We are honoured to accept the 2023 World Sailing Presidents Development Award. To be recognised for the work and achievements is particularly poignant as it is 10 years since we lost Andrew “Bart” Simpson and therefore 10 years of celebrating Bart’s Legacy.

Andrew was committed to helping others by providing inspiration and encouragement wherever he could and working with young people to help them develop and excel. Our Foundation seeks to honour Andrew’s legacy and our mission is simple: to transform lives through sailing.

“As we continue to develop, grow as an organisation, and create impact through partnerships, we will continue to embody Andrew’s values and passion. Andrew was a sailor who never stood still. He was always pushing himself, always willing to learn, and always championing others. For me, this award recognises and encompasses all that we have achieved in the past 10 years and all that we hope to achieve in the future.”

Richard Percy, CEO

Everything we do is driven by our belief that all young people can excel and succeed in life and work, and we see how the challenges of sailing achieve this through promoting health and wellbeing – whilst building essential life skills. These skills then enable young people to progress through education and into work.

Over the last 10 years, Andrew Simpson Foundation has raised and invested over £15,000,000 into the sport of sailing, supporting access to sailing for all. We have built a connected, accessible, and inclusive community of sailors globally – increasing access to opportunities through our charitable sailing programs, sailing centres and partners.

Starting out with the multi-venue sailing event setting the Guinness World Record for the largest sailing race connecting sailors globally, to date Bart’s Bash has seen 1,092 clubs across 62 countries participate and compete together, raising valuable funds to support grassroots sailing initiatives globally.

The Foundation has gone on to establish a network of 5 Andrew Simpson Centres and a Performance Academy. To date, the Centres & Academy have supported over 160,000 individuals to get on the water, discover the sport of sailing and excel.

From beginners to Olympic hopefuls, the Centres & Academy provide an inclusive pathway for sailors to achieve their goals.

The Andrew Simpson Foundation will continue to offer 10,000s of young people every year the opportunity to attend funded community sailing programs, encompassing every sailing discipline to inspire, engage, educate, train, and transform the lives of young people, nationally and across the globe, supporting grassroots participation for all and inspiring the next generation of sailors.

Thank you for this award and continued support for our work.