Cowes Week builds on sustainability initiative for 2019

Cowes Week builds on sustainability initiative for 2019 © Paul Wyeth / CWL

Cowes Week Ltd, organisers of Cowes Week, the world's largest regatta and a highlight of the British Summer Season, is continuing to work towards making the event more sustainable with the event due to begin on Saturday 10th August.

CWL is signed up to the Sailors for the Sea 'Clean Regattas Programme', a voluntary, self-assessment tool that provides a system to benchmark what the environmental footprint is today and set goals for the future. Cowes Week has achieved a Silver Certification.

This year, CWL has taken the decision not to give competitors bow stickers or decals for their boats in what is sure to be a popular move with the increasing concern about plastic entering the sea. It is, however, recognised that bow stickers are a useful branding tool for the event and for sponsors, especially in images and CWL has come up with an innovative solution: using virtual bow stickers, which will be applied to a range of images, post-production for use by the press and in event communications and marketing.

CWL will also not be issuing competitor wristbands, which in the past have not been recyclable. Instead all competitors will be able to use a code in the event App in order to access a range of competitor-specific benefits including offers and discounts across the regatta.

CWL would like to encourage all competitors to avoid single-use plastic and to instead use refillable water bottles. CWL will be once again working with aql, Cowes Week's Official Communications sponsor, who will be installing water sensors on the Sunsail-funded water fountains situated at Cowes Yacht Haven and Shepards Marina to monitor usage throughout the week.

On the water, all the regatta support boats will be supplied with large water canisters to allow crew to refill throughout the day. Cowes Week Ltd is once again encouraging local shops and cafés to offer free water refills to anyone with a re-usable drinks bottle. Businesses interested in joining the scheme will be given a sticker indicating their participation to the public.

Find out more at www.sailorsforthesea.org/programs/clean-regattas and www.cowesweek.co.uk