1851 Trust gives 200 local young people exclusive preview of Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth Race Village

Released by 1851 Trust.

Over 200 young people from Portsmouth and the surrounding areas had the opportunity to learn more about the America’s Cup environment and the technology behind sailing by taking part in educational activities focused on team work, sustainability and ocean health.

This was organised by the 1851 Trust, the Official Charity of Land Rover BAR the British America’s Cup Team, ahead of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth. The Trust works to enable and encourage young people from a wide demographic to experience sailing, engage in STEM subjects and consider their impact on the environment. The Trust builds on the inspiration of the British America’s Cup challenge, to inspire and excite young people into the sport of sailing, design, engineering and the wider maritime industry.

The young people, aged between 9-16, and a number of whom are already benefiting from the 1851 Trust’s programme, came from local schools, youth organisations and local sailing clubs.

The young people were split into different groups, each named after one of the sailing teams taking part in the racing this weekend.  They took part in a Single Use Plastic hunt, where they had to find out various facts and identify alternative uses for the plastics. They then used the items they found during the hunt to create boats made from recyclable items for gutter boat racing.

The third activity in the morning gave young people the chance to learn more about the America’s Cup environment and gain a greater understanding of the technologies behind sailing. This gave them the chance to use interactive equipment, including the stable flight and wind tunnel, which can usually be found at Land Rover BAR’s base in Portsmouth in The Tech Deck and Education Centre. This Centre offers a unique behind-the- scenes experience with hands-on interactive educational exhibits, enabling young people to get close to the boats, people, and technologies in development.

The morning was rounded off with the 200 young people meeting sailors from each competing team.  The activity was supported by 11th Hour Racing, which works with the sailing community to advance solutions and practices that protect and restore the health of the oceans. 11th Hour Racing provided all the participants with a reusable, BPA free, locally sourced water bottle. Each bottle carried the message ‘Say no to single use plastics’ and contained a special note from Sir Ben Ainslie to promote responsible environmental practices. 11th Hour Racing also provided a Pledge Board for young people to highlight their commitment in refusing single use plastics.

Jo Stocks, CEO of the 1851 Trust said: “We are thrilled that we could involve over 200 young people from Portsmouth and the surrounding areas with the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth. This is such an exciting time for sailing in the UK and we’re keen to use it to inspire a new generation into sailing, the marine industry and caring for the environment. Eight million tonnes of plastic rubbish enters our oceans each year, with this figure set to increase tenfold over the next decade – meaning that by 2050, there will be more plastics in the sea than fish. It’s essential that we educate young people about the role they can play in helping us safeguard our oceans.”

Tayah Winslade from Active Community Networks in Leigh Park who took part in the activities, explains: “I had a really good time today. There were lots of entertainment and activities that I enjoyed and it was really good for team building. I learnt so much about single use plastic and the environment.”

Published by: 1851 Trust, July 21, 2016.