Making a positive impact was at the top of the agenda at the 29er European Championships in Copenhagen this week, as the first ever SailGP Mini Impact League took place.
The initiative – a collaboration between Denmark SailGP Team, Royal Danish Yacht Club and the 29er Class Association – is the first time that a project inspired by SailGP’s ground-breaking Impact League has been integrated into another regatta, and saw more than 300 c young athletes given the opportunity to put their competitive focus on the shore, as well as the water.
And Sweden took the victory in the impact-focused competition, with duo Elisa Lindskog and Felicia Fernström impressing the jury with their ideas and contribution. The pair submitted a broad and creative plan spanning environmental and societal topics, to answer the criteria created by SailGP’s Impact League team.
Reacting to the award, Lindskog says: “I believe that if I do small things that other people take after, we can change and people will understand what difference it makes and maybe take more steps.”
The pair won a unique prize including a behind-the-scenes foiling experience with the Denmark SailGP Team athletes, tickets to the ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix in Copenhagen on 19-20 August and some Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL merchandise.
Denmark SailGP Team athletes Katja Salskov-Iversen and CP Lübeck joined the competitors to discuss SailGP, pass on some tips around sailing the 29er and host the prizegiving ceremony at the regatta, which took place at Rungstedhavn in northern Copenhagen.
Both Salskov-Iversen and Lübeck have competed in the 29er class, before attending the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio in the 49er and 49erFX, respectively. More recently, Lübeck raced the foiling Nacra 17 in Tokyo last summer, finishing fourth.
“It’s really inspiring to see these young sailors getting involved in building a better future, and coming with some great ideas to leave a positive impact on shore and on the water,” explains Lübeck, who is also part of the KDY Sustainability Committee.
“Sometimes it feels like small things don’t make a difference, but when we all come together around a common goal, and get creative, we can have a huge collective impact.”
Salskov-Iversen, who, alongside Olympic gold medallist Anne-Marie Rindom is a Strategist on the Denmark SailGP Team, adds: “Through SailGP, we want to raise awareness around the importance of our ocean, that we can protect and restore it, and show that it is possible to do things in a more sustainable way. It’s not always easy – it’s a challenge – but we are taking it on with everything we have, just as we do on the water.”
The SailGP Impact League is a second ranking which runs alongside the on-water championship and sees the teams scored across a range of criteria including strategy, fuel efficiency, travel and accommodation, communications and collaboration.
Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL finished in second place in the first audit of Season 3 in Bermuda, behind Season 2 champions New Zealand SailGP Team.
“The Impact League is really important to us, and we’re fortunate to have two great partners in ROCKWOOL and the One Ocean Foundation, who are helping put us on track to a more sustainable future,” adds Nicolai Sehested, driver at Denmark SailGP Team.
“Together, we’re connecting world-class sports, global business and cutting-edge science to protect and restore our ocean, raise awareness and inspire others to take actions small and big to reduce their footprint and increase their positive impact.”
Tickets for the ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix in Copenhagen on 19-20 August are now on sale.
