Dan Reading, World Sailing’s Head of Sustainability, commented, “We want to challenge the industry to provide solutions that will reduce the carbon footprint and running costs of support boats at sailing events. Our members have agreed policy changes to reduce the number of support boats at our events but we also want  to encourage a low carbon fleet developed that are accessible to all.  

“Looking at the whole Life Cycle Analysis is an essential part of the puzzle and drawing on research we feel confident that solutions will be in place by 2024.

“We are encouraged that the Dutch sailing team have already expressed their bold commitment to use zero emission RIBs in the 2022 World Championships in The Hague. We also share an ambition with Paris 2024 and will be working together on how we can both help with the transition to low carbon support boats.

“Adding further momentum to this challenge and contributing to World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030 is SailGP who recently released an FRP detailing their ambition to source hybrid boats for a range of purposes.

“Challenge 2024 is one of the initiatives that World Sailing is delivering in line with its participation in the UN Climate Change’s Sport and Climate Action Framework along with other sport events such the IOC, Paris 2024, World Surf League, SailGP and all the tennis grand slams.”

Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence at Paris 2024, commented, “Paris 2024 is engaged in delivering a fully carbon neutral Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Organizing Committee is seeking innovative solutions that will contribute to reduce the Climate and Environmental impact of sports activities, and reducing the use of combustion engines is clearly a target. An important first step in that direction has started in July 2019, with the launch (in collaboration with the French State) of a call for projects to replace diesel-generators with eco-generators for provision of temporary and back up electricity services. Naturally, land transport fleets for the Olympic family and support fleets for water sports should follow.”

Boat builders, engineers and any other experts within the field are requested to contact Dan Reading, Head of Sustainability, at Dan.Reading@sailing.org.

Sustainability Agenda 2030

Ratified at World Sailing's 2018 Mid-Year meeting in London, World Sailing's Sustainability Agenda 2030 outlines how the sport will contribute to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainability Agenda 2030 is split up into World Sailing's six main operational areas with a total of 56 different targets. The targets range from participation to gender equality, water quality to single use plastic.

Supported by the International Olympic Committee and World Sailing's partners, delivery of the Sustainability Agenda 2030 will be ongoing with various timeframes for achievement of the targets.

Click here for more - https://www.sailing.org/about/Sustainability.php.