Community Engagement in Alicante

Pictured above: ANSE’s vessel is equipped to allow them to monitor and protect endangered species, study plastic pollution, and implement coastal restoration projects. Photo credit: Atila Madrona/ Vestas 11th Hour Racing

Team members from Vestas 11th Hour Racing joined school children, staff members, and volunteers from ANSE (Asociación De Naturalistas Del Sureste) at the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Alicante, Spain. Students and sailors toured the organization’s wooden sailing vessel, which is equipped to allow ANSE to monitor and protect endangered species, study pollution effects on plants and animals, and implement coastal restoration projects. Founded in 1973, ANSE’s mission is to study, preserve, and promote the environment in southeast Spain. ANSE is the oldest ecological and naturalistic association in the Murcia and Alicante regions.

As part of Vestas 11th Hour Racing’s mission to be the most sustainable team in the Volvo Ocean Race, they will engage with local environmental organizations at every stopover, highlighting local marine issues. They will also engage with local school children at each stopover, to inspire the next generation of ocean stewards. Alongside this outreach, 11th Hour Racing will provide a grant to empower these organizations to further their mission and leave a lasting legacy as we race around the globe.

Anse, Volvo Ocean Race, Vestas 11th Hour Racing, Grant, sustainability
ANSE was founded in 1973; their mission is to study, preserve, and promote the environment in southeast Spain, and they are the oldest ecological and naturalistic association in the Murcia and Alicante regions. Photo credit: Atila Madrona/ Vestas 11th Hour Racing