Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard FD July August September 2023

Extreme Sailing Series goes green with the help of Sailors for the Sea

by Extreme Sailing Series on 4 Jul 2017
Act 3, Extreme Sailing Series Madeira Islands - Day 2 - 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. Lloyd Images http://lloydimagesgallery.photoshelter.com/
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.


sMRT AIS Man Overboard Beacons AUS / NZMaritimo M75Switch One Design

Related Articles

18ft Skiff SIXT Spring Championship Race 2
Also the first race of the Club Championship on Sydney Harbour for the Alf Beashel Memorial Trophy After last Sunday's opening race of the season had to be abandoned when 30-knot Westerly winds swept across the course, racing finally got underway when the Australian 18 Footers League sailed for the Alf Beashel Memorial Trophy, on Sydney Harbour today.
Posted today at 7:55 am
Globe40 2025/26 Stage 2 Update
Belgium Ocean Racing - Curium and Credit Mutuel 1 mile apart in the forties The incredible duel between the Belgian and French contenders continues in the forties after 4,890 miles of racing! Late Friday, as they passed Gough Island, Benoit Hantzperg and Renaud Dehareng seemed to have gained a small cushion of miles (28.8)
Posted today at 6:19 am
Ensign news, reviews, top picks & upcoming events
Highlighting the upcoming Pittwater Sail Expo and photos of the highly anticipated J/36 In this edition we highlight the upcoming Pittwater Sail Expo at the RPAYC, recap some European highlights from our brands in 2025, and showcase some new photos of the highly anticipated J/Boats J/36.
Posted on 18 Oct
Rolex Middle Sea Race: Up and running
The fleet departed from Grand Harbour at 11am on Saturday This morning at 11.00, the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race got under way from Grand Harbour. The gathered fleet was gently propelled out of the magnificent amphitheatre, assisted by an easterly breeze that built as yachts closed on the exit to the open sea.
Posted on 18 Oct
iQFOiL Youth & Junior Europeans 2025 preview
306 of Europe's most talented young sailors gather in North Sardinia The stunning waters of North Sardinia are about to welcome the 2025 European Youth & Junior Championships, hosted by Club Nautico Arzachena.
Posted on 18 Oct
46th Rolex Middle Sea Race underway
Competitors tackle the challenging and scenic 606-nautical mile course The 46th edition of one of sailing's great offshore races commenced earlier today from the Maltese capital Valletta. A revered and historic event, the Rolex Middle Sea Race always welcomes an impressive and diverse international fleet.
Posted on 18 Oct
2025 Freestyle Pro Tour Naxos day 2
Foilstyle delivers and tow-in turns up the drama After a lively opening day and a calm morning at the lagoon, the second day of the Freestyle Pro Tour Naxos once again brought light winds to the Aegean.
Posted on 18 Oct
2025 Aloha Classic Grand Final day 4
Masters shine, juniors crowned, and finals await The 41st Aloha Classic has come to a thrilling close under perfect Ho'okipa conditions. Finals Day delivered powerful surf, strong trades, and a genuine crowd stretched all along the beach park cheering the champions of the Unified World Wave Tour.
Posted on 18 Oct
Preserve Performance with Expert Sail Care
Don't wait until small issues become big ones Your sails work hard every time you head out on the water. Regular service is the key to maintaining their shape, extending their life, and protecting your investment.
Posted on 18 Oct
IM24CA AGM submissions and nominations
World Council will meet on November 22 in Milan, Italy and online The International Melges 24 Class Association - IM24CA World Council will meet on November 22 in Milan, Italy and online to discuss class business, elections, and future championship bids.
Posted on 18 Oct