My contribution for Bart’s Bash has been to helm ‘Ark’ one of our safety boats that operates on Seaford Bay in front of the Newhaven & Seaford Sailing Club boathouse.

Sailing in Seaford Bay 21st September 2014

Today Newhaven & Seaford Sailing Club took part in the global event ‘Bart’s Bash’. My participation in all of this was to helm the clubs ‘tug’ that carries race marker buoys, officials and photographer. The boat is birthed in Newhaven so we meet at the clubhouse, drive over and exit the harbour into the bay. Not much traffic, the cross-channel ferry had already departed. Perfect club offshore sailing weather with a force 4 to 5 from the North to North East, so off the beach. No swell, no breaking waves, just chop on the water. Once the fleet was out a few took a tumble as the gusts got up. With two further RIBs on the water for safety we shepherded our flock of some 30 boats back to the beach until the course was set.

Was it three or five laps around the course? Stonking speeds from the lighter boats and cats. Terrific light with broken cloud and the backdrop west to the breakwater at Newhaven and east to the chalk cliffs of Seaford Head.