Jamie Haines

Jamestown, RI, USA

Jamie has been sailing professionally since 2005, before that she was involved with many other teams on the match racing circuit and with various Olympic classes and handicap racing. Jamie was on the sailing team at Connecticut College and at her high school, St. George’s, in Middletown, RI. Jamie grew up racing on Narragansett Bay, and sailing has always been a big part of her life. When not sailing, you will find Jamie in the snow or on the water with her family.

What inspired you to become an 11th Hour Racing ambassador?

The ocean is what has inspired me to become an ambassador and do all I can to spread the ocean steward message. Through sailing, you develop a very intimate connection with the ocean, especially as you sail further away from land. In my life so far, I have seen marked changes in the oceans – from dying coral reefs and less marine life to a shocking increase of marine debris out in the open ocean and on our shores. We need to address this issue urgently since our oceans are dying from human impact. Without healthy oceans, not only will so many amazing things that we are yet to discover be gone, but life on earth will struggle to survive.

Why are you passionate about ocean conservation?

The ocean holds so much wonder, and we have so much left yet to discover. But we have not done a good job of protecting our oceans. And since the ocean holds the key to our survival, from producing over half of the oxygen in the atmosphere to providing food and protecting us from huge temperature increases, we need to do better. As sailors, we have a unique relationship to the ocean, and as a result, it is our duty to step up and protect it.

 

Supporting the mission

Project name: Zero Emission Energy Planning for Jamestown with NEEP

Project mission: Raise awareness of the Community Resiliency and Energy Efficiency Framework for the Town of Jamestown and promote adoption by other municipalities