Weymouth and Portland sailing clubs are racing for Bart

by RYA on 6 Sep 2016 Sailors of all ages from sailing clubs in the Weymouth and Portland area will be joining thousands of sailors across the globe on Saturday 17 September to take part in the world’s largest sailing event, Bart’s Bash (17-18 September 2016).

Organised in memory of sailor Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson by the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (ASSF), the event sees hundreds of venues from sailing clubs to windsurfing groups hosting a race which welcomes all, whilst raising funds for charity - all money raised through the Bash this year will go to raising awareness and funds to help make sailing more accessible to all. Put simply, it’s the day the world goes sailing!

This local event, hosted by the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), will combine participants from Weymouth Sailing Club, Castle Cove Sailing Club, Chesil Sailability, Osprey Training Centre and the Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre. Members of the British Sailing Team, including Olympic medallists Hannah Mills, Saskia Clark and Nick Dempsey, will join local sailors on the water for a massive race that begins at 1pm.

Event Manager Tim Anderton of the ASSF explains: “We hope to see at least 120 boats on the start line – some will launch from WPNSA, while others will join us on the water from their own clubs. Following the race, there will be barbecues and lots of children’s sailing activities back at the academy, and the chance to meet a whole host of sailing personalities.”

The day will end with a big, informal dinner at the WPNSA, where there will be live music, guest speakers, a question and answer session and a charity raffle. An open invitation has been extended to everyone interested in boating to attend; costs are just £18 for adults, and £14 for children. All the money raised will go to a local school sailing project – the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy, which has 1000 pupils, and aims to get every one of them sailing. Contact lindsay@andrewsimpsonsailing.org for tickets and more information.

Bart’s Bash, now in its third year, has so far seen more than 40,000 people taking part in 62 countries. This year it coincides with the end of the Rio 2016 Paralympics sailing event and will be raising funds and awareness for disabled sailing around the world.

ASSF Founding Trustee Sir Ben Ainslie said: “We as a Foundation are delighted to see Bart’s Bash continue to grow as an event, and we’re all looking forward to getting on the water to have some fun in Bart’s name.”

The funds raised from the main Bart’s Bash this year will go towards disabled sailing. Organisations providing opportunities for disabled people to get involved in sailing can apply for grants from the foundation. Full details will be on website and the ASSF Facebook page from the start of October.

Find out more information at event website.