With more than 12 million registered boats in the United States, many of these sailors and boaters see firsthand the issues that our oceans face such as plastic pollution, oil spills and marine habitat destruction. Sailors for the Sea is mobilizing engaged conservationists within the sailing and boating community addressing pressing ocean health issues.

Among the sailors who have witnessed drastic changes in ocean health over time is Dee Caffari, an exemplary role-model in the sailing community. She has sailed around the world six times and is the first woman to have sailed single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions. As a sailor who is passionate about ocean health, she recently led the ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ team that competed in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017/18. Turn the Tide on Plastic brought widespread awareness about the issue of plastic pollution and inspired many to limit single-use plastics in their everyday lives.

What is your sailing/boating background?

I started out my career as a secondary school PE teacher and came to the sport of sailing quite late compared to many. My big break was becoming the first female to circumnavigate the globe against the winds and currents (the wrong way) solo and non-stop. The success of that, led to me taking part in the Vendee Globe in 2008/9 – another solo non-stop voyage around the world, but this time the right way round and competing against some of the best sailors in the world. More recently I have taken part in two iterations of The Ocean Race (formerly The Volvo Ocean Race). In the last edition, I led ‘ Turn the Tide on Plastic’ – the first mixed gender youth team to take part in the race with a strong sustainability message that gained huge momentum.

What was your “aha moment” that turned you into a conservationist?

Over the last decade I have seen firsthand the increase in ocean pollution, particularly the presence of plastics. As well as the obvious plastic debris seen on beaches and in oceans across the world, the research we carried out on ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ revealed that there are micro plastics present in every ocean across the globe. This is extremely worrying, not only because it is negatively impacting marine wildlife, but with fish ingesting micro plastics it is now becoming part of our food chain and we don’t know the impact this will have on the health of the human race.

What has changed more dramatically during your lifetime, the sport of sailing or ocean health?

Ocean health is at a critical point and has deteriorated significantly in my lifetime. Immediate and drastic action needs to be taken to halt and reverse the impact the human race is having on the world. Climate change and pollution are the two biggest issues facing our generation and I believe we need a combination of legislative and behavioral change to make a difference.

How do you think a community of Green Boaters dedicated to protecting the ocean can be impactful?

I believe that the oceans need all the help they can get. Anything that we can do, no matter how small or large, to make a positive contribution is worthwhile. A great part of the process is education and having a network of dedicated ocean advocates across the globe spreading the word and leading by example is to be encouraged.

What commitments have you made towards restoring ocean health and what would you challenge other Green Boaters to do?

In my day to day life, I avoid single use plastic as much as possible. The less we consume, the less demand there will be for manufacturers to produce it. As consumers, we need to vote with our purses to enforce change. We often underestimate the power we have on corporations. If the demand is not there then they will be forced to change their ways. Projects I am involved with, both on and off the water, need to be sustainable and have an ocean health message. Sailors can look at alternative power supply onboard, be that solar, wind or hydro. We cannot continue to rely on fossil fuels and there is a growth of marinized electric engines and even coach boats for Olympic squads are looking at and using alternative energy sources.

Editor’s note: Sailors for the Sea Powered by Oceana, is the world’s only ocean conservation organization that engages, educates and activates the sailing and boating community toward restoring ocean health. Join their leading community of Green Boaters to save our oceans visit http://bit.ly/defending-our-seas-caffari. For more information, visit sailorsforthesea.org or follow them @SailorsfortheSea on Facebook and @SailorsfortheSea on Instagram.

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“Sustainability” is one of the most misunderstood social movements today. What ­exactly does it entail for sailors, besides the low-hanging fruit of the elimination of single-use plastic bottles? Much more, says Todd McGuire, of 11th Hour Racing. The organization’s high-profile efforts to date have been with the TP52 Super Series, Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing, and the Volvo Ocean Race—and with these programs they’ve identified sustainable practices applicable to sailors, yacht clubs and any other ­waterfront facility. McGuire shares the organization’s top five.

1. Shooters from the Solent

Land Rover BAR’s training base in Portsmouth, England, uses renewable energy, water-collection systems and a long list of environmental best practices, but the team’s efforts extend to the water too. It has implemented a program to re-establish the Solent’s native oyster population — right under the base’s docks. Yacht clubs and community sailing centers can follow BAR’s lead, says McGuire, by identifying local issues and creating their own initiatives. All Great Lakes clubs, for example, could combine resources to help tackle invasive zebra mussels and Asian carp, which threaten the region’s ecosystem.

2. Waste Not, Want Not

55 South, founded by Volvo Ocean Race ­co-skippers Mark Towill and Charlie Enright, uses its sailing teams and programs to encourage sustainable practices across all operations. With Vestas 11th Hour Racing, the team will implement a sustainability strategy, which bans single-use plastics (also including straws, ­disposable utensils and plates, coffee mugs, etc.), sourcing local food, sustainable seafood, ­responsible ­procurement, r­esponsible waste management, responsible use of resources (water, energy), as well as education and ­outreach initiatives.

3. Fill ‘er Up

In 2015, the 52 Super Series made a ­commitment to introduce new initiatives that would start to change the way staff, sailors, marinas and host yacht clubs would interact with the environment while on-site. The list of policies and initiatives penetrates every level of the organization, including the water supply, waste policies, food provision, fuel usage, cleaning materials, and transport. “These are easy practices that clubs and sailing centers can implement,” says McGuire, “but sailors must drive the effort.”

4.Class Association

The Green Blue — a program created by the Royal Yachting Association and ­British Marine — works with sailing clubs and marinas to conduct environmental assessments, as well as partnering and supporting one-design classes. The RS Aero class, for example, recently implemented its own sustainability charter in support of the Green Blue. At all Aero regattas, organizers and competitors take measures to prevent the spread of invasive nonnative species, use digital communications only, provide water filling stations, encourage energy conservation (turn off the bathroom lights), and identify products with less packaging to minimize waste.

5. Power by Committee

McGuire cites a few top-tier clubs — New York YC, the Royal Yacht Squadron, San Diego YC and YC Costa Smeralda — as examples of organizations that have either encouraged or formed sustainability committees that enable the club’s membership to take a proactive and custodial approach to their local environment. At the New York YC, for example, efforts led to the use of cardboard straws, compostable cups, and even a switch to LED lightbulbs throughout the club. “It’s a great way to empower younger members who are more passionate about sustainability,” says McGuire. “Organizations and individuals can look out for grants from various groups to support efforts for items such as trash skimmers, bringing in guest speakers, engaging youth sailors, and much more — embedding sustainability in their practices and getting the message out.”

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The Extreme Sailing Series 2017

Extreme Sailing Series Act 3, Madeira Islands has been awarded Clean Regatta Gold Level certification by Sailors for the Sea.

The Cascais based charity partnered with the ultimate Stadium Racing championship for the Portuguese Act, in a joint effort to highlight the campaign to save our oceans.

By implementing some important changes to the set-up of the event, as well as running an educational programme that included talks and challenges for the sailors and guests, the Series achieved the second highest level of certification.

“We are thrilled to receive this award from Sailors for the Sea,” said Extreme Sailing Series Event Director Andy Tourell. “As a global event, we have a responsibility to become more sustainable, and as a sailing regatta the issue of the health of our oceans is close to the heart of every member of our team. The threats to the health of our oceans are real and immediate, and their future is in our hands.

“It is a pleasure to work in collaboration with Sailors for the Sea to continually seek to improve our own practices, and to communicate and inspire change on a global scale. We can’t afford not to.

“We are fully committed to becoming more sustainable and look forward to continuing the practices we implemented here in Madeira as we carry on our global tour, ultimately striving to reach the platinum level of certification,” added Tourell.

This is not the first time that the regatta has teamed up with Sailors for the Sea. In Lisbon last season, volunteers joined the sailors and members of the event team to take part in a beach clean, with the event achieving Silver certification in the Clean Regattas programme.

“To work with Extreme Sailing Series and with OC Sport again meant a lot to Sailors for the Sea,” said Bernardo Corrêa de Barros, President of the charity. “First of all, it was an honour to work with the best. Second of all, it was a continuation of the job done in 2016 in Lisbon, where we made some really significant changes to the practices of the organisation, the teams and the staff.

“Our ambition is to be a worldwide reference for ocean sustainability issues,” explained Corrêa de Barros. “Every event that operates on the ocean should understand, like the Extreme Sailing Series has, that it creates an impact on the ocean and that it is possible to reduce that impact.

“If we don’t take action right now, by 2050 we will have as much plastic in the ocean as there are fish,” added Corrêa de Barros, who founded the charity in 2014.

For the Madeira event, there was a focus on education. As well as giving talks to the sailors and guests about ocean health, including tips on how each individual can make small changes that will make a big difference, the world-class racing teams were challenged to create a video on the subject of sustainability.

NZ Extreme Sailing Team was announced winner of the ‘Green Team’ trophy for its efforts in the video challenge, but also for its overall approach to sustainability and its environmentally friendly practices.

For Corrêa de Barros, the involvement and cooperation of large-scale events like the Extreme Sailing Series is vital in promoting the work of his charity and in changing attitudes on a global scale.

“Events like the Extreme Sailing Series have tremendous communication, hundreds of reporters, and thousands of people attending,” explained Corrêa de Barros. “Above all that, they have international personalities like the sailors who, with their voice, can reach the world.

“We also involve the population of the host venue, shaping the minds of everybody that visits the venue of the event,” he added. “Together we can spread the message of ocean sustainability.”

To achieve Gold in the Clean Regattas programme, the Extreme Sailing Series event team minimised the environmental impact of the event in a number of ways:

• Reduced the use of single-use plastic water bottles.
• Provided water refilling stations for re-fillable bottles.
• Met a ratio 1:1 of recycling and landfill bins.
• Promoted the Clean Regattas programme through public engagement.
• Reduced the use of paper.
• Offered sustainable food options for staff and guests.
• Was trash free; with volunteers and staff litter picking throughout the event in the public Race Village.
• Provided re-usable dinnerware, with a 100% elimination of single use dinnerware and straws.
• Encouraged and facilitated the use of alternative transport; cycling, walking, public transport and car-pooling.
• Used fuel-efficient RIBs.

For more information about how you can make a change and join the campaign to save our oceans, visit the official website of Sailors for the Sea.

Find out more about the upcoming Extreme Sailing Series Barcelona event on the official website.

The post Extreme Sailing Series Goes Green in Madeira appeared first on Sailing World.

BUT don’t get overwhelmed by the statistics. There is a way you can help fix this mess.

Marine debris impacts sailing more than any other sport. It destroys our playground, interrupts our racecourse, and kills marine life.

How can we stop 8 million tons of plastic from getting to the ocean?

It won’t be easy, but nothing in life worth doing is. One thing we know for certain – we need to stop plastic pollution at the source. Of the top 10 items found globally on beaches during the International Coastal Cleanup, 8 are plastic and are all single-use items likely only needed for a few seconds. This includes plastic beverage bottles, straws, bottle caps, grocery bags and food wrappers. If plastic is made to last forever, why do we use it to make items that are only needed for a few minutes. Along with switching to reusable items at your home and on your boat, we can join forces to work with our sailing clubs, local governments and even our favorite watering holes to get them to follow suit. The ocean needs leaders like you to stand up against plastic pollution.

Take action now – so we can get back to sailing!

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In celebration of Earth Day, Sailors for the Sea is sharing their top 5 easy-to-do Green Boating Tips.

1. Save $$: Reduce your fuel usage.

Going green can be a win-win. By reducing extra weight on your boat (spring is a great time to clean out those mystery lockers) and doing routine maintenance on your engine you can ensure fuel efficiency, which can save you big bucks!

2. Protect your bottom & go copper-free.

Everything below your boat’s waterline is part of the marine ecosystem; the chemicals you choose matter! If you’re picking out bottom paint for the season, check out our handy list of the best products for your wallet and harbor.

3. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Yep! It even applies on your boat, but notice the order – they make a big difference when it comes to helping keep plastic out of the ocean. So when you’re planning to go out on the boat, skip the disposable silverware, plates and cups, spring for a picnic basket to carry your reusable dishes and we guarantee you’ll save money over time.

4. Small spills add up.

85% of the petroleum that enters North American ocean waters each year is a result of regular human activities including land-based runoff, polluted rivers, airplanes, small boats and jet skis, while less than 8% comes from tanker or pipeline spills. Spring is the perfect time to do bilge maintenance to make sure your boat does not contribute.

5. Get Clean.

Spring is the best time to start fresh with your cleaning supplies and ensure they won’t harm your family when you use them, and it helps keep your waters swimmable! Choosing a cleaner can be overwhelming, but we have a few pointers on how to find the best product for your family and boat (and a list of our favorite ones)! View our tips for non-toxic products >>

Find out more about green boating at www.sailorsforthesea.org.

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