RHKYC Team Agiplast, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s challenger for the Youth America’s Cup 2020/2021, has partnered with the Clean Seas campaign in the battle against marine plastic pollution.
Aymeric Gillard of Youth America’s Cup entry RHKYC Team Agiplast
The United Nations Environment Programme launched Clean Seas in February 2017 with the aim of engaging governments, the public and the private sector in the fight against marine plastic pollution. Over five years, this campaign aims to address the root-cause of marine litter by targeting the production and consumption of single-use plastic.
In 2016, RHKYC became one of the first yacht clubs to ban single-use plastic bottles, bags and straws. Following the new partnership, the club and RHKYC Team Agiplast will promote Clean Seas and its values, create education plans to highlight the problems of plastic pollution, and inspire through example.
Agiplast, sponsor of the club’s Youth America’s Cup entry, has been regenerating plastics for over 25 years and its main focus is to supply processing companies globally with sustainable plastic raw materials, so eliminating the need for virgin plastic materials.
Youth America’s Cup: RHKYC Team Agiplast Selects First Five Sailors
Max Dubreuil, Partner, Agiplast, said: “For Agiplast, the Youth America’s Cup challenge is already a very exciting journey. To create a deeper meaning to our involvement as a plastic regeneration compounder, we initiated this partnership with Clean Seas. This pledge is a commitment for all parties involved to act better, plan better and do more when it comes to plastic waste reduction.
“This pledge is a way for us to further educate when it comes to plastic waste. Our mission is to reduce ocean waste, and make sure scrap materials are collected and channelled back into new materials with the same grade as a virgin material.”
Youth America’s Cup: Chris Rashley To Coach RHKYC Team Agiplast
Calum Gregor, Nicolai Jacobsen, Maria Cantero, Jackie Truhol and Aymeric Gillard are RHKYC Team Agiplast’s first five sailors. Sailors in the Youth America’s Cup 2020/21 must be over 18 by November 1, 2020, and under 25 by March 12, 2021. Chris Rashley, an experienced international foiling coach from the UK, is the team’s head coach.
The Youth America’s Cup will begin with a fleet-racing seeding event in China in November, followed by a match racing event in Auckland from February 18-23 with the finals held from March 8-12 outside the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.