Bart’s Bash to support disabled sailing

Laura Hodgetts

"It is a travesty that the Paralympics is dropping sailing after Rio 2016, so we have placed Bart’s Bash on the last two days of the Paralympics Games," says triple Olympic medallist Iain Percy

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With the decision being made to remove sailing from the Paralympics, the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (ASSF) has pledged to use the funds raised through Bart’s Bash in 2016 to
help promote and develop disabled sailing globally.

Funds raised from the event will be distributed via national sailing federations or through the official ASSF grants process, with the aim to support grass-roots disabled sailing projects and make disabled sailing more accessible.

In 2016, Bart’s Bash will take place across two days, 17-18 September.

Since the inaugural Bart’s Bash in 2014, the event has seen more than 45,000 sailors participate across 62 countries, raising £420,499.08 for the ASSF charity.

Iain Percy, ASSF trustee, said: ‘Bart felt passionately that sailing should be accessible for all. It is a travesty that the Paralympics is dropping sailing after Rio 2016, so we have placed Bart’s Bash on the last two days of the Paralympics Games.

‘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.’

To date, the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation has pledged more than £600,000 on sailing projects across eight countries.

Some of the projects supported in 2016 include: a UK national project with Blind Sailing, a Chicago Park Districts Community Sailing Program, the UK National Schools Sailing Association, the Hungarian Yachting Association and Leicestershire and Rutland Youth Sailing Association.

You can register your club or venue to take part in Bart’s Bash at www.bartsbash.com