Gear up for global sailing event

THE biggest global sailing event, Bart’s Bash, is back for its third run on Saturday, 17 September in Durban.

Hosted by the Point Yacht Club, the massive sailing event has had 45 091 sailors participate in more than 60 countries with more than 1 000 types of boats competing. The inaugural Bart’s Bash was awarded a Guinness World record for staging the largest race in 24 hours.

This year the focus of the day is on raising awareness and funds to support disabled sailing globally after the decision was made to remove sailing from the Paralympics going forward from 2020. The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation wishes to continue to promote the sport and all the benefits it brings to people of all abilities.

Commodore for the Point Yacht Club, Craig Millar said:

“The ethos of Bart’s Bash is to use sailing to improve the lives of children and young people, globally. This resonates with our club as we work hard to encourage young people to actively get involved in our great sport and club. With the recent launch of our youth project, the PYC Watersports Academy, we love that Bart’s legacy is embracing youth, of all back grounds and abilities.”

The event, organised in honour of the late British Olympic sailor Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson, aims to get as many people out on the water for Bart’s Bash. In the 2015 edition, Bart’s Bash – The Second Sail, Point Yacht Club featured six times on the Bashboard with various individual accolades. The club was also recognised with an impressive ninth worldwide, the top finishing South African yacht club, in the category of Biggest Fleets with 123 competitors.

This year Bart’s Bash kicks off the opening of the Point Yacht Club’s summer sailing season. Each race venue sets the course with the only specifications set by the race organisers and the course needs to be more than 1km with an excess of 15 minutes spent racing. “We are delighted to be a part of this global event again. I am certain as race day approaches the entries should gather momentum. As the slogan says, Bart’s Bash is competitive, inclusive and fun – everything every sporting event should be. I’d like to encourage all of Durban’s sailing community to come down and be a part of this fabulous day,” said Craig.

Visit www.bartsbash.com or www.pyc.co.za for more information about entering the event.