World Sailing’s commitment to global sustainability

London, UK (April 22, 2020) – World Sailing, in partnership with the World Sailing Trust and 11th Hour Racing, have released a Sustainability Education Programme, developed with The Ocean Race, for sailing clubs and parents as part of its Agenda 2030 – sailing’s commitment to global sustainability.

Launched today on Earth Day, the Sustainability Education Programme resources are free to use and are broken down into six topics which will be released over the next six weeks.

Initially released in English (click here), further versions will be available in the coming weeks in Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latvian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese. When launched, other languages will be hosted by various Member National Authorities.

To expand the reach of this youth education programme, World Sailing will work with its Member National Authorities, Class Associations and Special Events, to co-brand the materials and launch directly to their membership.

The Sustainability Education Programme materials were developed with The Ocean Race, capitalizing on the success of their own programme in the 2017-2018 edition of the race, and have been split into six topics each comprising of a booklet, trainer’s guide and worksheet for age groups 6-8, 8-10, and 10-12 years.

The topics are:
• Race with World Sailing, learn about different kinds of events and boats – available today
• Resources & Climate Change – available from April 29.
• Navigating Wildlife & Biodiversity – available from May 6.
• Reducing Waste – available from May 13.
• Oil & Fuel – available from May 20.
• Boat Cleaning & Maintenance – available from May 27.

The materials will ensure the next generation of sailors learn about wider environmental issues that can affect the sport as well as those areas where the sport can make a positive impact.

The theme throughout is combining key sailing terminology with environmental issues whilst learning about some of the exciting events and boats in the sport that can inspire the next generation of sailors.

“With many sailors unable to take to the water due to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing the future generation of participants with these resources will enable them to gain a deeper understanding around topics close to many sailors’ hearts,” said Dan Reading, Head of Sustainability at World Sailing.

“Those home schooling can benefit from tailored, fun and interactive lessons and I am thrilled we could make this accessible to as many people as possible and would like to thank 11th Hour Racing for their support.”

The International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) have already adopted and tested the educational resources.

“The Sustainability Education Programme is directly targeted at the age group of kids sailing the Optimist Dinghy,” said Fiona Kidd, IODA Secretary General. “As the largest youth sailing class in the world, thousands of young Opti sailors around the globe will learn and benefit from this programme. We look forward to introducing it to our 110 Members and their sailors, who are the future guardians of our oceans and environment.”

On the launch, Dee Caffari, Chair of the World Sailing Trust, said, “Our mission at the World Sailing Trust is to ensure a lasting positive impact of our sport and to safeguard the future of the planet’s waters for the next generation to enjoy.

“Working with committed and valued partners with shared goals enables us to implement frameworks to support our mission and to ensure worldwide change and generate long term impact.

“At a time where sailors’ are unable to get out onto the water, the World Sailing Trust supported Sustainability Education Programme provides a different type of learning resources for those home schooling. I thank World Sailing and The Ocean Race for producing the materials and 11th Hour Racing for their continuous support in safeguarding our Oceans.”

MNAs and Class Associations interested in using the materials should contact sustainability@sailing.org.