DISABLED sailors will benefit from this year’s Bart’s Bash in a move by organisers to reflect the controversial decision to drop the sport from the Paralympics.
The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, based at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy, has announced details of this year’s Bart’s Bash – the world’s largest sailing event – and says it will use funds to help promote and develop disabled sailing globally.
It will be held this year on September 17 and 18 – the last two days of the Paralympics in Rio.
It comes after it was announced there will be no sailing included in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020.
The foundation, which aims to improve the lives of young people through sailing, was set up in memory of Dorset Olympic sailor Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson who died while training for the America’s Cup in 2013.
Bart’s Bash, which is run by clubs and community groups around the world, aims to increase participation in sailing and raise funds. Since it started in 2014 it has seen more than 45,000 sailors participate across 62 countries.
This year organisers want to encourage more sailors and countries to participate and continue to be one of the highlights of the sailing club calendar, bringing people together.
Foundation trustee Iain Percy said: “The money raised from Bart’s Bash has already enabled the foundation to support grassroots sailing projects around the world, allowing children and young people to experience the sport who otherwise would not have been given the opportunity.
“This year we want to focus our efforts on disabled sailing. Bart was extremely passionate about the power that sailing has and that it should be accessible for all.”
He added: “It is a travesty that the Paralympics is dropping sailing after Rio 2016.
“It really is a call for the worldwide sailing community to get together and help raise funds for disabled and Paralympic sailing in the future.”
The funds raised will be distributed via national sailing federations or through the official sailing foundation grants process, with the aim to support grassroots disabled sailing projects and make disabled sailing more accessible.
Register your club or venue to take part in Bart’s Bash at bartsbash.com
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