Extreme Sailing Series™ promotes sustainability with beach clean in Lisbon

Dozens of Extreme Sailing Series™ sailors and staff joined forces with volunteers from ocean conservation group Sailors for the Sea for a beach clean at Lisbon's Praia De Algés, right next to the Race Village.

Sunday 9th October 2016

Dozens of Extreme Sailing Series™ sailors and staff joined forces with volunteers from ocean conservation group Sailors for the Sea for a beach clean at Lisbon’s Praia De Algés, right next to the Race Village.

The beach clean is part of the Extreme Sailing Series’ collaboration with Sailors for the Sea as it bids for ‘Clean Regatta’ status, a certification system that enables sailors to protect their local waters with 25 best practices that make sustainability approachable and easy.

Founded in 2004 by lifelong sailors and friends David Rockefeller Jr. and David Treadway, Sailors for the Sea has made it its mission to engage, educate and inspire the sailing community towards healing the oceans.

It is estimated that around eight million tonnes of rubbish end up in the world’s oceans each year. Armed with gloves and sacks, the Extreme Sailing Series representatives spent more than an hour scouring the beach for washed-up waste.

Oman Air skipper Morgan Larson brought his children Lola and Tosh along to lend a hand and teach them about looking after the world’s oceans.

“It’s something that should be close to all of our hearts,” Larson said. “As sailors we spend our lives in and around the water and we should do all do a better job to keep it clean. It’s an important message for our kids too so they grow up appreciating the ocean.

“We all have a passion for the ocean and the beach, so it’s great that organisations like Sailors for the Sea put these things together.”

The Extreme Sailing Series has been undertaking several efforts in their Clean Regattas campaign in Lisbon including paperless event management, increased recycling, the use of alternative methods of transport and refillable water bottles.

Bernardo Corrêa de Barros, president of Sailors for the Sea Portugal, added: “There was a great turn-out for our beach clean-up. The Extreme Sailing Series is a huge event with involvement from teams, staff and the public. It is a great way for us to spread our message of sustainability. These sailors spent their lives on the sea and looking after the oceans means a lot to them. They are the stars here and they can be real agents of change.”