Youth Sailors Forced to Compete in Hazardous Forest Fire Smoke in British Columbia?

Optimists in Squamish in Smoke with Level 5 Health Risk
on Aug 19 - Level 10 Health Risk projected for Aug. 20.
The scene is unreal. Youth sailors in the Optimist dinghy - typically aged 10 to 15 - are competing in an area of British Columbia, Canada, subject to an official smoke warning by Health Canada.

The smoke is a consequence of intense forest fires present in British Columbia.

« Smoky skies will continue across most of the province for the next few days. Local smoke levels may vary based on wind direction and fire characteristics but, until a significant change in the provincial weather pattern occurs, widespread air quality improvements are not expected. » says the Statement by Weather Canada.

https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?bc41

While the health risk was considered moderate on the first day of racing (Level 5 on a scale of 10, on August 19), it is projected to be high today. (Level 10 - see graph)

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/bcairquality/readings/aqhi-table.xml

While a moderate health risk suggests to « consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous activities outdoors, » a high health risk (Level 6 to 10) calls to « Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors » and for children (yes these are children sailing) and the elderly to take it easy.

Health Risks for the Youth Athletes

So why is there such a high health risk?

According to Dr Don Sin, head of respiratory medicine at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver,  “we know that from studies from the past that certain individuals, maybe 10 per cent or so, will have long-term consequences from breathing in this bad air,” he told Global News

“You can develop asthma or Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart disease or stroke from this kind of event.”

Sin said the problem is it’s hard to say who will be susceptible to the long-term damage.

« The best solution? Avoid exposure, and stay indoors as much as possible, » he said.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4394956/bc-wildfire-smoke-health/

The authorities recommend libraries, community centres and shopping malls, if one does not have AC and/or filtered air home or at one’s hotel.

Note the Squamish Yacht Club, from where the regatta is organized, is presently not accessible for some unrelated hazard.

Sailors and parents have no other solution but to wait in the installed tent or in their car.

Oh … there are also the mobile toilets available :) …

Is Wearing a Mask a Solution?

HEPA Mask - to Filter 100% Particulates
According to the health authorities quoted in the article, wearing a mask is an option, but surgical masks should be avoided as useless for filtering particulates.

There are two types of masks that are recommended, the N95 ones, filtering 95% of particulates, and the hepa ones, filtering 100%.

Getting the youth sailors to sail with those would probably be a world première. Who knows, maybe that will occur …

And sailing without them clearly is a health hazard.

What will the Organizers Do?

If they act rationally, responsibly, the organizers have no other option but to suspend racing and request that the athletes, their parents, chaperones, coaches, etc. stay indoors, at their hotels or in another suitable location until this health hazard is reduced.

This may take several days — as the forecast is that « until a significant change in the provincial weather pattern occurs, widespread air quality improvements are not expected. »

There is however a likelihood that the organizers will do everything to get the sailors on the water, despite the health hazard.

Indeed, the Canadian Nationals, are unlike in any other country, the unique qualification regatta for the international events of the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA), such as the North Americans, South Americans, etc.

And yes this also pertains to the World Championship. As previously discussed in this blog, the Canadian Optimist class, this year, organizes its qualifiers for the 2019 Worlds even before the 2018 Worlds have taken place.

The Canadian Optimist class also organizes this unique qualifying regatta, which is the Canadian national, in a scheduling conflict with the 2018 Worlds (to commence next week in Cyprus), so that the 2018 World athletes who are in Squamish will suffer a huge jet lag (10 hours - 10 time zones) from which they won’t be able to recover before racing.

Note that, for the 5 sailors to represent Canada at the IODA Worlds, the official position of the Canadian Optimist class was that this Squamish regatta was going to be a great windy venue to prepare for the worlds ...

Those who declined to participate because of the scheduling conflict are excluded from the 2019 IODA events - a gross non-sense that is particularly discriminatory - but the Canadian class does not care.

Several requests to get IODA to intervene in this non-sense have simply not be answered by the international Optimist class.

https://optimist-openbic-sailing.blogspot.com/2017/12/2018-canadian-optimist-class-summer.html

Pressure to Compete

Morning View on August 19 (Level 5 Health Risk -
High Level 10 Health Risk projected for August 20)
Despite the serious health hazard, there will be intense pressure to get the youth sailors to compete.

There is indeed no Plan B for alternate qualifiers in case sailing is not possible at the Canadian nationals. The approach of the Canadian Optimist class towards its national championship and the IODA qualifiers is in fact embedded in its bylaws, despite the fact that it makes very little sense.

In 2015, the Canadian nationals were also organized in Squamish. Despite the fact that it’s a location reputed to be windy, there was no wind during the full week except for the last day during which a few quick races were organized to validate the championship and IODA qualifiers.

Now, what may well happen is that the wind, which is mostly thermal, will fail to show up, and that racing will anyway not be possible for one or several days.

So, mother nature may help organizers to take the right decision and suspend the racing while the health risk is high.

Let’s hope they will request athletes to stay at their hotel, or in a library, or other suitable area and not waiting for the wind to show up in their tent!
Location: Squamish, BC, Canada

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