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SailGP recently returned to New York City for round 6 of its world tour and the FanAmp team wasted no time diving into the fan experience. While above the surface high-stakes battles were waged in front of the Statue of Liberty, below the surface a more subtle yet equally important competition unfolds: SailGP’s Impact League.
Environmental initiatives across racing series have earned more prominence in recent years, such as Formula 1’s Net Zero 2030 pledge and IndyCar’s transition to fully renewable race fuels, yet SailGP’s Impact League is so engrained in the series’ DNA that we wanted to witness first-hand how they put it into practice.
Hint: I very quickly learned my lesson about plastic bottles.
It all starts with awareness
But before I share that story, let’s start where I did: asking Martine Grael, driver for the Mubadala Brazil SailGP team and ocean pollution activist, how she felt about SailGP’s efforts to preserve the planet.
“In every company, in every household there’s always things that need to be better. And just pushing the awareness is very important. And I think it’s the number one thing that the league does.”
She went on to explain how awareness is just one element in what I’ve interpreted as the recipe for change:
- Spread awareness
- Design practical solutions
- Inspire action in others
From its “Powered by Nature” slogan to the Jumbotrons displaying which teams are leading the league through their social impact efforts, SailGP puts awareness front and center for every guest that interacts with the sport.
It’s even woven into the competition as Tom Herbert-Evans, Head of Community Engagement for SailGP, explained. “The fascinating thing is the boats can do four times the natural wind speed. So they're using nature and multiplying its energy source.” Showing, not telling, that wind power can be converted into high-octane racing is what draws people in.
Solutions you can actually implement
Just like how sails were invented to make boat travel faster and more efficiently, SailGP is constantly looking for ways to optimize its operation in ways that further its mission.
One of the biggest optimizations the sport focused on was event production. While the broadcast reaches fans the same as for other sports - on TVs and tablets - SailGP aims to minimize travel, particularly by plane, for any non-essential personnel. That meant figuring out how to direct the action from thousands of miles away.
The answer: centralize the production team in London. Per Tom, “There's probably around 300 official staff at an event. There's about 50 to 60 staff in the production office.”
The video feed is piped to London where the team can polish and broadcast the finished product to spectators in-person and around the world.
Furthermore, the umpires can now work remotely. “They used to chase people around on boats. Now they just sit and press buttons. Big red buttons. And you'll hear some news today. There may be a penalty issue to one of the teams from a collision yesterday. They're making that decision remotely,” Tom said excitedly.
Beyond remote operations, on-site innovations are key.
While the original course markers had to be anchored into position, the SailGP developed markers powered by electric propulsion systems that can be remotely positioned via an iPhone or tablet. These new markers preserve the seabed and have the added benefit of more easily keeping the action in front of spectators as the winds shift.
SailGP has also partnered with Aggreko for more sustainable energy solutions for their mobile bases of operation. This includes leveraging solar fields to charge battery banks, and leveraging biofuels when battery power isn’t an option.
Inspire others to bring about the change you want to see
Remember when I mentioned learning my lesson about plastic bottles?
It's directly connected with the final ingredient in Martine’s recipe. You see, SailGP isn’t just leading by example, it’s consciously changing the fan experience in specific ways to educate and inspire others to take action long after the race, like a wake chasing a boat that has long since passed by.
When I travel, I often end up buying a plastic bottle at an airport that I’ll reuse for weeks instead buying a new one with every meal. It was my way of ‘being green.’ I just so happened to bring a bottle with me to SailGP that I had been using since the Indy 500 a couple weeks prior. Lana Mihelčič, Media Operations Manager for SailGP, saw it and quickly reminded me of their no plastic bottle policy. And it wasn’t just me. All guests are reminded that refillable bottles are mandatory at SailGP events.
In fact, there were volunteers patrolling the grounds with green shirts and can-shaped backpacks which they filled with any recyclables. They were smiling and using the claws to playfully collect cans from guests.
And it extends further; there’s an emphasis on plant-based foods (the media center menu was entirely meat-free) and everyone reaches the race stadium using public transportation.
Balancing cause and spectacle
While combatting climate change and protecting the environment are critical causes, there is a delicate balance that must be achieved to rally everyone in the same direction. Fans are coming to be entertained. They are expecting creature comforts and convenience which can often be at odds with the personal sacrifices - or at least the conscious decision-making - required to do good.
What was nice to see with SailGP was how naturally and unapologetically their efforts fold into the fan experience without making people feel ‘less than’ or uncomfortable. There were hot dogs for sale and you could opt to watch from your own boat versus making the trek on public transportation, but the masses seemed to go with the flow without it detracting from their overall experience.
So, do you need to bring a refillable water bottle to SailGP? Yes.
Is that the end of the world? Thanks to your efforts, no...
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