The 2021 505 World Championships to be hosted by Bermuda have been cancelled for the second straight year.

The ten-race series showcasing the high-performance dinghy was scheduled to take place in the Great Sound from October 27 to November 5.

However, Michael Quirk, the International 505 Class Association president, announced today that the regatta has been cancelled owing to difficulties brought on by the global Covid-19 pandemic.

“Concern over travel issues that competitors may have due to Covid-19 quarantines and the impact of the pandemic on shipping costs led to the decision,” Les Crane, the event chairman and former Royal Bermuda Yacht Club commodore, said in a press release.

“While Bermuda is faring well with only a small number of active cases, no hospitalisation and over 75 per cent of the adult population fully vaccinated, competitors from the Antipodes cannot readily travel and return to their homes.

“Restrictions and quarantine problems between European countries and concern over potential quarantine requirements from contact tracing led to the view that cancellation was prudent.”

Crane said as many as 120 sailors among 60 teams had registered to compete, with an additional 200 family members and spectators due to travel to the island for the event.

Local sailors AJ Conrads, Brett Wright, Gary Taylor and Doug DeCouto were among the entries.

“The association thanks the Bermuda Tourism Authority, Gosling’s Rum, the City of Hamilton and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for all their efforts in attempting to host 505 sailors from around the world,” Crane added.

“The class looks forward to holding its 2022 World Championships in Cork, Ireland, from August 3 to 13.”

The 505 World Championships were being organised by the RBYC and were to be preceded by a Pre-Worlds Regatta consisting of six races.

It would have been Bermuda’s second time hosting the championship, having first done so in 1975.

Mike Martin and crew Adam Lowry, of the United States, won the 2019 championship in Freemantle, Australia.

However, they were unable to defend their title as the 2020 event, due to be held last August in Torekov, Sweden, was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this week the RBYC was forced to postpone the Bermuda Gold Cup because of pandemic-induced difficulties in securing a title sponsor.

The regatta had been planned for the end of September, but will be rescheduled to next year on a date to be announced.