11th Hour Racing partners with Yacht Racing Forum

The Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly, in Lorient: this is where the pre-event drinks reception and the gala evening reception will take place whilst the conference will be held in the city-centre, at the Palais des Congrès © Yvan Zedda

The Yacht Racing Forum announced today a three-year partnership with 11th Hour Racing, a global organization that establishes strategic partnerships within the sailing and maritime communities to integrate sustainability into their values and operations while educating, innovating and inspiring people with the critical message of ocean stewardship.

The two organizations will be collaborating on how to incorporate relevant sustainability content and messaging throughout the conference programming, with the overall goal to advance sustainable practices within the marine industry, sailing event management and team operations.

"We initiated talks on sustainability during the Yacht Racing Forum 2011 in Estoril," remembers Bernard Schopfer, the organiser of the Forum. "At the time, most people didn't know the meaning of sustainable development, and we had to convince sceptical delegates that this subject was intimately linked with 'yacht racing'. Today, everyone understands the importance of protecting our oceans. World Sailing has made it a strategic priority and organisations such as 11th Hour Racing are doing an extraordinary job of raising awareness and spreading the message among sailors, sports fans, and the general public."

"The Yacht Racing Forum offers an excellent platform for engagement and problem solving with the different stakeholders in this industry," commented Jeremy Pochman, 11th Hour Racing Co-Founder and Strategic Director. "From plastic pollution to climate change, to the environmental impacts of our sport, our oceans are threatened. We need to work with businesses, events, teams, venues and individuals to come up with sustainable, scalable solutions. We are thrilled to collaborate with the Yacht Racing Forum towards a long-term vision to create a positive impact and a lasting legacy."

The Yacht Racing Forum is the leading annual conference for the business of sailing and yacht racing. The event will take place on October 22-23, 2018 in Brittany, in the town of Lorient, at the heart of the mythical Sailing Valley, one of the world's most dynamic venues for the sport and the industry of sailing and yacht racing.

For more information and registration please visit yachtracingforum.com