For World Oceans Day – well, really every day – SailGP stands united with millions around the globe in celebrating our oceans' invaluable role in sustaining life and its unparalleled beauty. As an organization whose very essence and competitive spirit are tied to the health of the world's waters, SailGP has a profound commitment to safeguarding our seas.
The ocean is our racetrack – the arena where our athletes push the limits of human and technological potential. The conditions and health of the water directly influence our events and our athletes – highlighting the symbiotic relationship between SailGP and the marine environment.
But beyond being the most epic arena, the ocean is a critical component to life. It produces more than half of the world's oxygen, absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide, and is home to a diverse range of life that directly impacts human communities globally. The health of our oceans is directly linked to the health of our planet and our futures.
Climate change is an ever-present threat to coastal communities around the world. Adverse weather conditions, flooding, threats to marine wildlife, food security and ocean acidification all have a significant impact. SailGP hosts Local Impact Projects at select venues in Season 4 and has committed to focus on projects aligned to ocean health including ocean conservation and protection of coastal marine ecosystems through coastal improvement projects, and supporting blue carbon projects aligned to further improve our climate positive status. This also aligns with the recently signed High Seas Treaty to place 30% of the world’s seas into protected areas by 2030 in order to safeguard and recuperate marine nature (signed March 2023).
We’ve included a roundup of the Local Impact Projects that have taken place this season in various different cities and parts of the world – collaborating with local partners to work together to raise awareness and promote the need for taking action for the betterment of the ocean and future generations.
Los Angeles, United States | July 2023 | The Bay Foundation
The Bay Foundation has a mission to restore and enhance Santa Monica Bay through actions and partnerships that improve water quality, conserve and rehabilitate natural resources, and protect the Bay’s benefits and values. Over the last ten years, The Bay Foundation has worked to restore over 24 hectares of kelp forests. The Foundation works closely with local fishermen to systematically reduce sea urchin densities to initiate the regrowth of kelp forests. SailGP athletes joined The Bay Foundation to visit the kelp site, harvested the kelp then went to the Foundation’s laboratory to feed the endangered white abalone being conditioned for their outplant at the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The Palos Verdes Kelp Restoration Project operated within 1 kilometer of the Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix course. In collaboration with SailGP, The Bay Foundation was able to restore and monitor 1,080m2 of kelp forests at Point Fermin.
Why is this meaningful?
Kelp forests support biodiversity, in the case of giant kelp forests in southern California, this involves more than 700 species. Kelp is distributed along coastlines and deep into offshore waters, providing a source of food and shelter that extend for many kilometers beyond the boundary of a kelp forest.
Taranto, Italy | September 2023 | One Ocean Foundation
ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team, reigning Impact League champions, paired up with their purpose partner One Ocean Foundation to host a beach clean whereby athletes, local schoolchildren, Inspired participants and general members of the community took part. One of SailGP Impact League judges, Sharona Shnayder, National Geographic Young Explorer and activist, joined for the activation. Impact League judge Sharona Shnayder will also be in attendance.
Additionally, the lagoon in Taranto is known as a ‘living eco-museum’ as it’s so rich in biodiversity, but seahorses in the region are threatened as they are poached for black market trade via trawling nets, cage traps and even homemade bombs In collaboration with the University of Bari and One Ocean Foundation, the idea of creating a ‘hippocampus’ came to life. After months of work, the ROCKWOOL Denmark team were able to present the first example of the structure to be installed in the ocean. The structure features sticks which will allow the seahorses to wrap around, take shelter and build a habitat.
Why is this meaningful?
Beach waste poses a significant threat to marine life, ecosystems, and the overall aesthetic appeal of our beaches. According to a study conducted by the Ocean Conservancy, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year, with a significant portion washing up on beaches worldwide.
Cadiz, Spain | October 2023 | University of Cadiz
At the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cadiz, SailGP worked with the University of Cadiz (UCA) again to restore and improve the coastal salt marshes – also known as salines – to recover habitats and increase biodiversity in the Bay of Cadiz Natural Park. Restoration of two tidal salt pans (Estero de Belén de levante - 4.9 hectares and Zona de la concepción - 4.2 hectares) of the natural park which have been abandoned due to the decline in salt production, aiming to regenerate the land and restore the traditional salt marshes which play such an important role in the preservation of biodiversity and as carbon sinks. This activation involved Foiling Base clinic students, volunteers from UCA, and Spain SailGP Team athletes, Diego Botin and Florian Trittel.
Additionally, in partnership with University of Cadiz and University of Bristol, we had a research team on site doing acoustic pollution monitoring, looking at the underwater acoustic footprint of the event and monitoring the biodiversity of the surrounding environment. Hydrophones were deployed around the race course area and acoustic studies of our operations – including craning operations, electric Vs petrol engines and more.
Why is this meaningful?
One square meter of mud from the coastal salt marshes can host ten times more biomass than the densest tropical jungle in the world – meaning the importance and impact of this project was immense.
Most marine animals depend on sound for their vital functions such as mating, finding prey, avoiding predators and hazards, sensing their environment, orientation, and communication. But it is getting louder and louder in the ocean, making it more and more difficult for many marine species to survive.
Abu Dhabi, UAE | January 2024 | Goumbook
Goumbook’s mission is to guide, inspire and empower communities and enterprises to define and achieve their sustainability goals through education, awareness raising, capacity building and advisory. At the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, SailGP athletes and Inspire candidates joined Goumbook to plant mangrove trees in the local UAE region – providing participants with an education session around the benefits of mangroves on the environment.
Why is this meaningful?
Mangroves are the only trees that thrive in salty waters and improve water quality by filtering out nutrients and sediments. Mangroves are a crucial component to more than 1,500 plant and animal species as they rely on mangroves. They are crucial to combating climate change through carbon sequestration as they are some of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet, storing on average 1,000 tons of carbon per hectare in their biomass and underlying soils.
Sydney, Australia | February 2024 | Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS)
In its second year of collaborating, SailGP has partnered with SIMS in helping bolster the number of endangered White’s Seahorses in Sydney Harbour. Previously, SailGP has supported SIMS research project which improves the captive breeding of the seahorses and release them into natural habitats once they have reached a suitable size. This year, SailGP supported the construction of the artificial habitats that were placed into the Harbour by team athletes, Inspire students and SIMS colleagues during the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix. Through the project, SIMS aims to release at least 300 seahorses which will enhance local populations in the release area of Sydney Harbour by at least 200-300% – the release is scheduled to take place next week.
Why is this meaningful?
The primary reason for White’s Seahorses population decline is loss of habitat. The primary habitats of White’s seahorses are coastal embayments stretching the east coast of Australia from Hervey Bay in Queensland to Jervis Bay south of Sydney. They have had major populations in Sydney Harbour suffer catastrophic population declines in the past two decades. They favor protected embayments with depths of 2-10m with preferred natural habitats on seagrass, kelp, sponges and soft corals.
Bermuda | May 2024 | ClimateWise
SailGP partnered with ClimateWise for the third year, supporting their seagrass restoration project – deploying 300 cages across 14 sites that protect seagrass from overgrazing. Switzerland SailGP Team athletes, SailGP colleagues, and Apex Group employees were involved in this particular project. Since its inception, the aim of the Bermuda Seagrass Project has been to cage or fence areas of seagrass allowing it to regrow. This has been a partnership between the Bermuda Government, ClimateWise, Bermuda Zoological Society, the local community and corporate supporters. There are currently 578 seagrass cages across 23 locations. The work now involves monitoring the regeneration of seagrass and the relationship between seagrass, turtles and the rest of the local ecosystem and how this differs by location.
Why is this meaningful?
Seagrass absorbs carbon from the ocean 30x faster than tropical rainforests absorb carbon from the air. It creates healthy habitats for marine animals to thrive, cleans and filters the water in the bays we swim in, and helps underpin the local blue economy.
Halifax | June 2024 | Eelgrass restoration
ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team partnered with Dalhousie University, CERI, and ROCKWOOL Group on a community eelgrass restoration initiative. As part of the project Race to Restore, SailGP teams will earn 1sqm of restored eelgrass for each race point they earn for the rest of Season 4. The eelgrass will be planted outside of Halifax – a powerful blue carbon initiative, supporting marine biodiversity in the region. The initiative will see over 300sqm of eelgrass planted in the ocean around Nova Scotia – capturing and storing approximately 80kg of CO2 every year, whilst purifying water and providing habitat for countless marine species.
Why is this meaningful?
Eelgrass provides a number of important ecosystem functions, including foraging areas and shelter to young fish as well as produces food and oxygen, improves water quality by filtering polluted runoff, absorbs excess nutrients, stores greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide, and protects the shoreline from erosion.