The Bashboard has been tallied for Bart's Bash 2015

IMG_6423.jpg: Benji Daniel and Chad Stevenson racing on their 29er during the Bart’s Bash – The Second Sail held in Durban hosted by Point Yacht Club, this image appeared on the front page of the Yachts and Yachting Souvenir Programme in the United Kingdom.

IMG_6493.jpg: Jethro Brophy-Tintinger sailing on the Hobie 14 and Luke Wagner helming Southern Storm, both sailors appeared on the Bashboard of this year’s Bart’s Bash – The Second Sail that took place in the bay hosted by Point Yacht Club.

Pic by Sophie Thompson

Point Yacht Club

Bart’s Bash Results

Harbour: Sunday 20 September

The Bashboard has been tallied and Durban sailing and Point Yacht Club feature six times on the leader board on the biggest global sailing event, Bart’s Bash – The Second Sail that took place on Sunday 20 September.

South Africa had the second largest turn out on the water on the day out of 62 countries that took part, the United Kingdom walked away with first place. 365 South African sailors ventured out onto the water on the day, and doing the country proud, the South African team of Alex Schon and Marc Hiles were crowned overall winners of Bart’s Bash – the second ever edition of this event.

Competing on their Nacra F20 under the Lake Deneys Burgee, Schon commented, “This year we had winds of 35knots and with a short, sharp chop this made for a wild ride, with our Nacra 20 at times launching itself right out of the water. We had a fantastic ride and took a somewhat conservative approach. With only Marc out on the wire, we managed to keep our beast upright. I think that the tough conditions prevented more people from attending, but I really believe that this event needs to grow and that the great work that is being done needs to spread throughout the world, in particular throughout Africa.”

Most venues around the country reporting strong winds on the day preventing the youth to come out in force on the day. Despite the strong conditions, Point Yacht Club’s Jethro Brophy-Tintinger from Umbilo who took top honours on the day, came sixth overall in the category of winds over 18knots, with Gavin Wadsworth from Durban North placed tenth. Brophy-Tintinger placed 39^th overall.

Luke Wagner from Hilton got a top ten finish with his eighth place in the category of Adult Skipper and Tim Wickham helming Ithebe finished seventh in the category Buddy Sailor. Point Yacht Club scored an impressive ninth worldwide, the top finishing South African yacht club, in the category of Biggest Fleets with 123 competitors.

A total of 14,357 sailors participated this year globally, with 472 venues hosting the event. On the day 7,578 boats were on the water in the 62 countries.

Commodore for the Point Yacht Club and Clipper Round the World skipper, Craig Millar stated, “The figures, although down from last year’s phenomenal feat and Guinness World Record, are still absolutely mind-boggling! A total amount of 38,266,938 meters were sailed, which is almost the equivalent of sailing around the world once. Sailing around the world took me a year, but it was achieved in a day by over 14 thousand sailors! Out of the 7,000 boats, there were a total of 624 classes competing. But, what for me is the most fascinating stat is that a total time of 486 days was sailed on the day; that is a long time to be on the water.”

The dates for the third Bart’s Bash were launched this week with sailors around the world diarising Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September 2016.

For more info visit www.bartsbash.co.uk or www.pyc.co.za

Results

Keel and Dinghy

1 Catalyst (Jethro Brophy Tintinger - Hobie 14), 2 Therapy (Gavin Wadsworth), 3 Zing (Gavin Smith), 4 Southern Storm (Luke Wagner), 5 So Basic (Stuart Ritchie), 6 Skitzo (Nigel Milln), 7 Caversham Caprice (Jimmy Melville), 8 Bandit (Sean Jones), 9 Neptune’s Nymph (Phil Downing), 10 Bellissima (Vernon Goss), 11 Container World (Brenden Humphreys), 12 Alkistis (Greg Donkin), 13 PYC Challenger (Florence Marshall), 14 Crazy Diamond (Wayne Smith), 15 Shiloh (Tracy Bowman), 16 Deo Volente (Neville Bransbury), 17 Ithebe (Tim Wickham), 18 Mafuta (Robin Hulley), 19 Big Blue (Rory Simpson), 20 Vent de Cap (Andrew Pavid), 21 Hobbit (Sean Koegh) 22 Sea Witch (Vikus), 23 Magenta (Ricky Piper), 24 PGMT Clipper (Bernard Bussy)

Offshore: Sunday 20 September

Kitesurfers

1 James Lea, 2 Byron Watt, 3 Rossco Walters, 4 Alec Lanham-Love, 5 Bruce Gayham, 6 Craig Allsopp,

7 Leighton Moody, 8 Tim Green, 9 Neil Bell, 10 Ian Ferguson, 11 Cameron Carey, 12 Cameron Townsend, 13 Alex Jordaan, =14 Saleem Jonke, =14 Rob Chrystal, 16 Daryl Massey

Jonsson Cup Pursuit Race

Point Yacht Club

Jonsson Cup Pursuit Race

Historically, the Jonsson Cup Pursuit Race is a huge highlight on the dinghy sailing calendar; the event opens up a busy summer sailing season for the Point Yacht Club’s on Saturday 25 October.

After the global success of the Bart’s Bash World Record Attempt that started the season for the keelers, the smaller boats get their opportunity on the water. The iconic dinghy race, the Jonsson Cup is the oldest dinghy race in Durban. Sailors will take to the bay to challenge each other for the magnificent trophy.

A pursuit race is extremely exciting: the race starts off with a technical start. The start time for all the boats were staggered according to their boat handicap or boat rating, this is scientifically worked out according to the boat weight, sail area, boat design and many other factors.

The slower boats go off first with the faster boats chasing them down. “We are hoping to get a number of entries on the water for this event,” an eager event Co-ordinator, Lucy De Freitas stated. “The finish is the best part. If things go according to plan, most of the fleet dash for the line, making it quite tight as we all converges on the finish.”

Defending champion, young Sean Hurter will be back to defend his title He won the race last year on a Dabchick, a proudly South African designed one-man dinghy. The up-and-coming sailor has just returned from competing in the ISAF Youth World Championships in Tavira, Portugal. He was racing, together with his older brother Euan in the 29er class.

Continuing, De Freitas added, “The idea is to bring young and old together and for the speed merchants like Hobies and 49ers to chase the slower Mirrors and Dabchicks. Over the years the middle speed boats like Flying Fifteens and Lasers have often won. It is a fun event with Boat Park abuzz with music and vibe with the spring upon us.”

The pursuit race has a clock on it, once racing gets underway, the sailors have two hours to complete racing until the race officer stops the chase. If no boat has crossed the line, then whichever boat is in the lead is awarded first place.

“It is a testing race, two hours on the water on a dinghy is hard work. You can’t rely on crew members to make it easier as there are only one or two people on a boat. Sailing dinghies is highly physical and I am sure that all of the guys will have a great work out.”

Point Yacht Club is hoping not only for glorious warm weather for the event, but for all dinghy and cat sailors to join them on the water inviting hobies and darts form the beach site and the Halcats from the Royal Natal Yacht Club camp to join them on the day.

The Jonsson Cup Pursuit Race gets under way early afternoon on Saturday 25 October as Point Yacht Club summer sailing season gets underway.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or like their Facebook page Point Yacht Club.

ENDS

Royal Natal Yacht Club participates in Bart's Bash

Royal Natal Yacht Club

Durban: Sunday 21 September

Going for gold or in this case, a Guinness World Record, Durban sailing fraternity will be hitting the water in the global sailing challenge, the inaugural Bart’s Bash on Sunday 21 September.

Bart’s Bash will try and enter the record books as the largest sailing race in 24 hours at multiple venues worldwide.

Pic from Bart's Bash website

 Over 4,000 sailors from around the world and 650 clubs will be participating in the fun event, including the Royal Natal Yacht Club. The charity event falls on the yacht clubs Opening Cruise that opens up the summer sailing season in Durban.

Pic from People.com

Andrew Simpson, MBE, nicknamed ‘Bart’ was an English sailor who won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics crewing for Iain Percy in the Star Class and trained with Sir Ben Ainslie. Bart died in a training session for the 34^th America’s Cup in San Francisco when the catamaran tragically capsized in May 2013, trapping him underneath.

Pic from uk.boats.com

Commodore for the Royal Natal Yacht Club, Graham Rose stated, “We are delighted to be a part of this record breaking attempt. The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation was set up after his death to inspire the next generation of young people through sailing in and around the world. Here in Durban we are also trying to grow our great sport and continue to encourage people to discover the world of sailing!”

The sailing race is set locally by each participating club but needs to meet the Guinness World Record rules. The course has to be over 1km and competitors need to sail for longer than 15minutes. The race requires a single start and finish point and there must be at least 25 boats taking part at each location.

The start of the local summer sailing season marks the start of the club’s 157^th sailing season and also 157 years of enjoying racing on the bay.

Rose continued, “We will be racing in the harbour after all our formalities for opening up our sailing season. The day will begin with the annual sail past where the flotilla of yachts all follow in a single line past the dignitaries sitting on a dressed-up yacht to don their cap before heading off to race in the Bart’s Bash.”

The Royal Natal Yacht Club is dusting off the cobwebs after the winter season with the first event of the summer sailing season as they compete in the world’s largest sailing event, the Bart’s Bash on Sunday 21 September.

For more info follow the hashtag words for the day will be #bartsbash, #Durban, #sailing, #RoyalNatalYachtClub or contact Gayle at the Royal Natal Yacht Club on 031 301 5425.