Sustainable Boat Building
Driving action and collaboration within the boat building industry
Since 2017, The Ocean Race has hosted four Sustainable Boat Building Innovation Workshops. The series has brought together leading industry companies and race teams to identify opportunities for innovation and to address the key systemic challenges facing the transition to a sustainable future.
Competitive sailing has been following a high performance, high speed, ‘win at any cost model' for years. This comes with an environmental cost due to the energy and waste intensive nature of the boat building process. Transitioning the industry to a more sustainable model is complex. It requires us to challenge the underlying paradigms of our sport, address industry path dependency, develop supportive mechanisms [rules, finance, data] and innovate under new constraints, with new goals.
There is a broad range of challenges, however there are also practical, immediate actions that can progress the industry on the road to 2030, to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50%.
Together workshop participants have co-created an Industry Roadmap 2030 under the pillars of Materials, Waste, Energy & Enablers (Collaboration, LCA, Rules & Sponsor Value). The workshop series has also delivered this report as well as this overview document of impact-reducing actions that can be taken immediately.
During the 4th Innovation Workshop in September 2021 the participants focused in on the need for a shared industry platform for hosting case studies, materials data and best practices, see Kumu graph, and this idea was further developed in a digital check in session in March 2022.
BARRIERS & ENABLERS
The greatest barrier identified by the industry during this series was a lack of knowledge in alternative materials and processes, closely followed by a lack of finance for R&D and boat speed as the key indicator of performance.
The greatest enabler was identified as increasing demand from clients, followed by changes to the racing rules and a better selection of sustainable products.
THE ROAD AHEAD
To continue the momentum of this engaged group of participants - and ensure the legacy of the Innovation Workshop eries - The Ocean Race is donating this work to the newly formed Sustainable Marine Alliance, at the end of 2022. The Alliance is an industry association with the mission of advancing the integration of sustainability into the recreational marine industry through increased collaboration, knowledge sharing and alignment of initiatives.
The Sustainable Marine Alliance is committed to the continued development of the shared industry platform, hosting future innovation workshops and working with the industry to progress the 2030 Roadmap.
This roadmap has been co-created with the input of over 80 companies and we need EVERYONE to drive this forward! If you would like more information on how you can get involved or you can see a specific area that you or your company can contribute to, please contact The Sustainable Marine Alliance.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE ORGANISATIONS WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS INITIATIVE
AkzoNobel, Anthesis, Atelier Interface, Audélor, Ave-Chimera, Bass-Pro Shops, BComp, BK Yacht Design, Bristol University, Brunswick Corporation, Carrington Boats, CDK Technologies, Composites Evolution, Défi Azimut, DMG Mori Sailing Team, Doyles Sails, DSM, Energy Cluster Denmark, ENS Rennes, EuroLarge Innovation, European Boating Industry Association, Everial, Exo Technologies, Fédération des Industries Nautiques, Foiling Week / Sumoth Sustainable Design Challenge, Future Fibres, Generation 21, Gottifredi Maffioli, Greenboats, GS4C, GSea Design, Gurit, Guillaume Verdier Architecture Navale, Hall Spars, Harken, ICOMIA, IMOCA, International Optimist Dinghy Association, Kairos, King Marine, Inner Loop Solutions, Julian Bethwaite, Lorima, Mackay Boats, MerConcept, Mission for the Future team, MultiPlast, National Composites Centre UK, Navico, North Sails, OceansLab, Oceanvolt, Offshore Rigging Services, Outremer Catamarans, Ovington Boats, Ox Eye, Permare SRL / Amer Yachts, Philip Briand, RIMTA, Royal Yachting Association, Schütz Composites, Southern Spars NZ, Southern Wind Yachts, Starboard, Swell Marine Innovation Funding, Team AkzoNobel, Team Malizia, The Carbon Trust, The Ocean Race, The Race Around, Transat Jacques Vabre, Université de Nantes, Wessex Resins, Williams Jet Tenders, World Sailing, VPLP, 11th Hour Racing, 11th Hour Racing Team / 1 Degree.