Hong Kong, 16 April 2018: The recent Boase Cohen & Collins Inter-School Sailing Festival has been recognised for its environmental initiatives with Gold Certification – the highest level award – from maritime conservation group Sailors for the Sea.
The 10-11 March event at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Middle Island facility passed a set of strict criteria aimed at encouraging sustainability and limiting environmental impact. These included a designated “Green Team” of volunteers, water bottle reduction, water refilling stations, recycling and compost stations to achieve a trash-free regatta, and 12 more best practices.
Among the more unusual sustainability initiatives this year, the trophies and medals awarded to the leading teams were made from recycled wooden wine crates.
“The regatta achieved Silver status last year, so stepping up to Gold this time is a reflection of the superb efforts of the Yacht Club and the participating schools. It is especially pertinent that the award has been given to a youth regatta as it is among young people that awareness of the need for change will have the greatest impact,” said Boase Cohen & Collins Senior Partner Colin Cohen.
“It is a fact that eight million metric tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean from the land each year, the equivalent to about 1.5 million cars. Therefore, we are proud that the Boase Cohen & Collins Inter-School Sailing Festival has done as much as possible to reduce its environmental impact on the ocean.”
The Gold Certification was awarded as part of the Clean Regatta programme, a global initiative from Sailors for the Sea which uses education and activation to encourage protection of the ocean.