Volvo Ocean Race initiative starts…
The Volvo Ocean Race is mounting a global campaign to raise awareness of the increasing pollution that is swirling in our oceans, threatening sea-life and washing ashore on beaches across the world.
Together with artist collective Skeleton Sea, the Volvo Ocean Race is voicing a call to arms for everyone to help reduce pollution and share in a simple message through the Keep the Oceans Clean! initiative.
Volvo Ocean Race Chief Executive Knut Frostad said Keep the Oceans Clean! creates an opportunity to make a global difference. “This is the project we have been searching for; it has meaning to the race, the sailors and supporters, who all have the chance to make a real difference,’’ he said. “The rubbish in the ocean is a concern for everyone. For Volvo Ocean Race sailors the rubbish not only pollutes their sporting arena but it can be problematic when they’re racing because it can catch on the keel, rudder and dagger boards and slow down the boat. Together with Skeleton Sea we will raise awareness of this problem, engage adults and children and inspire them to be part of the solution.’’
The Keep the Oceans Clean! team will lead beach cleans at all 10 Host Ports visited by the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12: From the remote and rugged coastal beaches of South Africa’s Cape Town to the pebbled shores and cool waters of Galway, Ireland.
Skeleton Sea’s founding artists João Parrinha of Portugal, Spain’s Luis de Dios and Xandi Kreuzeder from Germany will alternate as Artist in Residence at each Host Port. The artist will create a sculpture from the beach trash unique to each port with the help of local school children and the general public during interactive workshops.
A series of Skeleton Sea’s existing sculptures will also be displayed at the Race Village at each Host Port, which were visited by more than 3.9 million spectators during the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race.
Central to the Keep the Oceans Clean! initiative is Skeleton Sea’s Albatross Exhibitionist – a sculpture and short-film installation that tell the compelling story of the thousands of albatross killed each year because they fatally mistake rubbish for food (see: http://vimeo.com/24324755).
The imposing sculpture and six-minute film will be on show at the equally intriguing and inviting Keep the Oceans Clean! dome, which will follow the path of the 39,000 nautical mile ocean race.
Xandi Kreuzeder is hopeful that Skeleton Sea and the Volvo Ocean Race can inspire others to help keep the oceans clean. “It’s more important than ever for people to do their bit to protect the environment, even if it means picking up just a few bits of rubbish at their local beach,” he said. “If our message gets through to just a few people, then we believe it’s been worth all the effort.”
Keep the Oceans Clean! Project Coordinator Jacqui Smith said: “The initiative aims to increase awareness through the international platform of the Volvo Ocean Race of the central role oceans play in our lives and the importance of protecting them. For all of us, no matter where we live, the ocean is essential to our existence,’’ she said. “We need to respect the sea, look after it, and be stewards for this beautiful blue that makes up over 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface. Delivering the simple message of ‘keep the oceans clean!’ through beach cleans and workshops aims to inspire and encourage individuals to respect the oceans and think twice about how their actions can affect the marine environment, which collectively can make a real difference.”
In Alicante, a Community Beach Clean will be conducted at Postiguet Beach on Wednesday the 26th of October, and Workshops will be held between Saturday the 29th of October and Friday November 4th at the Alicante Race Village.
ABOUT THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE
The 39,000 nautical mile ocean race is the world’s longest and toughest sporting challenge. The 2011-12 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race will start in Alicante, Spain on October 29. The nine-month race includes stopovers at Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, Itajaí, Miami, Lisbon and Lorient. The fleet of six yachts crewed by the world’s most elite sailors will cross the finish line at Galway, Ireland in July 2012. This is the 11th edition of the ocean race, which began in 1973-74 as the Whitbread Round the World Race.
Check out www.volvooceanrace.com
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