Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin says it’s accelerating its use of innovative alternative materials with the launch of The Ocean Race DIVER, largely composed of recycled fishing nets.

The official timing partner of The Ocean Race has been making marine chronometers for explorers since 1846 — and it says that today’s ocean adventurers are often confronted with the scale of plastic pollution in the world’s seas.

“How can we transform some of this plastic into a luxury item? With the help of start-ups such as FIL&FAB, we have successfully managed to fabricate and sell watches derived from recycled fishing nets,” Ulysse Nardin chief executive Patrick Pruniaux explained.

“Our way of making people aware of the issue is upcycling. In this process, finding suppliers was a key factor.”

In this case, Ulysse Nardin found a supplier who was able to upcycle discarded fishing net material into base material for components of The Ocean Race DIVER — which comes with a definitely luxury price tag of $11,500 (€10,900).

“At The Ocean Race, we have been sailing around the world since 1973 and as sailors, we have seen the Ocean change over the past 50 years,” said Richard Brisius, race director of The Ocean Race.

“We have learned the need to respect the ocean and give the ocean a voice in order to protect it and restore its health.

“We are proud to have a partner like Ulysse Nardin, who shares our values and to see the innovation taking place to support these efforts. This innovative watch reminds us that now is the time to act.”

Discarded fishing nets collected for upcycling | Credit: Ulysse Nardin

In September 2020, Ulysse Nardin marked the first milestone in its commitment to the ocean and the circular economy — a model of production and consumption, which involves using materials and products for as long as possible — with the launch of the R-STRAP wrist strap, which is made entirely from recycled fishing nets and can be used with its MARINE, DIVER and FREAK X watches.

In November 2020, the brand innovated with the DIVER NET, an experimental concept watch, each element of which was designed for durability and to have as low an impact on the environment as possible.

The latest iteration is The Ocean Race DIVER, which the watchmaker says “embodies innovation and tradition”, with 95% of its components sourced within a 30km radius of the manufacturer, and half of them coming from recycling channels, particularly recycled steel and brass.

The strap is also fully recycled from fishing nets, transformed into reels of yarn by the French company JTTI.

From June, The Ocean Race DIVER will be sold in a limited edition of 200 in an original pack with a water-resistant R-PET pouch slipped into a dry bag recycled from the sea by Helly Hansen, the official clothing supplier of The Ocean Race. For more see the Ulysse Nardin website HERE.

French skipper Paul Meilhat will fulfil a lifelong dream in January 2023 when he leads Biotherm across the starting line of The Ocean Race on the waters off Alicante, Spain.

Meilhat and his team will be racing one of the newest IMOCA boats in the fleet, a Verdier design that is expected to compete for the title in The Ocean Race 2022-23, before Meilhat will go on to sail in the next edition of the single-handed Vendée Globe.

“I am very happy to officially announce our participation in The Ocean Race with Biotherm,” Meilhat says. “I have been working to be at the start of this event for the last three years.

“Everything about The Ocean Race excites me. It’s about the sport, but it’s also about travelling around the world and being able to discover other countries and create links with new people; all of this is great and I’m keen to feel the full story of one of the great events in our sport.

"We are lucky to have a great boat to participate in the entire IMOCA Globe Series programme. I am thrilled that we have secured our participation in The Ocean Race, which adds a new, even more international dimension to our campaign.

"This opportunity is important to both the sporting side of the project, with the sailing team hungering to take on this incredible challenge, as well as for our title sponsor Biotherm, an international skincare brand in the L’Oréal Group. Biotherm has been dedicated to ocean protection for over 10 years and the brand’s values are​ very much in line with The Ocean Race, committed to bringing people together to protect the health of the ocean.”

Like many IMOCA sailors, Meilhat is well known for his ability competing short-handed. He is a winner of the Route du Rhum and the Fastnet Race as well as being the IMOCA Globe Series champion in 2021. But he also has experience and an ambition to race in a crewed format, and says the two disciplines complement each other.

Paul Meilhat and Richard Brisius shake hands at Race Control in Alicante | Credit: Alexander Champy-McLean/The Ocean Race

“From a sporting standpoint, it's great to have the opportunity to race around the world, to test our boats and to compete with the best with a full crew on board. It’s a different culture with a lot of engagement on board between the sailors,” he says.

“The crew brings a real dynamic. On The Ocean Race Europe, we clearly saw that there was good energy on the boats and notable progress over the rest of the season.

“Racing with a crew also allows us to sail more than we do alone. During The Ocean Race we will sail almost more than on the entire IMOCA solo or double-handed programme over the next three years. This volume of racing is very beneficial, with the stopovers allowing for development, restarting, and so on.

“The new format of The Ocean Race matches perfectly with our current IMOCA programme and schedule. It's one of the great races which is consistent with what we do and which has the advantage of taking us to the Southern Ocean, sailing in difficult and challenging conditions, which helps us develop our boats and ourselves as sailors.”

The new Biotherm is expected to be launched in August and will compete in the Route de Rhum this autumn before returning to Alicante, Spain for the start of The Ocean Race on 15 January next year.

“It’s fantastic to have Paul and his Biotherm team confirm they will join The Ocean Race,” Johan Salén, managing Director of The Ocean Race said. “Paul was among the first IMOCA skippers to signal his ambition and intention to compete and we know he worked very hard over the past three years to bring this project to the start line. We’re looking forward to seeing him race.”

Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm joins skipper Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia and skipper Charlie Enright’s 11th Hour Racing Team as confirmed IMOCA campaigns for The Ocean Race 2022-23. The full list of registered teams in both the IMOCA and V65 classes can be found on the official race website, and The Ocean Race promises further team announcements shortly.

The Ocean Race has joined forces with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) to help increase understanding of the ocean and inspire action to protect it.

Their new partnership hopes to contribute to global ocean action in what is set to be a significant year for the seas — starting with the One Ocean Summit in Brest, France which starts today (Wednesday 9 February) and aims to increase international action and drive tangible commitments.

The new collaboration combines The Ocean Race’s experience of the seas, from nearly 50 years of around-the-world racing, with IOC-UNESCO’s leadership in ocean science and sustainable ocean management.

It will use the race’s global platform to raise awareness of the impact that people are having on the ocean and the vital role that it plays in our lives.

As an ‘Impact Collaborator’, IOC-UNESCO will work with The Ocean Race on its science programme which gathers data about the state of the marine environment, including in remote parts of the ocean that are largely inaccessible to research vessels.

The partners will work together to ensure the data collected by the sailing teams helps to advance ocean research with the support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), which is now in its second year.

Data will contribute to the IOC-UNESCO-led Global Ocean Observing System and other organisations who are tracking key ocean threats, such as marine debris, microplastics and acidification — a key indicator of climate change.

Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of IOC-UNESCO, said: “Creating the ocean we want by 2030 – an ocean that is healthy, resilient, sustainable, safe, and inspiring – is the central objective of the UN Ocean Decade, and from the start it has been clear that we need to broadly partner across science, government, philanthropy and civil society to achieve that.

“Since 2015 we have been in partnership with the sailing world through the IMOCA Class, and I think our new partnership with The Ocean Race demonstrates this community’s growing commitment to understanding and protecting the ocean.”

The Relay4Nature baton on route to One Ocean Summit in Brest, France onboard Alan Roura Racing | Credit: Austin Wong/The Ocean Race

IOC-UNESCO will also be involved in The Ocean Race Summits, which bring together global decision-makers to help to drive new and improved policies to protect and govern the ocean, and will help to amplify The Ocean Race’s Learning programme, which teaches children about the importance of the seas.

During the next round-the-world race, which starts in January 2023, the partners will engage children in the eight Race Villages where ocean health will be a central theme.

Richard Brisius, race chairman at The Ocean Race, said: “The Ocean Race and IOC-UNESCO share a common goal of raising awareness of the vital role that the ocean plays in sustaining all life on Earth. Only by growing understanding of our blue planet can we drive greater action to protect it.

“We share the same values as the IOC and by combining their expertise in ocean science and our global platform we can inspire audiences — like the sailing community, sports industry, businesses, host cities, governments, fans and sponsors — to make change that supports a healthy, thriving ocean.”

The collaboration builds on the growing relationship between the two organisations, which has included Dr Ryabinin speaking at The Ocean Race Summit in The Hague in 2020 and the endorsement of several of The Ocean Race’s activities by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

The UN Decade is a global movement to unlock the knowledge needed to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and create improved conditions for sustainable development of the ocean.

Partnerships are a key element of The Ocean Race’s award-winning ‘Racing with Purpose’ sustainability programme, which brings together a range of tangible ways that the race can have a positive impact on the marine environment.

Working with 11th Hour Racing — founding partner of the Racing with Purpose programme and a Premier Partner of The Ocean Race — the race organisers are holding high-level summits to drive global decision-makers to create policies to protect and govern the ocean, contributing vital data about the state of the seas to leading scientific organisations, equipping children with the knowledge to help the ocean and much more.

With just one year to go to the start gun for leg one of The Ocean Race 2022-23, the countdown is on and Ulysse Nardin, the pioneering Swiss watch manufacturer, has become the official timekeeper of the race.

Ulysse Nardin has strong links to the maritime world, dating back to its founding in 1846. From the original inspiration of exploration that led to the creation of their first marine chronometer, to the nautical inspirations of their contemporary creations, Ulysse Nardin has always maintained a close relationship with the ocean.

In its role as official timing partner of The Ocean Race, Ulysse Nardin will be responsible for all official race timings, including start countdowns, leg timings and finishes.

Additionally, Ulysse Nardin will be at the heart of the 24-hour Speed Challenge. During racing, each boat in both the one-design VO65 class and the flying, foiling IMOCA class is constantly monitored via race control. A rolling, 24-hour distance record is maintained throughout the leg and the boat in each class with the top distance covered in each leg wins the speed challenge.

In the 2017-18 edition of the Race, Team AkzoNobel set a new 24-hour distance record for the event — the mark to beat is 602.51 nautical miles (1,116 km), or an average speed of an incredible 25.1 knots (46.5 km/h).

Beyond its role as official timing partner, Ulysse Nardin is also the Time to Act partner of The Ocean Race, committing to the responsible use and conservation of the world’s ocean.

“The sea has always been part of our world and exploration has always been our spearhead,” said Patrick Pruniaux, chief executive of Ulysse Nardin.

“Every day, Ulysse Nardin pushes the limits in all fields: technique, design and innovation. Now we are also bringing the same intensity to bear on sustainability.”

“As sailors, we have absolute respect for the ocean and we have found these same values in Ulysse Nardin, who has a long heritage with sailors and the sea,” said Richard Brisius, race chairman of The Ocean Race.

“We have asked them to be our timekeepers. In addition to the sporting aspect of our partnership, Ulysse Nardin will help us to respect the pace of the sustainable initiatives that we are putting in place.

“Through our Racing with Purpose programme, developed in collaboration with founding partner 11th Hour Racing, we are involved in a race to restore our blue planet. A Ulysse Nardin watch is a timepiece of excellence, which by nature has a sustainable future, handed down from generation to generation.”

Last month The Ocean Race organisers announced the stopover dates for the 14th edition of the round-the-world yacht race, which kicks off in Alicante, Spain on 15 January 2023.

The Ocean Race 2022-23 will visit nine iconic international cities over a six-month period, with leg one starting from Alicante in Spain on 15 January 2023.

The start of the 14th edition of The Ocean Race will follow the Reyes holiday period in Spain, and see the two racing fleets — the foiling IMOCAs and one-design VO65s — depart on a 32,000 nautical mile (60,000 km) race around the world in separate divisions.

“The updated course and schedule for The Ocean Race 2022-23 provides an intense six-months of racing around the world and will challenge the best sailors and teams in a way that only The Ocean Race can do,” said race director Phil Lawrence.

“We have added the longest leg in the history of the event — taking the fleet three-quarters of the way around Antarctica — and for the first time the race will start and finish in the Mediterranean.

“The winners of this edition of The Ocean Race will need to demonstrate elite skill, consistency across all manner of sea conditions, and resilience in the face of the inevitable setbacks. This will be beyond anything they will have encountered in any other sailing.”

Viva Mexico in The Ocean Race Europe earlier this year | Credit: Jen Edney/Viva Mexico/The Ocean Race

The first leg is a 1,900 nautical mile sprint from Alicante to Cabo Verde, the first time the race has stopped at the African archipelago. Historically, the fleets have sailed past the islands as they head south down the Atlantic.

While in Cabo Verde, The Ocean Race will take part in its famed Ocean Week, with a focus on local and international sustainability issues.

Leg 2 will start on 25 January and see the fleets racing across the equator, south to Cape Town, the 12th time the race has stopped in the southern tip of Africa, making it the most visited stopover in this edition of the event.

This will also be the first of three ‘haul-out’ stops, where the boats will be lifted from the water for maintenance.

Next up is a record-breaking leg, the longest racing distance in the 50-year history of the event: a 12,750-nautical-mile, month-long marathon to Itajaí, Brazil.

In the finest tradition of The Ocean Race, this leg takes the IMOCA and VO65 sailors down to the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties of the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is to the right and the fleet will need to pass all three great southern capes — the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn — to port, without stopping, for the first time.

There will be another extended haul-out stopover in Itajaí following this epic southern leg before racing resumes heading north, through the doldrums, across the equator and up to Newport in Rhode Island, on the east coast of the United States.

From there, the race returns to Europe, with a transatlantic leg to Aarhus in Denmark, followed by a ‘Fly-By’ of Kiel, Germany en route to a stop at The Hague in the Netherlands.

Then, it’s the final offshore leg — the Grand Finale — to Genoa, Italy for a Mediterranean finish to the race.

The Ocean Race 2022-23 Race Schedule

• Prologue Race(s) TBC: September to December 2022
• Alicante, Spain — Leg 1 start: 15 January 2023
• Cabo Verde — ETA: 22 January; Leg 2 start: 25 January
• Cape Town, South Africa — ETA: 9 February; Leg 3 start: 26/27 February (TBC)
• Itajaí, Brazil — ETA: 1 April; Leg 4 start: 23 April
• Newport, Rhode Island, USA — ETA: 10 May; Leg 5 start: 21 May
• Aarhus, Denmark — ETA: 30 May; Leg 6 start: 8 June
• Kiel, Germany (Fly-By) — 9 June
• The Hague, Netherlands — ETA: 11 June; Leg 7 start: 15 June
• Genoa, Italy — Grand Finale— ETA: 25 June, 2023; Final In-Port Race: 1 July, 2023

There will be in-port races in the days before the leg start in Alicante, Cape Town, Itajaí, Newport, Aarhus, The Hague and Genoa. The in-port racing will be scored as a separate series for each fleet, with the result acting as a tie-breaker in the overall race.

The Kiel Fly-By is a new addition to the race course. The race was last in Germany for the finish of the 2001-02 edition, won by the German team illbruck. Now, in this 14th edition, two German IMOCA teams have their sights set on the race: Offshore Team Germany and Team Malizia.

“It’s fantastic to have Kiel added as a Fly-By to what was already an iconic race route,” said Robert Stanjek, who skippered Offshore Team Germany to victory in the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe this past spring.

“This upcoming edition of The Ocean Race is shaping up as an incredible challenge and the opportunity to sail past a home crowd in Kiel as we near the end of our race around the world is a dream come true.”

There will be prologue racing for both IMOCA and VO65 fleets scheduled in the second half of 2022, with details to be confirmed. Both fleets will assemble in Alicante during the holiday period at the end of 2022, ahead of the leg one start date on 15 January 2023.

The start date for the first leg of The Ocean Race 2022-23 has been confirmed, with both IMOCA and VO65 fleets scheduled to burst from the starting blocks in Alicante on Spain’s Mediterranean coast on Sunday 15 January 2023.

There will be race activity throughout 2022, with teams building their campaigns towards prologue racing as well as with The Ocean Race Legends, sustainability and youth programmes ahead of the assembly period in Alicante late in the fourth quarter of the year.

Then, in January, the start of leg one will see the fleets racing away on one of the greatest challenges in sailing and the toughest test of a team in sport — over 31,000 nautical miles (57,000 km) around the planet.

“This marks a change for The Ocean Race, as we adjust to the challenges of this new world with a more compact and exciting race route than ever before,” said Johan Salén, managing director of The Ocean Race.

“We are pleased to have been able to work with our partners in Alicante, which has been the home of the race since 2009, to agree on a start date for leg one that takes advantage of the Christmas and New Year holiday season and allows for maximum stakeholder opportunities in the week leading up to the start as well.”

The opening leg of the race will see both fleets racing for nearly one week to a finish in Cabo Verde. It will be the very first time The Ocean Race has stopped in the African island chain.

From there the race proceeds to Cape Town in South Africa, before starting the longest and most challenging leg in the history of the race: nearly 13,000nm direct through the Southern Ocean and past the three great southern capes — the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn — before a finish in Itajaí, Brazil.

The race then goes to Newport, Rhode Island in the USA; Aarhus in Denmark; The Hague in The Netherlands; and on to a Grand Finale finish in the Mediterranean in Genoa, Italy in the summer of 2023.

Stopover dates for the above stages of the race will be confirmed before the end of the year.

The next edition of The Ocean Race will feature the longest Southern Ocean leg in the 50 year history of the event, an incredible 12,750 nautical mile marathon between Cape Town, South Africa to Itajaí, Brazil.

This is just one of the highlights of the updated race course confirmed, which will not include a Pacific leg via New Zealand or China.

The race route for the 14th edition of the event has been designed in response to the logistical realities of an around-the-world race in a COVID-19 environment and will start from Alicante, Spain in late December 2022 or early January 2023, with the final date to be announced.

From there, the IMOCA and VO65 fleets will sprint out of the Mediterranean Sea to Cabo Verde, visiting this African island nation for the very first time, before racing down to a perennial favourite among stopovers in Cape Town.

Then, a return to the roots of the race — with a massive sojourn through the Southern Ocean, over 30 days of racing, to Itajaí, host of the past three stopovers in South America.

This will be the longest leg in the history of The Ocean Race, dating all the way back to the very first fully crewed around-the-world race in 1973.

‘We believe the 12,750 nautical mile leg from Cape Town to Itajaí is a very special element — unique in history — in the next race’

And it will also see a transit of the three great capes — the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn — in succession, without a stopover, for the very first time.

“We believe the 12,750 nautical mile leg from Cape Town to Itajaí is a very special element — unique in history — in the next race,” said Johan Salén, managing director of The Ocean Race.

“The ongoing and unpredictable effects of COVID have meant it is impossible, at this time, to do the planning necessary to ensure successful stops in China and New Zealand.”

Race chair Richard Brisius added: “China and New Zealand remain important to the present and the future of The Ocean Race, and we plan to return to both countries again. We will work diligently with both to explore ways for them to have a meaningful presence in this edition as well.

“China, of course, has a strong history of hosting stopovers since 2008-09 and was the winner of the last edition of the race, with the Dongfeng Race Team.

“And we consider Auckland to be a spiritual home for this event, with legends like Sir Peter Blake, Grant Dalton, Ross Field and Mike Sanderson, to name just a few among so many of the amazing Kiwis who have taken on this challenge. Their legacy is woven into the fabric of The Ocean Race.”

Following the Southern Ocean leg, and after rounding the famed Cape Horn, teams will stop in Itajaí to recharge bodies and boats. Then the race course will take in Newport in Rhode Island, USA before crossing the Atlantic to northern European stops in Aarhus, Denmark and The Hague in The Netherlands, before the Grand Finale finish in the Mediterranean at Genoa, Italy.

‘Not only is it a simpler race from a logistics and organisation point of view, it should also be more cost-effective and more accessible’

“This update to the race route makes it reminiscent of the original Ocean Races of the past, and I hope the delay of the start until after the Route du Rhum will entice more teams to join us on the start line,” said Charlie Enright, skipper of 11th Hour Racing Team.

“Not only is it a simpler race from a logistics and organisation point of view, it should also be more cost-effective and more accessible for other IMOCA teams, particularly those looking to build-up to the 2024 Vendée Globe.

“The confirmed course is exciting - one month at sea, racing through the Southern Ocean, on the longest leg we’ve ever faced. It’s a reminder that we will need to be at the top of our game to take it on, and allows us to really hone in on our preparations, starting with the Transat Jacques Vabre this weekend.”

Stopover dates will be announced shortly as the route logistics are fully confirmed.

“These are challenging but nonetheless very exciting times for international events like The Ocean Race,” Brisius said. “We have a clear mission ahead — to enable our sailors to achieve the extraordinary, while driving change towards a healthier, sustainable planet.

“Following on from the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe this spring, the 14th edition of the around-the-world race is the next phase in our 10-year plan of events, which includes regional and global races, as well as our series of The Ocean Race Summits, designed to explore solutions and drive meaningful change towards the restoration of ocean health.

“We will continue working with all of our stakeholders: teams, host cities, partners, race fans and media to make progress on these goals.”

Entries for the race will be announced by participating teams over the coming months.

“This race course, for sailors and teams in both the IMOCA and VO65 classes, is shaping up to provide one of the toughest challenges in the long story of the Race,” Salén said.

“Over our 50 years of history, The Ocean Race has evolved with the times, but remained true to its core values. We’re looking forward to the next start in Alicante in December/January to write the next chapter.”

Relay4Nature, an initiative by The Ocean Race and UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson, is at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, COP26, to highlight the critical role the ocean plays in mitigating climate change and to call for world leaders to take urgent action to protect it.

The Relay4Nature baton, Nature’s Baton, was passed from the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson to Vel Gnanendran, climate and environment director at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, on the deck of the iconic tall ship Glenlee on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow on the first day of the world’s crucial climate change conference (Sunday 31 October).

The Ocean Race, together with Ambassador Thomson, created Relay4Nature earlier this year to help ensure that the ocean is central to global discussions affecting the planet’s future.

Nature’s Baton symbolises the fact that the world’s existential challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss are inseparably linked with the state of the ocean’s health.

‘The science tells us that we must protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. I think that is the very least we should be doing’

Receiving the baton on behalf of COP26’s landmark event, Vel Gnanendran said: “The ocean is critical to life. About three billion people in the world depend on the ocean. It is critical to livelihoods, biodiversity and saving our planet. The science tells us that we must protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. I think that is the very least we should be doing.

“I hope that we can see governments and non-governmental players all committing to take action to protect the oceans but not only taking the action but by putting the finance behind those actions.

“It is a real honour to receive Nature’s Baton on behalf on the UK COP26 Presidency and I really want to commend everyone involved in Nature’s Baton and the baton Relay for raising the profile of the ocean and galvanising actions around protecting it.”

Ambassador Thomson said that Nature’s Baton is giving the ocean a voice at crucial environmental conferences and is “part of an international effort to break down the silos that have often impaired the outcomes of these conferences. Relay4Nature is demonstrating connectivity, and underlining that our planetary problems and solutions all stem essentially from the same universal activities of humankind.”

Relay4Nature will feature throughout COP26, collecting and sharing messages from delegates about the action that world leaders need to take to protect the planet.

The Ocean Race and Ambassador Thomson will host a side event next Monday 8 November where, along with special guests, they will analyse the ocean’s role in the global negotiations so far.

The Relay4Nature initiative is supported by 11th Hour Racing, founding partner of the Race Sustainability Programme and premier partner of The Ocean Race.

‘The ocean may be a victim of the climate crisis, but it also holds the solutions. In fact the ocean is a true climate hero’

Richard Brisius, race chairman of The Ocean Race, said: “Climate change is taking a devastating toll on our blue planet. Seas are becoming warmer, more acidic and levels are higher, significantly impacting not just the species that live in them but humans, too.

“The ocean may be a victim of the climate crisis, but it also holds the solutions. In fact the ocean is a true climate hero. It provides half of the world’s oxygen, locks away a significant amount of carbon dioxide and absorbs heat, making it our most crucial ally in the fight against climate change.

“Through Relay4Nature we want to highlight that it is absolutely critical that the ocean has a seat at the negotiation table at COP26.”

COP26 takes place six years after the milestone Paris Agreement, which set out the critical emissions reduction targets the world needs to meet in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. From now until next Friday 12 November, leaders from across the world will attend the conference in Glasgow where it is expected that commitments will be made for more ambitious and decisive action.

Ahead of COP26, messages have been collected by Relay4Nature from a diverse mix of heads of state, ministers, business leaders, sailors and ocean lovers, including HSH Prince Albert of Monaco; the European Commissioner for Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičiusl and the UN High Level Climate Action Champion for COP26, Nigel Topping.

Each baton holder is asked to share their greatest concern related to the future of the planet and an ask to world leaders on the vital action required. Their messages are carried within the baton.

As well as connecting the major challenges to the planet, Nature’s Baton links the world’s major environmental conferences. It played a significant role at IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille in September. And following COP26, will make its way to UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi in March 2022, the UN Biodiversity Conference in Kunming in April and UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in June.

The baton was also passed between sailing teams during the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe earlier this year. It reached Glasgow following a six-day cycling relay from Southampton, on England’s south coast, to Scotland, organised by GAC Pindar, official logistics provider of The Ocean Race 2022-23, with support from Volvo Cars, premier partner of the race, who supplied two hybrid support vehicles for the relay.

Italy’s tourism minister Massimo Garavaglia has given his full support for an Italian entry in the next edition of The Ocean Race, scheduled to start in late 2022.

“We have a great opportunity here. The country is restarting and we have the wind in our sails,” the minister said during a press conference organised by the Yacht Club Italiano (YCI) yesterday evening (Sunday 19 September).

Regarding an Italian entry into The Ocean Race, Minister Garavaglia added: “This is a great initiative for Genova and Italy and the news today is that we will support it by teaming up with the municipality, the region and other interested regions... We believe in it and we are convinced The Ocean Race represents a great showcase and opportunity for our country.”

The goal, he said, is to give Italian tourism a further boost and enhance the Made in Italy brand.

Minister Garavaglia confirmed government support for the Italia Sailing Team alongside Giovanni Toti, president of Liguria region, as well as Marco Bucci, the mayor of Genoa — which is the host city of the Grand Finale of The Ocean Race in the summer of 2023 and also hosted the finish of The Ocean Race Europe this summer.

“Taking part in The Ocean Race puts us on the world stage once again”

Gerolamo Bianchi and Nicoló Caffarena, respectively president and general secretary of the Yacht Club Italiano, confirmed the Italia Sailing Team will be racing with the support of the oldest yacht club in Italy and third oldest in the world.

"It's great to have this acknowledgement from the minister and the Italian government,” said Bianchi. “Taking part in The Ocean Race puts us on the world stage once again.

“We'll speak more about the crew for our project in October,” he added.

Richard Brisius, race chairman of The Ocean Race, was also on site alongside all the speakers at the Yacht Club Italiano.

“Italy is a unique powerhouse and inspiration to the world,” he said. “When people in Italy come together, they have the strength to move mountains and the passion to motivate people across the world.

“Here, tonight, together with the Government’s minister of tourism Mr Garavaglia, the Ligurias president, Mr Toti, the Mayor of Genova Marco Bucci and president Bianchi of the Yacht Club Italiano, this is exactly what has happened.”

The YCI and the Italia Sailing Team say they have already been working hard behind the scenes for two years to secure the necessary assets for a proper Italian entry in The Ocean Race.

“We are honoured to welcome Italia Sailing Team to The Ocean Race family and we look forward to cooperating with Riccardo Simoneschi and the YCI board and management,” Brisius added. “I raced in The Ocean Race 89/90 under the Italian flag for the YCI, so tonight is also a special moment for me.”

The Italia Sailing Team will be led by team CEO Riccardo Simoneschi and compete in the IMOCA class. A full presentation of the team is to come.

“It’s a great opportunity and challenge to take on The Ocean Race,” Simoneschi said. “For our team and for the Yacht Club Italiano join in this race means being a part of history.

“We will announce the team and other key information in the coming weeks but we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, of having minister Garavaglia in Genova and at our club this evening, alongside all of the other speakers, to confirm our team.”

“Our dream has been to see an Italian boat leading into the Grand Finale”

The Italia Sailing Team will be the first Italian-backed entry in The Ocean Race in more than 20 years.

“When we agreed two years ago to make Genova the Grand Finale of The Ocean Race, we started an important journey,” said Mayor Bucci. “Today I thank the minister for what has been made official. Our dream has been to see an Italian boat leading into the Grand Finale in Genova and today a first and important step was taken in that direction.”

Liguria’s Toto added: “I am happy to be here because two places and two moments that are so important for our region are linked: the Genova Boat Show and the Yacht Club Italiano.

“This is a great moment that goes beyond sport and inspires great belief in our region that such an ambitious idea can be born and developed here. Our city and our region is having an exceptional week with the Genova Boat Show and I think it is just the first of many.”

An overwhelming number of people working in the sailing and boat building industry say they want the field to become more sustainable.

And nine out of 10 respondents to the survey by The Ocean Race feel that not enough is being done to reduce the environmental impact in their area.

The survey results were shared today (Tuesday 14 September) at The Ocean Race’s Innovation Workshop on Sustainable Boat Building in Lorient.

This third in the series of workshops on the subject brought together 100 participants — including boat builders and designers, sailors, NGOs, universities, sponsors and federations, both in situ and remotely — to tackle the main challenges that need to be met for the boat-building industry to become more sustainable.

Anne-Cécile Turner, sustainability director at The Ocean Race, said: “Competitive sailing has been focused on speed and performance for years, but building the boats remains material, energy and waste intensive. This urgently needs to change.

“The world has just nine years to halve greenhouse gas emissions to be on track with the global ambition to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030 and prevent even more catastrophic climate change.

“Currently, the boat-building industry is not on target to achieve this, but it isn’t too late. By collaborating and committing to change we can slash emissions and show real leadership as an industry.”

Damian Foxall — Co Kerry round-the-world sailor and sustainability programme manager for 11th Hour Racing Team — also spoke at the event, following the launch of the team’s new IMOCA 60 last month, which has been built in preparation for the next edition of The Ocean Race in 2022-23.

Aiming to set a benchmark for sustainable boat building, a range of techniques have been used to reduce the impact of the new vessel, including substituting highly-polluting materials with new alternatives, reducing single-use elements and refining the boat’s shape to make it more energy-efficient.

11th Hour Racing Team’s new boat is hoisted at the boatyard of MerConcept in Concarneau | Credit: Amory Ross

Ahead of the workshop, Foxall said: “Our approach to the build of our new IMOCA 60 has been to measure everything — from the energy used in the design, computations and construction, to the material usage and the waste.

“By measuring our footprint, we can manage our approach to reducing it through introducing alternative materials, processes and innovations. We now have a benchmark for our IMOCA 60 build which can be used for future builds within the class.”

The survey identified three main barriers to change: a lack of technical knowledge of alternative materials; lack of funding for research and development; and concern that sustainable developments could affect boat speed.

When asked what would motivate them to create more sustainable boats, increased demand from clients comes out top among those surveyed. Six out of 10 feel that this will drive change, followed by a better selection of sustainable products and changes to the racing rules, with half of respondents stating that these factors would make a difference. More industry collaboration is also cited by four in 10.

The Ocean Race has introduced specific rules to help drive teams to be more sustainable. For the 2022-23 edition of the race, teams will be required to generate at least 30% of the energy they use on board through renewable energy sources (hydro, wind, solar) and may be asked to carry scientific equipment onboard to gather data about the state of the ocean.

It’s hoped that these rule changes will help inspire solutions for 100% renewable energy to manage life on board, as well as new construction materials and technologies that have minimal environmental impacts.

The survey, which was conducted by The Ocean Race in August and September 2021, was sent to 100 people in the sailing and boat building industry and supported by 40 stakeholder consultation calls to deep dive into industry barriers and enablers.