Return of the General Clinton Regatta, Sort Of..

A number of holiday events that were sidelined last Memorial Day by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic are slowly returning.

The General Clinton Canoe Regatta will be held this year but it will be a virtual event with no set starting time.

There will be a variety of races along the 70-mile course running from Cooperstown to Bainbridge.

The races and bankside carnivals traditionally draw thousands to the Bainbridge area but had to be canceled last year at the start of the pandemic.

This year there will be a return of concerts and fireworks in Bainbridge but there will still be no events at General Clinton Park due to safety concerns.

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According to the event website, here’s how a virtual regatta works:

“You will have anytime from Friday morning, May 28 till Monday evening, May 31 to continuously complete the 70-mile course. You must start in Otsego Lake and finish in Bainbridge. You will have to provide your own GPS tracker. You will need to present to race committee your GPS proof of finish and adherence to course. Once you present your GPS proof you will be mailed a finishers T shirt and get an official 70-mile finish.” 

The entry free is $30 per person and that cover insurance and an event t-shirt.  Organizers say, however, “there will be no awards, no winners, no times, just a finish.”