Hey savvy friends,
It’s time for a savvy update and this week is a corker!
- It’s world seagrass day - find out why that’s cool
- James Cyigenza helps set a new World Sailing Speed Record
- Adventure is out there: sail a luxury Phinisi in Indonesia
- Meet the female athletes plotting a course for SailGP history
- Go off-grid in Patagonia
Let's get started…
It’s World Seagrass Day 🐢
Sound random? Well, here’s why it’s cool…
The United Nations declared March 1st, as World Seagrass Day to raise awareness of the threats these essential marine habitats face.
Seagrass meadows are one of the planet's most valuable coastal marine ecosystems. They provide essential habitats for a diverse range of marine life and help to improve water quality. They’re also invaluable carbon stores.
Did you know…
- Seagrass meadows combat climate change by absorbing and storing huge amounts of carbon
- They are up to 35 times more efficient at absorbing carbon than rainforests of the same area
- Despite only covering 0.2% of the Ocean floor, seagrasses store 10% of the Ocean’s carbon.
A recent census estimated that 7% of this key marine habitat is being lost worldwide per year.
These important ecosystems are under threat due to pollution, anchoring, climate change, dredging and unregulated fishing.
Let’s help make a difference…
We’re now showing the location of existing seabeds and eco-moorings around the South West of the UK, after building UK-wide sensitive seabed data we will then focus on European waters and beyond.
Find out more about our global campaign with Clean Sailors and The Ocean Conservation Trust to help facilitate seagrass conservation by the boating community.
Into the record books they go…
James Cyigenza becomes the first African American to help set a World Sailing Speed Record
289 nautical miles. 12 hours. Scream reaching 23 knots aboard a “three-hulled rocket ship,” designed for speed over comfort - crossing the finish line in the dead of night.
It was under these conditions that James Cyigenza became the first African American to help set a World Sailing Speed Record.
From escaping the Rwandan genocide to setting sailing speed records, the 40-year-old has come a long way since arriving in the United States.
Would you like to sail the luxurious Phinisi in Indonesia?
How would it feel to wake up to a myriad of jungle-covered islets speckled amongst crystal turquoise waters? Could you imagine yourself cruising in a wooden boat far removed from the bustle of daily life surrounded by absolutely no one but the marine wildlife below your hull and exotic birds chattering away overhead?
It might sound like a dream however it’s anything but for those adventuring on a Phinisi.
These luxury vessels are handcrafted by builders in Sulawesi and take years to lovingly produce. They are so authentic and distinctive that they were recognized by UNESCO on the list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” making them the perfect vessels to meld with the surroundings, exploring these remote eastern Indonesian islands.
Ready for an adventure?
The female athletes plotting a course for SailGP history
Last month’s SailGP event in Singapore offered a perfect example of how traditional barriers are coming down on the high seas.
Each of the boat’s crews carries two grinders, usually a pair of towering men with huge biceps whose arms can generate the same power output as an Olympic rower’s legs.
When the US boat won the second race of the heats, however, there was a woman at the winch. She was 5ft 4in and 19 years old.
Meet CJ Perez and her crew of ladies who are leading the physics-defying, high-speed sport of Formula One Sailing by annihilating barriers for future generations to come.
Discover history in the making.
Hello Patagonia - explore stunning barren landscapes by boat
Just as Everest mountaineers have the Himalayan Base Camp, some say those sailing Patagonia have Mar del Plata which is last main town in Argentina before the coast gets more rugged and inhospitable. Those who pass this point can expect to sail through the wilderness of the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties.
“Three-and-a-half months and 40 anchorages after leaving Puerto Williams, we have reached Puerto Montt, and managed to sail almost the entire distance. Patagonia has left us with a deep appreciation of the wilderness and a reinforced belief that we need to conserve it for future generations.”
Check out this fascinating account of Ivar Smits and Floris van Hees as they head south sailing Patagonia and through the Chilean fjords.
