Vestas 11th Hour Racing visit 1851 Trust, official charity of Land Rover BAR

The 1851 Trust arranged for Charlie Enright, Mark Towill, and Damian Foxall of Vestas 11th Hour Racing to meet with 27 young sailors at the Land Rover BAR Tech Deck & Education Center on Friday, 4 August while the team is in the UK for Cowes Week and the Rolex Fastnet Race as part of the Volvo Ocean Race Leg 0 activities.

This was a great opportunity to connect two of 11th Hour Racing’s largest partnerships in Land Rover BAR and Vestas 11th Hour Racing while inspiring the next generation to be more conscious of their environmental impact.

Ben Cartledge, CEO of the 1851 Trust, the official charity of Land Rover BAR, introduced Mark, Charlie, and Damian to the young sailors while emphasizing the importance of implementing sustainable practices not only in sailing, but in our everyday lives.

Charlie, Mark, and Damian presented their team’s plans for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race while striving to be the most sustainable team in the race. They also gave a brief overview of what the team’s educational focus will be in the public space of their team base which will travel to each of the race stop overs.

After a Q&A with the young sailors hosted by Ben Cartledge, Amy Munro, Land Rover BAR’s Sustainability Officer, lead a workshop focusing on ocean health, in particular the impact of single-use plastics. All the sailors learned about the issues and implications of plastic pollution on marine life and the wider environmental impact, and drafted and signed their own call to action/pledge.