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On Friday, a solemn delegation at the Klaipeda yacht harbor welcomed the prestigious race with the impressive Volvo 65 class yachts.
“This is a historic day, a prestigious regatta is starting in Klaipeda. At the same time, athletes will take samples and collect data on pollution in different parts of the Baltic Sea. Laboratories will know the state of the water in different parts of the Baltic Sea. I am grateful to the teams, because it means extra weight in the competition and I work to take samples, ”said Virginijus Sinkevičius, European commissioner, skipper of the race.
Photo by Domo Rimeika / Rirchard Brisius, leader of The Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race is not just a sporting event, but also a message about sustainable consumption, ocean ecology and global warming.
This year, race participants will sample from a variety of ocean locations that are often difficult for scientists to reach. The composition of the water and the amount of microplastics will be controlled in laboratories.
According to R. Oceanis, director of The Ocean Race, most of the knowledge about the ocean is superficial. “I call the ocean all the waters in the world. When we look at it from space, our planet is blue. But what do we know about the ocean?” He said. 15 minutes. According to him, our knowledge of the area of water that covers most of the planet is zero.
“When we go to the beach, we see the water, the surface of the water. But that knowledge often ends there. After all, on land we react when we see dry trees, brown grass. And we don’t see what processes are going on underwater.” said R. Brisius.
Photo by Domo Rimeika / Prologue of The Ocean Race Europe in Klaipeda
During the “Green Course” conference broadcast from Klaipeda on Friday, the sustainability course was discussed. Remigijus Buožius, head of the Ambersail-2 team and head of the global program, who organized the conference, it is a great honor to have chosen the Lithuanian port city as the starting point of the race. It is also the fact that this is where the research begins.
The sailors’ message about a sustainable approach to the environment around us will also reach Lithuanian educational institutions: a lot of material has been translated into Lithuanian and educational films have been prepared.
“Environmental problems should not be limited to environmentalists. Everyone should think about this: both in business and in sport. In general, we need to change attitudes by thinking about what we consume. That is the chair I am sitting in. You have to worry about how it is made, what it is made of, “said R. Brisius visually.
The organizers of the prestigious sailing competition, The Ocean Race, continue the good practice of combining sports with environmental objectives.
Klaipeda residents and city guests will be able to enjoy impressive yachts on Saturdays and Sundays. Sunday around 11 pm Yachts with Lithuanian, Swedish, Polish and Austrian crews will dock at the Klaipeda cruise terminal and start the journey on the first stage of the Klaipeda – Gdynia competition.
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