Barts Bash

Barts Bash Logo Winner

The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation has announced the winner of the competition to design a logo.  The logo will be used to promote Barts Bash, a race which is hoped will be ‘the largest sailing race in the world’.

The competition was open to anyone and over 65 entries were received.  These entries were whittled down via a facebook vote and then Trustees of the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation chose the winning entry.  The winner was Polly Durrant from Dorchester, a professional graphic designer.   Judges chose her design because it was “simple, instantly recognisable, had international reach and included elements from the Star and Finn class logos”.  Polly said “I am genuinely delighted and honoured to have had my design chosen as the official logo for Barts Bash.

Bart’s Bash is a mass participation club race.  That is to say sailing club from around the UK and indeed the world will take part on Sunday 21st September at 11 am BST.  It is hoped that a Guinness World Record will be set.

The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (ASSF) was set up after the untimely death of Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson in 2013.  Andrew was a keen sailor from a very young age and started sailing full time after university in laser dinghies.  When he moved across to the heavyweight Finn class his career really took off.  He dominated the star class keelboat from 2007 through to 2012, winning World and European championships as well as Olympic Gold and Silver medals.  Andrew was appointed the MBE in 2009 for his services to sailing after the Beijing Olympics.

The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation was founded by Sir Ben Ainslie, Ian Percy OBE and Leah Simpson (Andrew’s wife).  The objectives of the foundation are:

(a) To advance the education in the sport of sailing of young people by the provision of support assistance and encouragement (so as to enable them to fulfil their potential);

(b) To advance the education, development and improvement of young people (mainly) through the provision of sailing programmes so as to develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as independent, mature and responsible citizens;

(c) The advancement of education in the field of sports leadership and training in the context of the sport of sailing.

(d) To promote such other purposes being exclusively charitable as the directors may from time to time determine.

ASSF will work to honour Andrew’s life and legacy by encouraging youngsters into sailing and to enjoy the water as much as he did.