Sustainability
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About
Our committment towards sustainable sailing and a cleaner planet
The 52 SUPER SERIES is recognised as the world’s leading grand-prix monohull racing circuit. As one of the leading pioneers promoting and embracing sustainability, the 52 SUPER SERIES has always set out strategies and targets to fulfil our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of regattas year on year. And the 52 SUPER SERIES is a great global platform to encourage positive change and make better, informed daily choices to help reverse negative impacts.
And so since the 2022 season, we’ve expanded our focus beyond sailing, partnering with Kick Out Plastic to use the power of sport to reach a broader audience. This collaboration extends our outreach, engaging diverse audiences and fostering awareness about the urgent need for change. This was most visibly demonstrated by the impactful visit of top Spanish footballer Ferran Torres to the Rolex TP 52 World Championship in Barcelona, 2023, in which our partnership was able to reach more than 400 thousand social media accounts.
Like this, Kick Out Plastic helps us uniting with different ambassadors from different sports sectors, following the widespread belief that “sport has the power to change the world.”
Progress
Our Operational Impact assessment continues to reflect positive progress.
At each venue, we’re committed to tangible action. Our initiatives range from beach clean-ups, in collaboration with local sailing communities and/or schools, to underwater clean-ups, safeguarding marine ecosystems and the seafloor. Through educational programs and speeches, we educate the next generation in embracing environmental sustainability, ensuring a legacy of responsibility and care.
Additionally, we look to create connections and collaborations with local, national and international NGO´s which can help us with our efforts in sustainability. By partnering with organizations that share the same commitments, we can enhance our impact and drive positive change both on and off the water at each venue.
Our sustainability partnership with Bluewater continues to improve our approach to hydration. With over 103,000 litres of purified water provided during the last 9 years that means we’ve eliminated the need for over 206,000 plastic bottles. Bluewater provides drinking water stations for the 52 SUPER SERIES teams, staff and guests and the use of the Bluewater water refill points are now universally utilized and appreciated
Highlighting its truly diversified approach to sustainability the 52 SUPER SERIES redistributes each day’s fresh, unused leftover food from all the participating teams and staff to local NGOs that can use these foods to those in need. In 2023, the circuit successfully adopted the unused food pick up at each venue it visited, aiming to have it integrated in the sustainability program at each event in the coming years. So we know that so far over 2,300 individuals have benefited from food donations, while countless sailors and communities have been inspired to make surplus food choices at home. By embracing reusable bottles and prioritizing sustainability, we’ve embedded a culture of environmental responsibility all the way through the 52 SUPER SERIES ecosystem and beyond.
As strict, consistent recycling policy means the 52 SUPER SERIES always leaves venues and towns in a cleaner state, better informed and more motivated for the future. A positive, lasting legacy is always what the 52 SUPER SERIES seeks to make.
With Mark Set Bot, the circuit integrates robot laid marker buoys, which with its course-setting technology makes race management simple, accurate and much more sustainable as it reduces the reliance on RIBs to lay marks.
As a Platinum Level Clean Regatta we are a beacon for change, for pragmatic, practical solutions which can be applied to sailing and sporting events big and small. Together with our partners and stakeholders, we’re creating and publicising a pathway to a less impactful future and reversing many of the small, individual choices and decisions which together have creating our climate crisis.
Results
of our Sustainability Journey
The litres of purified drinking water to sailors and passers-by, filtered by the Bluewater water station.
Number of Plastic Water Bottles substituted and so not utilised
Waste Diverted from Landfill
Kilograms of Trash Collected at Beach Clean Ups
Number of people fed from unused food pick up
Kilograms of Food Leftovers Collected
More
Our Mission
It is the collective mission of the 52 SUPER SERIES to:
- Implement and encourage environmentally responsible actions and initiatives from management to participants.
- Follow, adopt and promote local recycling guidelines.
- Strive to reduce waste of all types, adopt a sustainable procurement code, choose environmentally friendly products, upcycle and repurpose where possible.
- Progressively reduce its environmental footprint via practical and meaningful steps.
At any one regatta, the 52 SUPER SERIES brings together 400 people – a mixture of staff and sailors – to one location for a full week of high performance sailing.
Since way back in 2015 the 52 SUPER SERIES has been commited to introduce new initiatives to change the way that staff, sailors, marinas and yacht clubs would interact with the environment whilst on-site. This conscious shift in thinking has been steadily refined to the point that sustainability is a key part of the 52 SUPER SERIES.
We especially focus on the water supply, waste policies, food provision, fuel usage, materials and transport.
The full list of policies and initiatives employed by the sustainability team is a long one, and one that penetrates every level of the organisation. An obvious but valued success to date has been the complete removal of single-use plastic bottles from the event. The acquisition of a BlueWater water filtration system and the provision of reusable aluminium water bottles has, in one move negates the use of what otherwise could be up to 30,000 single-use water bottles from circulation each year.
In addition to this, the 52 SUPER SERIES has:
- Achieved ISO 20121 certification in sustainable event management
- Offset the total carbon footprint of all event operations (flights, electricity, water and fuel)
- Collected well over 950kg of discarded waste from beaches across the Mediterranean with the help of young people
- Appointed Sustainability Ambassadors from each of the participating teams
- Removed plastic packaging from staff lunched
- Placed a high maxim on media exposure and sustainability messaging, reaching 13.5 million people in 2022
- Promoted the use of eco-friendly boat cleaning products
- Operated shuttle bus services to reduce the amount of wasted fuel
- Provided oil spill kits for teams
- Organised cycling events to promote sustainable transport
- Integrated sustainable practices into everything they do and buy, from only printing on 100%-recyclable paper to reusing event signage and cable ties.
- Redistributed unused fresh food at end of each regatta day
- The Rolex TP52 World Championship Cascais 2022 achieved the highest Clean Regattas sustainability award ever to be presented in Portugal by Sailors For The Sea Portugal.
- And much, much more!
What you can do?
oin us in the battle against single use plastics and help us to protect the oceans.
Follow the instructions given in our sustainability survival guide below, to adapt to a more sustainable way of life.
We strongly feel, that it is time to take action and turn the tide on plastic. If you agree and would like to support this great initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme, please take the United Nations #CleanSeas pledge.
You can commit and take the #CleanSeas pledge as an individual, an organisation, a company or NGO.
The UN Environment #CleanSeas campaign aims to engage governments, the general public, civil society, and the private sector in the fight against marine plastic pollution. Over the next five years, this campaign aims to address the root-cause of marine litter by targeting the production and consumption of single-use plastic.
If you are looking for additional resources, which will be helping you with changing your daily routines, in order to protect the oceans, please visit:
- #CleanSeas Campaign, UN Environment campaign providing great resources and assets
- OceanChangemakers, an NGO providing a collection of tools and resources to empower individuals and communities to combat ocean plastic locally and globally
- Ocean Conservancy, an NGO which focusses on protecting the oceans
- The GreenBlue, joint environment programme created by the Royal Yachting Association and British Marine
- Good Fish Guide, a source providing information about sustainable seafood
- Plastic Pollution Resources, guides, videos, infographics and reports featured on this page are intended to inform and enable organizations and individuals alike in their efforts to advance actions that prevent plastic pollution and encourage solutions for a healthy ocean
- Marine Debris Program, the NOAA Marine Debris Program is the U.S. Federal government’s lead for addressing marine debris
Always keep in mind, that there is no PLANet B.
Downloads
Infographics
Documents
Latest Sustainability News
Partners
Official Sustainability Partner
Sustainability Partners
The 52 SUPER SERIES is a member of
