Event Details | |
| Host | Ocean Racing Club of Victoria |
| Location | ALBERT PARK, Australia |
| Certification Level | Silver |
| Website Link | https://www.orcv.org.au/ |
Best Practices Achieved
1. Eliminate Single-Use Water Bottles and Provide Water Refill Stations
Plastic water bottles were not used at this event, Participants were asked to refill reusable bottles at local food vendors and restaurants surrounding the Sailors Village, Taps were also available in the boat rafting area.
2. Eliminate Plastic Straws
Plastic straws were not available at this event.
4. Skip Bags or Go Reusable
No single use bags were used at this event, Packs supplied to boats and crews were delivered in upcycled cardboard boxes.
5. Award Practical Items or Use a Perpetual or Upcycled Trophy
All trophies awarded by ORCV are perpetual trophies, practical items or vouchers.
6. Publicize Your Sustainability Efforts
ORCV's efforts for this event were shared widely among social media platforms as well as during the pre-race skippers briefing to all boats competing.
7. Involve Local Organizations
In conjunction with best practice #16, we connected with The Handfish Conservation Project to platform their work in protecting "the worlds rarest fish" in the Hobart region (our race finish location).
We also partnered with Recolab, a local maker of bags using sailcloth that would typically go to landfill. Recolab held a stall in the Sailors Village and collected dead sails from boats as they arrived in Hobart.
8. Post Educational and Reusable Signage
Included in the skippers packs prior to the race we included reusable, waterproof signs for crews to place in their boat on how to correctly sort their boat generated waste and how to dispose responsibly when at the finish destination.
ORCV uses reusable signs and banners year after year for events.
9. Serve Local Food or Source Seafood Sustainably
Participants at the Sailors Village were able to make use of the surrounding restaurants and vendors who serve locally produced and caught food/seafood.
A local Hobart brewery was the primary beverage provider in the Sailors Village
10. Organize a Green Team
Lillian Stewart is the dedicated ORCV sustainability volunteer who coordinated the pre-race and on ground efforts. Lillian and our small volunteer team collectively engaged with crews and boats in Hobart, directing them of how to best utilise our rope and sail upcycling initiatives, and discussing how to improve waste management on board during long offshore races. Lillian and the ground team were also on the lookout for litter generated by the event and assisted those sorting waste correctly at bins.
11. Ensure Proper Waste Bin Placement and Signage
General waste and recycling bins were provided throughout the village area, each with clear signage on what items can be placed within.
13. Use Paperless Event Management
Our race management team are constantly seeking ways to reduce the reliance on printed material during events. Social media and bulk text messages are used for reminders, deadlines and notifications to participants.
16. Increase Awareness of Wildlife and Habitat Protection
Best Practice #7 outlines our collaboration with the Handfish Conservation project. The waterways at our race finish destination contain habitat of the critically endangered Handfish, We presented a series of infographics identifying the species and reasons why they are critically endangered. We also identified actionable measures that boaters can take to reduce impact to the local environment while in the area.
20. Encourage Green Boating Practices
In the lead up to the event, we posted "A tip a day" for crews to consider as they prepare boats for the race.
