University sailing clubs from across the UK are taking part in the first ever University Sailing Sustainability Challenge, set up by The Green Blue – a joint environment programme created by the Royal Yachting Association and British Marine.
The challenge sees university sailing clubs competing to undertake a series of sustainable actions throughout the academic year in order to win prizes and demonstrate to the rest of the boating community how achievable sustainable boating can be.
Sustainable actions include: ensuring their sailing venues have a Spill Kit available to clean up any accidental spills when boaters are handling oil and fuel, ensuring members use re-usable water bottles during training sessions and events to reduce waste, and making sure their boats, trailers and equipment are checked, cleaned and dried to minimise the spread of remove invasive non-native species around UK waters.
The Green Blue has been delighted with the positive reception and enthusiasm from university sailing clubs wanting to get involved. The clubs signed up to the Challenge 2015 are Bournemouth, Glasgow, Leeds, Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle, Plymouth, Southampton, Strathclyde and York.
Southampton University Sailing Club’s Commodore, Tom Harrison said: “As soon as we heard about The Green Blue’s new challenge we were very keen to get involved.
“This is a great opportunity for our sailing club members to learn how to be more sustainable and show other boaters how it can be done. I strongly believe that our sport can do even more to be sustainable and ensure our sailing environment is clean and safe for generations to come.”
Participating clubs have to complete three different award levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold, by 27 March 2016. Each award level has a number of sustainable actions that need to be actioned and evidenced in order to be entered into three prize draws
There are three award levels in the challenge and these are Bronze, Silver and Gold, each with a separate list of actions to be achieved and evidenced. The actions for each award level and the evidence needed to show that the actions have been done are appended. Clubs can do one award level, or all three, but the higher up they go the more chance they have of winning one of the bigger prizes:
Bronze Award: 6 actions must be completed – £100 prize draw
Silver Award: 5 actions must be completed – £250 Prize draw
Gold Award: Select any 3 from 5 actions to complete (provides more flexibility) – £500 Prize draw
See criteria:
Bronze Award
Silver Award
Gold Award
The 2015-16 awards will be announced and presented at the Prize Giving at the conclusion of the BUCS-BUSA Team Racing Championship at Grafham Water Sailing Club on Thursday, 31 March, 2016.
If you know a university sailing club interested in getting involved or want to find out more about the challenge, contact Kate Fortnam, The Green Blue’s Environmental Outreach Officer, by email or call 07900 492 192.
To find out more about The Green Blue, visit website.
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