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

by Noora

July 8, 2019

events

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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.

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Zer0emissions from Stockholm to Hanko

by Noora

July 4, 2019

News

Sailracing

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Zer0emission has arrived to Hanko after completing and finishing third in ORCA at Åf Offshore Race. The team was challenged with rough conditions and we are extremely happy about the outcome of the race. The rough beating to the southern end was awarded with a sweet and fast ride to Sandhamn, during witch the boat reached up to 26 knots top speeds.

The race village was visited by more than 200.000 spectators during the Åf Offshore Race week. In the race village environmental issues were a hot discussion and the event organiser KSSS managed to make the environment everyones business. And hey! The word about our mission is starting to spread! Zer0emission was visited by the young Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg who has rapidly become the icon of environmental issues with over 22 million followers on instagram.

Hanko Regatta was kicked off today by a press event where Mikko Leppilampi invited everyone to join our quest for cleaner seas. Mikko’s introduction to the subject was followed by mayor Dennis Strandell, who told about the work Hanko is doing to become a carbon neutral city. The sun always shines in Hanko and their 12 solar plants are a good example of the work they are doing to reach the goals.

Team skipper Samuli Leisti also reminded everyone about why we have chosen a TP52 race boat to attend races and raise the awareness of the state of our seas. “It’s good to remember that this is the only season our boat and crew will compete in the Baltic Seas. Next year we will face new challenges in bigger events where our boat is among the smallest boats able to even attend these events that attract millions of followers around the world. We aim to raise as much awareness to the subject as possible and this can only be done by attending the largest sailing events in the world.”

In Hanko we focus on bringing the #raceagainstseapollution to every race participants knowledge. Zer0emission organizes a cleanup challenge on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Every team in the harbor is invited – the team that collects the most garbage will win Zeropoint compression socks for the team members and everyone involved have a chance to win a 300 € voucher to North Sails.

After racing Zer0emission crew will raise awareness of littering by patrolling in the harbor. An aftersail event open to all sailors, Zer0hour is organized daily between 4 and 7 pm at Brasserie Regatta. Finnish actor Mikko Leppilampi will be hosting the event and introducing our mission to the participants. Feel free to drop by and join the discussion and free drinks between 6 and 7 pm.

In Hanko Zer0emission is chartered by a team of woman. These passionate ladies skippered by Anu Syrmä have joined the mission for the love of sea and donated 5 000 euros to support the project. Thank you for the support!

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Seabin launched at Baltic Offshore Week ORC regatta in Helsinki

by Noora

June 16, 2019

News

Sailracing

Seabin

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Zer0emission attended the Baltic Offshore Week 2019 regatta which is also considered as the Estonian and Finnish ORC Championships. The regatta kicked off with a 40-miles long offshore race in Helsinki, on Friday, June 14th. The offshore race was followed by two days of inshore racing. This regatta has been held yearly on the both shores of the Finnish Gulf since 2008. 39 offshore sailing teams – 28 from Finland and 11 from Estonia attended the races.

We are still running a bit late on the maintenance schedule so we had to rush directly to the starting line on the first race day. Seabin was delivered to the race marina in Katajanokka Helsinki already on Thursday as planned and the first trashes were picked up after the long offshore race on Friday.

The crew was kept busy inshore with cleaning actions and offshore while sailing. Racing was difficult during the whole weekend due to shifty weather, very light winds and fog. Being the fastest boat on the course we suffered from the wind picking up during the day on Friday and Sunday. Saturday gave us some headache with the big spinnaker and we ended up abandoning the third race and rushing to take care of some small damage to the boat.

With good partners and a dedicated crew the boat was ready to race on Sunday, again and after a long wait for the wind to pick up, one inshore race was pulled off. The time waiting for the wind to pick up was spent practicing and the team was happy with the race, even though the results are not quite there yet.

Despite the regatta results skipper Anssi Lyden is feeling confident and happy with the boat and a the team, considering they have only sailed together under ten times, the development in the team has been very fast.

The team is also very pleased to see how eagerly the community is supporting the Race agains sea pollution.

Link to pictures and videos by Pepe Korteniemi. See also our Facebook page for some more stories , action videos and photos from the weekend.

The next harbour Seabin will be cleaning is in Stockholm. Zer0emsision is attending the legandary ÅF Offshore Race  that will start from Stockholm on the 29th of June. The crew is eager to take the cleaning actions in to the capital of Sweden, where the race harbour is a big event center welcoming thousands of sailing fans to the race-village.

Media enquiries: Noora Westerlund, noora@zer0emission.com

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Zer°emssion takes line honors in it’s first offshore race!

by Noora

June 10, 2019

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Sailing is a real team work. After 4.000 hours of sweaty hours building the boat, we were able to participate in the first offshore race after her full refit. Rebuilding the boat has been a huge effort from the all people, who have been working for the boat. The last parts were delivered no sooner than by a RIB-boat to the starting line. It was enough for the 155 miles Espoo-Suursaari race for us to win the line honors among a hundred boats. The final battle was fought only 500 m before the finish line against a SeaCart 30 trimaran.

TP52 ex-Hurakan was bought this year in March from Spain. The boat that was built by Oracle Racing had not been actively sailing for a long time and now got a new life. The extremely well built boat was totally taken off from all parts, fixed, offshore reinforced and painted with the colors of our new team Zer°emission – the race against sea pollution.

The zer°emission project works to inspire sailors, race fans, our partners and race host cities to join us in our quest for cleaner seas. Behind the project there is emission and pollution analysing and compensation models for the businesses in a path towards a cleaner Earth.

The team consists of 35 people – sailors and yachting experts who have been sailing victoriously together for a long time. The latest results are gold and silver from the X-35 one design world championships in 2014 and the Transatlantic Record in ARC 2014, 8d 14h and 39min, with Leopard 3 supermaxi. The team members have also many other world championship medals and regatta victories. The team will also participate in cleaning actions in every location they race and they will also carry the Seabin – sea garbage collection device, which cleans the harbour waters.

In 2019 the team will participate in the biggest offshore regattas in the Baltic Sea and in 2020 we will race in the Mediterranean finishing the year in the legendary Sydney – Hobart race 2020.

“We are super happy to pull this project together. Hard work, but now everything is ready both for the race results and race against sea pollution. Without a committed team and strong partners this wouldn´t been possible. Thank you everybody who are involved for the project. Special thanks to Anssi Lyden – the boat captain, who pulled together a team for refit and finished the boat in very short time perioid. We are ready to race” says project leader Samuli Leisti

The next challenge to the team lies only a few days ahead. We are attending Baltic Offshore Week 2019 that will be held in Helsinki 14–16 of June.

Press Material for release
Photos
Video

Partner contacts: Samuli Leisti, samuli@zer0emission.com
Media enquiries: Noora Westerlund, noora@zer0emission.com

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Zer°emission – Race against sea pollution

by Noora

May 14, 2019

News

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press release 05/14/2019

A love of the sea is at the heart of what we do. Sailors live from and for the sea. Our vulnerability to the natural elements is total. But one of the things we’re suffering the most from is not natural. Rather, it’s the opposite. We’ve seen plastic bottles, styrofoam, plastic bags, Crocs, and balloons floating in the harbours. The pollution in our sea is pretty unreal and tragic. We refuse to close our eyes anymore.

Zer°emission – the race against sea pollution has started.

The zer°emission project works to inspire sailors, race fans, our partners and race host cities to join us in our quest for cleaner seas. Our task is to raise awareness of sea pollution and offer a platform for discussion.

Zer°emission is there where it all happens. The team of sailors will participate in significant sailracing events during 2019-2020 with a modern TP52-class raceboat. We will work with fourteen race host cities throughout the program, striving to impact, influence and change views on marine sustainability during our stay and over the media. The Zer°emission project brings a Seabin trash skimmer to clean up the event marinas. The Seabin is donated to the project by Wärtsilä. The crew will also organize and participate in waste cleaning actions cleaning the Marinas and coasts before races.

Through our sustainability program our partners can utilize sailing sports affinity and visibility in media to raise awareness of the marine pollution. We will engage our audience with creative actions and programs created together with our partners. Our work is ongoing during our stay and through media.

The Zer°emission society consists of sailors and media professionals with only one task in mind – to win the race against sea pollution. One of the Zer°emission crew members is Finnish actor Mikko Leppilampi, who lost his heart to the sea whilst crossing the Atlantic. Leppilampi has joined us and wants to give his own effort to the work for cleaner seas.

Zer°emission team leader Samuli Leisti has seen a dramatic change in the conditions of our oceans through the years. “We have to act now and stop “just planning” actions for cleaning the seas. In my opinion sailing is naturally one of the most suitable sports to raise awareness of se pollution. The nature gives us a great possibility to do what we love, and we have to start giving back. Through the Zer°emission -project we want to perform tangible and noticeable acts for cleaner seas and motivate everyone to join us in our mission.”

Celebrating it’s 185 th birthday  Wärtsilä acts for a cleaner environment by developing clever technology. “A clean environment and the work we do for it guides our business and decision making. In addition to our own business we can influence in the state of our surroundings and the sea by these special co operations that we have participated in with Seabin and now with Zer°emission. Co operating and combining our forces for the climate is the right direction.” Atte Palomäki Executive Vice President, Communications, Branding & Marketing

In addition to Wärtsilä, our quest is supported by Mercedes-Benz, Finnlines, North Sails, Sas Institute, B&G ja B1G

Additional information: Zer°emission, Samuli Leisti, tel. +358 40 746 0958, samuli@zer0emission.com

Media material:
Press release
Press release in Finnish
Zer0emssion TP52
Zer0emission crew and partners at release event
Dropbox-link to files

Zer°emission – Race against sea pollution

2019 Helsinki | Tallinna | Stockholm | Hanko | Sandhamn | Lahti | Oxelosund | Turku

2020 Helsinki | Stockholm | Palma | St. Tropez | Sydney | Hobart

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The quest continues…

by Noora

April 1, 2019

News

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A love of the sea is at the heart of every sailor. The nature gives us this outstanding opportunity to do what we love, but the changes we have seen in the oceans are not natural. Rather they are unnatural.

We’ve seen plastic bottles, styrofoam, plastic bags, Crocs, and balloons, pretty much everything including a garden table. Before every start, we have to reverse, just for checking debris from our keel and rudders. The pollution in our sea is pretty unreal and tragic.

Our project started in 2010 as X Sail Racing team. During the years we have seen regattas and crossed oceans.

  • World Championships in Copenhagen 2015, 1st and 2nd
  • European ORC Championships in Pärnu 2015, 3rd 
  • Copa Del Ray Palma 2014, 4th and 5th
  • World Championships in San Remo Italy 2014, 4th and 5th
  • World Championships in Malmö Sweden 2013, 2nd and 4th
  • Nordic Championship in Copenhagen Denmark 2013, 1st and 2nd
  • World Championships in Badalona Spain 2012, 6th and 10th
  • ORCi World Championships 10th in class A Helsinki Finland 
  • Copa Del Rey Palma 2012, 5th and 7th
  • World Championships in Århus Denmark 2011, 10th and 12th
  • World Championships in Scarlino Italy 2010, 7th
  • Copa Del Ray Palma 2010, 5th 
  • World Championships in Kiel Germany 2009, 4th

Now it is time to sail for a greater cause. Not just the championships! Samuli Leisti has put together a team of skilled and committed sailors who are willing to make a change. To sail for a greater cause. That is why in the future we will Race against se pollution as a team called Zer0emission.

Additional information: Zer°emission, Samuli Leisti, tel. +358 40 746 0958, samuli@zer0emission.com

Zer°emission – Race against sea pollution

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