What a difference a year makes! Last year we had to cancel our Bart’s Bash races due to strong winds. This year, on Sunday 15^th September, 104 boats from the joint Blackwater Clubs raced under clear blue skies and the only thing lacking was…wind! Bart’s Bash is largest sailing race in the world and was started in memory of Olympic Gold medallist Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson MBE, who passionately believed that everyone should have the chance to try sailing and enjoy the many benefits that it brings. Money raised by our Clubs goes to the Andrew Simpson Foundation (ASF) whose mission is to “inspire the next generation” by using sailing to improve the lives of young people across the world.

The day before the race, our Cadets enjoyed a Bart’s Bash training day. As they did in 2018, they donated all the training entry fees to the ASF. Blackwater Sailing Club ran the short course from a committee boat east of Northey Island. The gentle F2-3 westerly breeze was battling with a developing sea breeze resulting in large shifts in the wind which varied from force 0-2. This caused challenges to PRO Margaret Norman who was faced with a 50 degree shift in the wind just before the start requiring relaying of the start line. The fleet of 36 boats got away first time with the solo of Nigel Butler starting at the committee boat end. This allowed him to break away from the fleet with the laser radials of Aimee Taylor and Andrew Field in hot pursuit. Conditions were challenging and competitors faced attack by large swarms of flies as they gently drifted around the triangular course under the beating sun and 27 degree temperatures. At times even the jellyfish were moving faster than the boats! Despite the conditions, the leading 5 boats managed 3 laps with only 27 seconds separating the top three finishers on corrected time. 

Short Course Results:

1^st        Nigel Butler     Solo - 5716

2^nd        Aimee Taylor   Laser Radial - 189660

3^rd        Andrew Field   Laser Radial - 44

The Long Course was run by Stone Sailing Club with PRO Wendy Robinson setting a committee boat start south of Osea Island. The fleet of 68 boats made reasonable progress to the west helped by the end of the flood tide. As they passed to the north of Osea, the tide changed which, although initially helpful, made progress painful slow once they passed to the east of the island and tried to stem the tide back to the finish. 48 of the starters finished with the remainder having to retire. The RIBs were kept busy towing members back to the Club. The Commodore, Steve Jarred, said after the race “that was the slowest circumnavigation of Osea I have ever done taking four hours from departing the club to returning.”

Long Course Results:

1^st        Dave Wood                 2000 - 21647

2^nd        Charlotte Videlo           420 - 54997

3^rd        Karl Terkelsen             RS400 - 570

The full results are on the BSC website:  Short Course   Long Course

Or the Bart’s Bash website where the results are slightly different due to the method of calculation used:  Short Course   Long Course 

Photos © Zoe Nelson