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Local sailors joined thousands out on the water on Sunday in a global effort to break a world record and raise money in memory of a British Olympic sailing champion.
Members of St Catherine’s Sailing Club, St Helier Yacht Club and the Royal Channel Island Yacht club all set sail to help Bart’s Bash become the largest sailing race in the world.
Around 14,000 competitors in 65 countries raced in aid of the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation which helps get underprivileged youngsters out on the water.
Andrew “Bart” Simpson won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 and silver in London in 2012. He died tragically in May last year while training for the America’s Cup.
The charity was set up by Sir Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy together with Simpson’s widow Leah and his sister Amanda.
St Catherine’s Sailing Club was the most southerly in the British Isles competing in the race and had 51 dinghies taking part in perfect sailing conditions with sailors as young as nine out at sea in the Bay. Vendée Globe sailor Phil Sharp returned to race alongside the crew and came home first in the Hero category before moving on to St Aubin's Bay in the afternoon to race a F18 Wildcat for the Royal Channel Island Yacht Club. He was one of only 11 sailors in the world to compete in that class.
St Catherine’s Sailing Secretary and event maker Ian Moisan said: “It’s mushroomed into a worldwide event and is novel in many respects because everybody is entered into the race, anything that sails basically.”
“The race part is incidental, yes you will get a result and yes you will be racing against Olympians but it’s a fundraising thing too.”
The results of the big race should be out in the next few days.
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