Clean Regatta Program Initiative
Sailors for the Sea Green Sailing Certification for Yacht Clubs
Nov 1, 2008
The Clean Regatta Program is an initiative of Sailors for the Sea. This organization is focused on protecting ocean and coastal waters through educational efforts aimed at the sailing public. Clean Regattas is a program aimed to help yacht clubs and sailing regatta to make voluntary efforts to improve their interaction with the water environment. In its certification role, Sailors for the Sea acts as an independent observer of sponsor efforts to become more responsible stewards of environment.
Standards for Clean Regatta Certification
Sailors for the Sea represent an independent third party that can verify a sailing regatta is being environmentally responsible. The organization offers three levels of certification that offer event organizers to sequentially improve their environmental stewardship. Highlights of the certification standards include:
- Control of Solid Waste - Event sponsors must provide adequate trash receptacles for garbage generated in uplands and prohibit the discharge of trash or debris by race participants
- Discharge of Sewage - Regatta participants need to comply with local zero discharge zone regulations
- Encourage Recycling - Regatta organizers need to take steps to encourage recycling, both ashore and onboard the boats
- Use of Green Boat Cleaning Products - Regattas need to promote the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products for use on participating vessels. This can take the form of an approved product list or providing acceptable product samples to racers
- Hull Care Standards - Concerns include the use of soft ablative bottom paints, using antifouling paint that contain harmful toxins, and upland cleaning of boat hulls in appropriate locations
- Vessel Maintenance - Boats involved in the regatta must maintain their craft using current best management practices like the use of tarps and dustless sanders in hull preparation
- Limiting Global Warming - Standards require the regatta sponsor to lower the events impact on the global climate. This can be achieved through the purchase of carbon credits or reducing energy consumption
- Composition of Regatta Awards - Trophies and awards need to be constructed of recycled materials
- Conversion to Biofuels - Regatta organizers are asked to encourage the use and promotion of biofuels by using at least one vehicle that is designed to run on B20 fuel or vegetable oil. Sponsors can also receive credit by converting chase boat engines from two to four-stroke designs
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Commits to Clean Regatta Standards
A recent addition to the Clean Regatta initiative is the Caribbean St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Race organizers have implemented a number of changes to make their annual event more environmentally friendly. Some of these were to adopt the use of reusable hull numbers, marine habitat education for sailors, a beach cleaning campaign, and using a reduced paper registration process.
Yacht clubs and sailing regattas can benefit from adoption of clean regatta standards. Advantages to event sponsors are savings in found with using durable products, implementing stakeholder inspired standards rather than waiting for additional governmental regulation, and a more positive public perception of sailing.
