Ocean Wise Named as Race for the Future Partner of Canada SailGP Team

Montreal, May 7, 2022 – Canada SailGP Team is pleased to join forces with Ocean Wise just days before the Team’s debut in SailGP Season 3, which starts with the Bermuda Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess on 14-15 May.    

As the Team’s Race for the Future partner, Ocean Wise will collaborate with the Team to inspire the nation through sport.  The comprehensive outreach, education and inclusivity plan focussed on protecting and restoring our ocean.  The partnership will be the cornerstone of the Team’s Purpose and Impact strategy, which includes the We CAN Foil development programme that will roll out across Canada this summer.

SailGP teams not only compete intensely on the water, but are also scored on their efforts to make a positive difference for our planet in the first ever podium for the planet – The Impact League, celebrating Teams’ positive actions in social and environmental sustainability. The Impact League will be closely following the Teams’ efforts to educate on and mitigate the impacts of climate change, setting a new standard in sport.

“The ocean is our race track, so we understand first hand the importance of protecting and restoring it.  We are very pleased to be partnering with Ocean Wise on this important part of our Team’s programme and look forward to working with their team to really make a difference in Canada, but also in all the countries we will compete in,” said Canada SailGP Team CEO, Jean-Sébastien Chénier Proteau. 

“The partnership between Ocean Wise and the Canada SailGP Team is an opportunity to put Canada on the map with regards to ocean conservation,” said Lasse Gustavsson, CEO of Ocean Wise. “Together with the Canada SailGP Team, we’ve set our sights on winning the Impact League. We’ll do this by building ocean positivity programs into their DNA from day one!

“Canada SailGP Team is changing the face of sailing in Canada, building a new and diverse generation of sailors and ocean lovers! I am very excited to say that Ocean Wise will be part of this feat.”

Canada has the world’s longest coastline and the Team has already set the ambitious goal to clean up 10% of this distance.  Using Ocean Wise’s data collection technology, the Team will measure and report on all clean ups, as well as engage local community groups to participate.  The Team’s first shoreline clean up expedition will take place in Bermuda this week.

Recognizing the critical importance the ocean plays in the fight against climate change, another Ocean Wise initiative that the Team will be supporting is kelp sea reforestation in British Columbia and other parts of the world.  The Team will also be working with our partners to foster technological innovation toward cleaner energy.

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

CANADA SAILGP TEAM

Canada SailGP Team is an independent team that will debut in SailGP in Season 3. The team and its partners are committed to being a catalyst for the growth of the sport of sailing in Canada and creating a pathway for athletes to proudly represent Canada. The We CAN Inspire and We CAN Foil programmes will also broaden our nation’s understanding of the importance of protecting the world’s ocean. sailgp.com/teams/canada 

OCEAN WISE

Ocean Wise is a globally focused conservation organisation on a mission to protect and restore the world’s oceans. Through research, education, direct-action conservation and field projects, we empower communities to act for ocean health. We are focused on tackling three critical ocean challenges: overfishing, ocean pollution and climate change. Ocean Wise works around the world with headquarters in Canada. Learn more about Ocean Wise programs at ocean.org. 

Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup is one of the largest direct-action conservation programs in Canada. In 2021, Ocean Wise expanded the program to the United States, with cleanups in California and Texas. Shoreline Cleanup aims to collect valuable data on litter in the environment and promote understanding of shoreline litter issues by encouraging everyone to rehabilitate shoreline areas through cleanups. In Canada, the Shoreline Cleanup is presented by Loblaw Companies Limited and the United States Founding Sponsor is Tru Earth. 

Seaforestation, the restoration and growth of kelp forests,  is one of Ocean Wise’s solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. Kelp forests are rich habitat for marine life, including commercially important fish and invertebrates. The forests protect the coast from the impacts of extreme weather events. They naturally capture carbon in large volumes in seaweed tissue, some of which gets trapped in the ocean floor for centuries. And if we find ways to use fast-growing seaweed and work with its natural processes, sea forestation can be a powerful player in fighting climate change. 

​​CONTACTS

CANADA SAILGP TEAM

Jennifer Hall, Head of Marketing and Communications I [email protected] I +39 375 658 8515 +1 339 368 6338

OCEAN WISE
Nicholas Schulz, Director of Communications and Engagement I [email protected] I +1 604 659 3752