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12:06 Saturday 8 Aug 2015 Sue Pelling/CWLCompetitors embrace Green Blue Day

Photo – Rick Tomlinson/CWL

Competitors are embracing Green Blue Day on the opening day of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week. In an effort keep our sailing waters in great shape for future generations, the Green Blue initiative aims to highlight the importance of sustainable sailing.

The idea was created in 2013 by Sunsail’s partnership with the Green Blue joint environment initiative of the Royal Yachting Association and the British Marine Federation. It is now an integral part of the week, and proving extremely popular.

Simon Hedley – Event Manager Solent Events – who runs corporate charters for teams such as the Volvo 70 Monster Project, says that sustainable sailing is a very important aspect of the charter sector. “Thankfully our skippers are generally very much aware of our practice and are all keen to embrace sustainable sailing. This week, for example we have the Volvo 70 Solent Events Monster racing in the Big Boat Series, then towards the end of the week, we’ll have six professional crew and up to 16 corporate guests onboard racing in Class 0, so it is important they all understand our ethos.”

Andy Budgen, owner of Solent Events Monster added: “Because we have a lot of charters taking place throughout the year, we have specific rules on our boat, which includes no smoking. I am extremely against anything going over the side. We always keep our refuge up forward until we get to port and then recycle appropriately.

“The only thing we do is dump our black waste, our toilet tanks, when we are well offshore because otherwise we have to carry it all the way.

“In an effort to keep our charters really sustainable, we make our own water which helps, and we only ever use bought water in bottles for emergency rations. Also, we don't use much fuel, we probably used less than 30 litres to get across the Atlantic.”

Simon Boulding, Events Director at Sunsail, says he is overwhelmed with the response to Green Blue day. “It is a fantastic way to make people aware of the potential issues, and to let them know how just a few simple changes make all the difference. Sunsail holds the ISO2012 – the standard for sustainable event management – so it is great to be able to demonstrate to visitors what Green Blue Day stands for. In an effort to cut down on the use of plastic water bottles, we’re selling, from our stand on the Parade, Event branded bottles, which can be refilled. They cost two pounds each and all the money goes to the UKSA – the official event charity.”

Boulding was also keen to remind visitors that the permanent water fountains installed last year, for refilling bottles, are in prime positions in Cowes Yacht Haven and Shepard’s Wharf.