Zer0emission sailed for a more sustainable regatta experience with a female crew in Hanko

Hangon Regatta is one of Finlands biggest sailing events attracting over 200 participating boats and nearly 50 000 visitors to a small southern city that is mostly known of it’s vivid summer life. The regatta brings together sailors from different classes and is the place for all sailors to meet and enjoy not just sailing but also meet for after sails. Hangon Regatta has a reputation of being fun and loud. Not all the feedback from the locals is positive, because the event also attracts lots of young party people to join and well – quite a mess is left behind.

To us at Zer0emission Hangon Regatta was an opportunity to bring awareness of our mission to this lively event and raise discussion as well as act for a more sustainable regatta experience. Zer0emission participated in the regatta with a female crew who did not only sail, but also organised cleaning actions on shore. The boat itself attracted a lot of attention and performed very well as an ambassador of our mission #raceagainstseapollution.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings a Hanko Cleanup Challenge sponsored by Zeropoint and North Sails was organised and led by the female crew. We cleaned up the marina, docks and shore, inviting everyone to join. Such a positive female squad was not left unnoticed!

The best feedback of our work was received from the local juniors who were on the same mission as us now for the fifth year in a row. The extremely efficient cleanup patrol told us that the word is starting to spread around sailors and that the regatta area was in better condition than in years. We would like to give this group of volunteers a big hand! The work these kids were doing was just amazing.

What it comes to sailing itself, the regatta offered an amazing experience on Friday and Saturday, unfortunately on Sunday the wind was too light and the third start could not be organised. The female crew grew more familiar to the boat and it’s manners mile by mile and offered us great moments on the race course. Very enjoyable sailing and joy of learning new things set the course of the race, leaving everyone tired but happy after a busy regatta.

Now the boat is already in Helsinki and we are taking a small summer vacation before starting preparations for ORC European Championships in Oxelösund, Sweden 11 – 17 August.