11th Hour Racing, sponsorship, Hall of Fame Open, International Tennis Hall of Fame

11th Hour Racing Expands to Tennis as Official Sustainability Sponsor of Hall of Fame Open

11th Hour Racing announced today its sponsorship of The Hall of Fame Open, the ATP Tour tournament hosted annually at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, which this year will be held July 11-18.  

11th Hour Racing, a leading organization that harnesses the power of sport to promote collaborative, systemic change benefitting the health of our ocean, will serve as the tournament’s Official Sustainability Sponsor. Both the Hall of Fame Open and 11th Hour Racing are based in the coastal town of Newport, Rhode Island.

“This is an exciting, new sponsorship for 11th Hour Racing, with a lot of potential for meaningful impact. Until this point, our work has focused on sailing. However, we believe in harnessing the power of sport to create change and engage people on the critical concept that sustainable behavior on land is key to ocean restoration. There is no better place to draw this connection to the sea than in Newport, where the ocean surrounds us,” stated Rob MacMillan, co-founder and president of 11th Hour Racing.

As part of the new sponsorship, the Hall of Fame Open facilitated a review by a sustainability consultant to develop a clear plan for immediate and long-range tactics to improve the tournament’s overall environmental impact.

New initiatives being implemented at this summer’s Hall of Fame Open will include:

  • Elimination of single-use bottles, straws, and plastic bags.
  • An enhanced composting program for food and landscaping waste.
  • A sustainability charter that all caterers and on-site vendors will be required to abide by.
  • Use of recycled paper in all printed materials.
  • Use of custodial paper products made from recycled materials.
  • Use of cleaning products and hand soaps certified by Green Seal, Safer Choice, or Eco Logo.
  • Implementation of an improved and comprehensive recycling program.
  • Tracking key indicators to be utilized in sustainability initiatives in future years, such as water, electricity, and fuel usage.

In addition, a key focus of the partnership will be to communicate with tournament fans, players, and volunteers proactively about behavior changes individuals can implement at the event and at home to make a long-term positive impact on ocean health.

“As a large-scale event in a coastal community, it is the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s responsibility to our community to operate in a manner that will help sustain our ocean and environment. We are grateful for 11th Hour Racing’s sponsorship and expert guidance as to how we can improve the event’s behaviors and impact in both the short and long term,” said Todd Martin, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame Open will be held July 11 – 18 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. It is the only professional tennis tournament played on grass courts in North America. Tickets for the event are on sale now on www.HallofFameOpen.com.