THE biggest global sailing event, Bart’s Bash, is back and takes place for the third time, as one of the international venues will be hosted by the Point Yacht Club on Saturday, 17 September.
Launched in 2014, the massive sailing event has had 45,091 sailors participate in over 60 countries with over 1,000 types of boat racing over the two years. The inaugural Bart’s Bash was awarded a Guinness World Record for staging the largest race in 24 hours.
This year the focus 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 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 backgrounds 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 club’s summer sailing season. Each race venue sets the course with the only specifications set by the race organisers – the course for Bart’s Bash needs to be over 1km with more than 15 minutes spent racing.
The event has clocked up 247 venues over 35 countries with nearly 1,000 sailors signed up to participate. “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 be part of this fabulous day,” said Millar.
For more info visit www.bartsbash.com or www.pyc.co.za
