Melbourne to Devonport “Rudder Cup”

Food (dinner and breakfast) at the event was hand prepared by volunteers and served on club-owned crockery and cutlery.

Perpetual trophies were awarded to overall winners, with place-getters awarded a bottle of local wine as a memento. Wool neck warmers were also awarded for special prize getters

Sustainability initiatives were platformed via ORCV social media channels (Facebook, Instagram + Whatsapp competitor channel), as well as compulsory pre-race skippers briefing.

When deciding on the species showcase feature, the Clean Oceans team engaged Natural Resource Management - North, an environmental focus group based in the north of Tasmania to discuss what species they wish to have platformed during our event. Sea Spurge, was decided upon due to its tans-Bass Strait links and relevance to other locations the ORVC operate out of

The ORCV use banners and signage that does not contain years or event-specific markers to ensure longevity and minimal required resources

Vegetarian options were available to sailors for all meals provided by the club, such as the wonderful waffles!

A waterfront clean-up was hosted, removing a huge amount of litter that would have other wise entered the river mouth and flowed to sea. Fishing line, cigarette butts, beverage containers, and even an oven door were recovered from the surrounding natural spaces in only 30 minutes - recyclable items were diverted from landfill where possible

Volunteers of the Mersey Yacht Club offered car-pooling spots to crews needing supplies etc as they were moving to and from the venue, as well as a club minibus being available to groups to pool together, combining multiple trips into one leg.

The invasive coastal weed, Sea Spurge, was platformed in our online Species Showcase in the lead up to the race, due to its widespread presence in the Devonport region and beyond. The showcase featured the origin of the pest, how it damages native ecosystems, and how people can become involved in removal efforts to improve the natural values of areas affected by it.

Each race, a sustainability challenge is set to crews, with prizes on offer for participants. This event, the sorting of on board rubbish and recyclables was set in an effort to foster considered provisioning, stowage and responsible waste handling. Guides were provided during skippers briefing, relevant to the Devonport area were operating out of.