Bart's Bash 2024 at Hebe Haven Yacht Club
by Camellia Poon 16 Sep 2024 21:42 NZST
14 September 2024
Not one boat OCS! Bart's Bash 2024 at Hebe Haven Yacht Club © Hebe Haven Yacht Club
Hebe Haven Yacht Club (HHYC) was once again glad to have presented the 11th year of Bart's Bash this year to help fundraise to support Sailability Hong Kong Limited, the only organisation in Hong Kong providing and making sailing accessible to EVERYONE.
Although celebrated in Hong Kong on the first day of the Bart's Bash Weekend each year, this worldwide event runs for 2 days, providing the opportunity for 80-90 countries to participate. This year, for Bart's Bash taking place at Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Hong Kong, there were 132 sailors who had participated including sailors from Sailability Hong Kong, Children's Cancer Foundation, HHYC Members and Hebe Haven's Hebe Dragons. The sailors sailed in 83 boats from the following 6 classes, Sailability's 2.4mR and Hansa 303s together with HHYC's, Optimists, Fusions, RS Fevas, RS Quests.
All boats participating started together with a black flag, to intensify the fun and luckily no one got a DSQ. A sight to be seen. Then everyone sailed a triangular course with a beam reach start, in 4-6 knots of wind in the morning before returning to Hebe for a Bart's Bash Burger lunch. There was a plan in the afternoon for a downwind start for a passage race back to HHYC. However, once sailors got out to the sailing area after lunch the wind drastically dropped forcing HHYC to abandon the race. This in no way took any of the spirit of the race away as everyone got back to shore to put boats away and waited expectantly for the results.
Looking back over the past few months, those living in Hong Kong will know just how hot and wet August was. For Sailability Hong Kong it meant the cancellation of 5 days of sailing due to the heavy rain and then getting ready for Typhoon Yagi. After all this Sailability Hong Kong still conducted 37 courses over 23 days with a yield of 548 sailors on the water. Unbelievable numbers and a huge thank you to HHYC where Sailability Hong Kong operates from, sponsors, donors and private individuals who provide the funds for Sailability Hong Kong to conduct their programmes, instructors and coaches, safety boat drivers, volunteers and of course the involved sailors with their ever-increasing enthusiasm to learn more and to have fun.
'Seeing is believing'. If anyone would like to come and see Sailability Hong Kong in action, learn about what Sailability Hong Kong does whilst meeting with some of our sailors whose stories we tell, or to come and sail with them, this can be arranged.
Please send an email or a message to Kay Rawbone, Co-founder & CEO of Sailability Hong Kong for more details.
(Tel: +852 9808 0570 E: W: www.sailability.org.hk)
It's still not too late to donate if you are interested in supporting, please view the website of Sailability Hong Kong. www.sailability.org.hk