By Order Of The Secretary
VIC
- Sail number
- SM371
- Type
- Cavalier 37
- Owner
- George Shaw
Recyled sails for Rolex Sydney Hobart Race a world first
The active factor’, skippered by explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan, will race with both the mainsail and yankee sail containing 25% - 30% recycled PET.
news
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For the first time in the 60 year history of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, an entrant will carry revolutionary recycled sails.
The 67-foot yacht, ‘the active factor’, skippered by explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan and sponsored by Coca-Cola, will race with both the mainsail and yankee sail containing 25% - 30% recycled PET.
“the active factor will be the only yacht in this year's fleet of 117 boats and in the history of the event to incorporate this ground-breaking environmentally friendly technology,” said Justin Dock, Materials Scientist at Dimension-Polyant, who manufactured the sailcloth.
The sails will be recycled after the race, with the recycled materials forming part of 13,000 600mL Coca-Cola bottles.
Skippering the active factor will be Robert Swan who in 1989 became the first person in history to reach both the South and North Pole on foot.
Robert returned from these trips a changed man. Shocked by his first-hand experiences of the environmental damage taking place on earth (being the first to walk under the ozone whole in the Antarctic and experiencing severe difficulties on reaching his destination on the North Pole journey due to early ice-meltdown), Swan’s life goal is now to draw attention to the environmental damage being inflicted on Antarctic.
As part of Coca-Cola in Australia’s commitment to encourage environmental sustainability and active lifestyles, the Coca-Cola Community Awards Youth Activity winner Brett Austine from Newcastle NSW will be part of the crew on board ‘the active factor' when it sets sail this Sunday, December 26 at 1.10pm from the start line off Nielsen Park.