The Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee will be submitting their return-to-play plan next week for race days, however this year they’re asking spectators to enjoy the event from home.

The committee says a lot of progress has been made and that things are running smoothly three weeks after re-opening the dock.

The crews are operating in cohorts of ten and each coxswain can have up to five crews, which bodes well for race day.

However, the President of the Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee, Bradley Power, says the real challenge is onlookers. He says the crews thrive on a live audience, but due to the pandemic, they will have to ask spectators to watch the live stream from home.

As of now, the committee is hoping for a race day sometime in mid-July and a regatta in the first week of August.

Another of the challenges they face is incorporating charity ticket sales and food vendors. He says they hope to get back to the “garden party” atmosphere, but he is not as optimistic about that as he is racing. He says they’re looking at all scenarios and are doing what they can.