Power Boats Association issues vaccine mandate for 2022

THE Trinidad and Tobago Power Boats Association (TTPBA) has announced that all racers participating in this year’s events, starting next month, must be fully vaccinated.

The local governing body for competitive powerboat racing recently amended its race entry requirements to include the mandate, which it said must be observed by the time its first regatta is held on February 6.

The association’s secretary Richard Ramdwar released the race calendar on Wednesday. In it, he wrote, “Our safety team has been working assiduously with the Ministry of Health and our existing emergency response personnel to amend the 2022 TTPBA’s Covid & Accident response plan to match changing national requirements.

“(The TTPBA) has amended our race entry requirement to mandate that all racers, regardless of class or hull configuration must be fully vaccinated, and show to the TTPBA proof of your vaccination status, in order to participate in any of our 2022 regatta events inclusive of the Great Race.”

This decision, Ramdwar wrote, was made with consideration of national guidelines as outlined by the Ministry of Health and notification from the association’s safety, diver and patrol team, many of whom he noted are volunteers at the regattas.

The season will conclude with the annual Great Race on August 20. The second regatta will take place on March 20, then again on April 24, June 5 and June 10 with the penultimate race.