The Guiness World Record attempt will now include YACHT racing
A total of 129 sailing clubs have already signed up for a Guinness World Record
attempt in memory of Olympic and America’s Cup sailor Andrew Simpson.
And interest continues to grow for ‘Bart’s Bash’, which aims to get thousands of sailors racing at hundreds of locations across the world simultaneously on 21 September 2014 at 11am (BST).
The original plan was
for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (ASSF) event to be ‘the largest dinghy sailing race in the world ever’
but after organisers were inundated by requests from yacht clubs wishing to
take part, the event has been expanded to encompass yachts and multihulls.
Event spokesman Jez Payne said: ‘ASSF Bart’s Bash is now set to be a world first event – embracing
the concept of sailors racing each other from clubs across the country, racing across
continents and racing across the categories of boats; from dinghies to yachts
to multihulls.
‘We will be investigating the Guinness Records for the largest yachting
events, the UK Round the Island hits 30,000 sailors, we will have to re-set the
target probably above 50,000, five times the original goal.’
Loch Tummel Sailing Club in the Scottish Highlands was the 100th
club to sign up to the event, just five days after it was launched on 17 December.
A spokesman for the club said ‘Loch Tummel SC
is very proud to be involved with the ASSF Bart’s Bash and we look forward to
getting as many boats out on our beautiful loch as possible.
‘We will have
participants ranging from the young sailors in their Oppies to their
grandparents in their Flying Fifteens and Yeomans taking part and are really
looking forward to doing our bit to break the record.’
Double Olympic medallist Andrew Simpson, who was nicknamed ‘Bart’, tragically died aged 36 in May 2013 while training
for the 34th Americas Cup.
All proceeds from Bart’s Bash will go to the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, a charity set up in his memory to encourage youngsters into sailing.
How to take part
Greater details about Bart’s Bash will be announced on 1 February.
For a full
list of participating clubs visit www.bartsbash.co.uk
To sign your club up, email tim@bartsbash.co.uk