race 1 event information on the website.

Like with the current training limits crews are limited to a total of 20 people including drummer & sweep (max 18 paddlers, 1 sweep, 1 drummer). Reserves up to 4 remain allowed (so a total crew list will have 24 members). Unfortunately, there will be no borrowing of paddlers/sweeps/drummers or combining of crews between clubs is permitted.

Entry is now open in RevSPORT and category entry closes 23:59 Friday 4^th September. It would be of great assistance to DBNSW if you could also populate your crew lists as best as possible by that date so we have an indication of overall attendance.

Once again, whilst it is extremely disappointing to have these new restrictions in place, to comply with the NSW Health recommendations, they are necessary and the above has been done in consultation with the various DBNSW advisors.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us (office@dbnsw.org.au or 02 8736 1283).