This ye

For
the first time The Green Blue is helping boats at this year’s Aberdeen
Asset Management Cowes Week Regatta to make their boating experience
more sustainable.

As part
of The Green Blue’s goal to reduce pollution on the water, each boat has
been provided with environmentally-friendly products including a bottle
of phosphate-free washing up liquid and for
all boats in Black Group classes, a bilge sock.

For The
Green Blue, the joint environment project of the RYA and BMF, minimising
pollution is an important target area and thanks to funding from the
Environment Agency the project has been able to
provide advice and products for the Regatta and local stakeholders to
raise environmental awareness and make an immediate difference.

Phosphates
in cleaning products can cause algal blooms and oxygen depletion which
in turn can suffocate aquatic life so it makes sense to use phosphate
free products on board.  Bilge socks are an
inexpensive and simple way to prevent oil and fuel pollution. The sock
sits in the bilge to absorb hydrocarbons which otherwise would be pumped
out with the bilge water.

The
Green Blue has also provided fuel collars to Cowes Harbour Commission
and Yarmouth Harbour for use on their fuel pontoons. The collars sit
around the fuel nozzles and catch drips and blowback
when boats are being refuelled, preventing spills into the water.

Jane
Swan, The Green Blue Project Manager said: “We are delighted to be
working with Cowes Week for the very first time. Their support for
sustainable boating, along with Aberdeen Asset Management’s
commitment to the environment, has opened the way for us to make a
difference to one of the largest and oldest regattas in the world. A
great example is the recyclable bow stickers provided by AAM, with both
the sticker and backing fully recyclable at the
end of the week.”

Stuart
Quarrie, CEO of Cowes Week Limited added: “We try and do our bit where
we can to make the regatta as sustainable as possible, but The Green
Blue have some great, practical ways to support us
with this in longer term. We very much look forward to further
developing our relationship with The Green Blue Project over time.”