World Sailing Trust launched to promote ocean health and sport development

World Sailing Trust © World Sailing

World Sailing is pleased to announce the launch of the World Sailing Trust, a new global charity that will promote the health of oceans and grow participation of the sport to protect its future.

The announcement was made today [29 June] at the Volvo Ocean Race Ocean Summit in the Hague, The Netherlands.

The World Sailing Trust will fundraise and partner with organisations around three areas:

• Marine Health – protecting the waters of the world
  
• Youth Development – encouraging youth participation and growth
  
• Access – improving the accessibility of our sport

Dee Caffari, a leading offshore sailor and ocean advocate, will become the Chair of the Trust. The trustees appointed so far, bringing expertise across the Trust's three focus areas, include:

• Two-time Olympic gold medallist and marine environment conservationist, Theresa Zabell
  
• Duncan Truswell, Strategic Lead, Talent and Performance at Sport England and former Director of Sport Development at the Royal Yachting Association
  
• Sustainability expert, Dr Susie Tomson, who has established Earth to Ocean Ltd delivering sustainability advice to major events, high performance teams and the construction sector
  
• World Sailing Chief Executive Officer, Andy Hunt.

Following her success onboard Turn the Tide on Plastic during the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, Caffari commented, "In the past, other sailing charities have been very local and regionalised. The World Sailing Trust has a global reach so we can cover all aspects, all areas and all regions.

"For the first time, World Sailing can use its reach and connections to make things happen across youth, sustainability and participation sectors and have a bigger impact.

"If you look at the team I just led on Turn the Tide on Plastic in the Volvo Ocean Race, it was about diversity, inclusion, youth and sustainability encompassing all the things I've been involved in my career to date.

"The World Sailing Trust is now an amplification of that and I feel well placed to deliver that on a global scale, talk and communicate effectively and try to make a difference in the world of sailing."

Andy Hunt, CEO of World Sailing added, "World Sailing represents 70 million sailors in 145 countries. This community cares passionately about the sport and the marine environment - our field of play.

"As the world governing body of the sport we have a duty to enhance and protect the sport's future. Harnessing the energy of the sailing community and our global network, we can generate wide-spread change across the sport quickly and effectively.

"The World Sailing Trust's three funds, will enable us to tackle sailing and environmental issues and work with individuals and organisations that share our collective passion for the sport."

The World Sailing Trust's starting focus will be on the Marine Health fund and on three specific goals:

• To improve the health of our planet's waters
  
• To promote the creation and use of more sustainable products and activities
  
• To seek, promote and mobilise low carbon technologies and behaviours

The Access and Youth Pathway funds will launch in 2019.

Click here for more on the World Sailing Trust