RS Aeros at Bart's Bash - a class roundup

96 entries on the startline during Bart's Bash at Gurnard Sailing Club © GSC

The international sailing community embraced the ethos of this inspiring world record attempt and took to the water in their droves. Clubs around the world reported turnouts higher than they have ever seen before in memory of the legendary 'Bart'. So far nearly £300,000 has been raised for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation with RS Aeros playing their part at 12 venues from British coast, lakes and rivers to Swedish fjords! Not bad within the first 3 months of production.

A month has passed since this record-breaking worldwide race and the event computer is still, understandably, churning away on the 31,000 entries stating that the results are now 72% complete. However, it is high time to produce some interim RS Aero class results, although we may well have a final edit in due course with more Aeros to report on.

In total 17 RS Aeros (with 18 sailors!) are so far recorded as taking part. This included seven Aero9s, nine Aero7s and one Aero5 over a total of 12 venues. The largest RS Aero fleet was Gurnard with five Aeros on their 96 boat start line!

The official Bart's Bash results are based on their own 'Bart Number' handicap. By knowing the length of each individual course a corrected average speed is calculated to produce the overall result. Some clubs also applied a conventional PN handicap, in order to produce a prompt (additional) local result.

The sole Aero5 entrant was James Hardiman who posted an impressive 6th/47 at North Devon YC, Bideford with a 'Bart Speed' of 2.40 (Barts per hour perhaps?).

In the largest Aero7s class Richard Willows took the class honours at Roadford Lake, Devon finishing locally 8th/35 with a 2.54 speed. Alan Skitt was 2nd '7' rig at Blithfield, Staffordshire and Phil Wright 3rd with an impressive 13th/95 at Gurnard.

Peter Barton won the Aero9s, taking part at the Southampton Boat Show's Bart's Bash during the Battle of the Classes, where he took 3rd/34 locally with 3.39 speed, 2 places up on his earlier PN based result of 5th. John Fifield was 2nd with an 8th/56 at Emsworth Slipper whist Brian Smith took 3rd at Thorney Island, Chichester Harbour.

We can suspect there was little wind in the Swedish archipelago that day as the two Swedish competitors, Christer Bath and Rustan Carlstrom in their '9' rigs, suffered very slow Bart speeds at Skota Hem, Sweden.

Joining in the all inclusive sprit of the day where Olympian parents Teri and Mike McMillan from Gurnard who took full advantage of the Aero's lightness by sailing two-up in their '7'.

Other venues represented where Hollowell SC at Northampton, Upper Thames SC at Marlow, Avon SC on the Severn and Reading SC.

Watch this space for an update in due course as more results come in: www.rsaerosailing.org

Results for each rig

5: www.bartsbash.co.uk/boat-class/dinghy/rs-aero-5
7: www.bartsbash.co.uk/boat-class/dinghy/rs-aero-7
9: www.bartsbash.co.uk/boat-class/dinghy/rs-aero-9