The Race for Water Odyssey in Guadeloupe

by Race for Water on 22 Sep 2017 After setting sail from Lorient on 10 April 2017 for a 5-year round the world voyage to raise awareness about plastic pollution of the oceans, the Race For Water, a fully autonomous solar-hydrogen-powered vessel, is arriving in Guadeloupe on Thursday 21 September.

With the support of La Région Guadeloupe, this 4-month stopover is the longest period of landfall for the Race for Water Foundation’s Ambassador catamaran. Their arrival is slightly later than first planned after they had to modify the ship’s course due to the passage of hurricane Maria.

During this stopover in Guadeloupe, a number of special events will take place regarding the problem of plastic waste: conferences, workshops, meetings, school visits and a science mission in the waters of the archipelago. We get the low-down on what promises to be a busy programme.

Programme for the stopover

In this way, with the boat just tied to the dock, Serge Pittet (CEO of the Race for Water Foundation) accompanied by Franck David (Head of Operations for the Race for Water Odyssey) will take the floor during a press conference presenting the Odyssey and the various solutions to turn plastic waste to energy as put forward by the Foundation. On 25-26-27 and 29 September, several classes from schools across Guadeloupe will have the opportunity to come and visit the exhibition aboard the vessel and meet the crew of the Odyssey.

The goal? To raise awareness among the young generations about the importance of preserving water whilst also encouraging them to make a difference. On 28 September, a “Plastic Waste to Energy” workshop will be organised aboard the Race for Water vessel in the morning. The main aim of this meeting is to gather together the economic, governmental and civilian protagonists involved in Waste Management so as they can learn from each other’s experiences, share in the different missions and efforts deployed in a bid to preserve the ocean and then find the best solution for tackling the problem of plastic pollution right around the world.

October is already shaping up to be a busy month with the arrival of scientists from the European Ephemare project for a 10-day study including the collection of plastic waste at sea. To round off this hectic programme, 11 October will herald a conference open to all at the Université des Antilles with the focus on marine pollution and the existing solutions.