Sailors gear up for Bart’s Bash
The participant figures are looking impressive at this early stage leading up to the fourth running of the fun race.
SPRING has sprung, the days are getting longer and Durban is hotting up, Durban’s sailors are set to come out of their short winter hibernation and kick off the Summer Sailing Season with the Opening Cruise organised by Point Yacht Club on Sunday 10 September.
Boats of all shapes and sizes will gather to salute the new commodore, and cheer in a fabulous new sailing season. Recently elected, Greg de Beyer will be stationary on a boat that is all dressed up with the remainder of the fleet drifting past de Beyer in a single file procession, led by the Honorary Life President, Mr Vernon Goss on his beautiful monohull, Bellissima. Once the formalities are all concluded, the sailors will take to the bay in a fun race organised by the returning Rear Commodore of Keelers, Jon Marshall.
The following weekend is the world’s biggest sailing event, Bart’s Bash – The Fourth, and Point Yacht Club is yet again, one of the host clubs where a smorgasbord of yachts is expected on the water. After the tallies for the Bashboard 2016, Point Yacht Club was one of 361 venues represented at 58 countries. The Durban based yacht club was third in entries received behind the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and Bristol’s Chew Valley Yacht Club.
The participant figures are looking impressive at this early stage leading up to the fourth running of the fun race, with 577 venues from 76 countries signed up. The total number of participants is over 52,000 sailors ranging from Olympic gold medallists to absolute beginners with over 1,000 types of boat on the water globally. The inaugural Bart’s Bash was awarded a Guinness World record for staging the largest race in 24 hours. And as in previous years, everyone is invited to join.
Similarly, to last year, the awareness campaign is 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.
For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or contact the club on 031 301 4787.
