Green Sports Alliance honors Sailors for the Sea

Sailors for the Sea, the ocean conservation organization that actively engages the sailing and boating community, has been named an Environmental Innovator of the Year by the Green Sports Alliance.

The Green Sports Alliance awards, now in their sixth year, recognize and celebrate the best in sports and sustainability. Both individuals and organizations are eligible for this highly competitive award and this year’s winners represent a wide variety of sports at the collegiate and professional level, as well as suppliers and vendors.

“Our oceans are linked to everything from climate influence to health and wellness,” said Justin Zeulner, Executive Director, Green Sports Alliance. “Ocean health is critical for our planet and sailors are one of the most affected groups working to protect and conserve. Sailors for the Sea’s Clean Regattas certification program educates sailors and spectators to make a positive environmental impact on the world’s oceans.”

Sailors for the Sea’s Clean Regattas program, the world’s only sustainability certification for water-based events, is now in its 11th year and is comprised of 25 best practices to help event managers easily implement sustainability. It is a hybrid model of sustainability based on the ISO 20121 standard for Event Sustainability Management; the ISO 14000 standard for Environmental Management; and the Global Reporting Index (GRI) Event Organizers Sustainability Guidelines.

In 2016 1,472 Clean Regattas Best Practices were utilized to reduce environmental impact at 216 events in 32 US States and 31 countries and territories.