Sailing Team - Carbon Challenge in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09
Carbon Challenge are aiming to be the final confirmed entrant in the world’s most watched ocean Race. Once we receive the necessary support to achieve this, it will allow us to use our high profile throughout the race’s 37,000 nautical mile course and 9 month duration to highlight the global warming emergency.
Our challenge is to be a competitive force in the race while, in our complete activities as a sailing campaign, emitting a carbon footprint which is 20% below that of a typical Volvo Ocean Race team.
Our residual carbon footprint will be offset using Gold Standard carbon offsets, so making Carbon Challenge carbon neutral throughout its campaign, just as the rest of Carbon Challenge’s operating units will remain carbon neutral throughout their lifetimes.
Using a pre-campaigned boat, our crew will have a harder job keeping up with the rest of the field. But that is part of the challenge – to outperform expectations by being carbon conscious rather than in spite of being carbon conscious.
Whether we are successful or not, by demonstrating competitiveness in one of the world’s toughest sports, where daily survival is a challenge, we will highlight carbon reduction as a policy that can be implemented quickly and embraced by the most ambitious companies, teams and individuals.
Additionally, an extensive supporting presence in the Race Villages at ten locations on five continents will enable us and our partners to also meet and train business leaders around the world. This will have the added effect of involving people in carbon reduction and providing them with tools to embark on their own paths in the Race against Global Warming.
On these pages, we will keep you up to date with developments from the Carbon Challenge sailing team in the countdown to the race start on 4 October 2008.
We will bring to you stories about the ideas, technologies and stories behind carbon saving measures employed at Carbon Challenge. We will show you the special initiatives we want to launch to highlight the global warming problem. And we will give you an inside look as our yacht and onshore preparations continue to take shape.
And then…
Following the completion of our participation in the Volvo Ocean Race, Carbon Challenge’s sailing resources will shift over to focus on participation in the America’s Cup – a move rather similar to changing from World Rally Championship cars to Formula One cars.
However due to the uncertain nature of the America’s Cup’s planned schedule, it is not possible to say more at this time.
