As the 52 SUPER SERIES gets set to visit new territory, the world’s leading grand prix monohull racing circuit going racing in Newport, Rhode Island for the first time with two events back-to-back in June and July, long-time supporters and hydration suppliers Bluewater have increased their commitment.
From the showcase Newport events onwards, Sweden’s Bluewater – a world leader in innovative water purification and beverage solutions – are supplying two new mobile, slimline purified water stations, doubling the circuit’s capacity to supply fresh, clean drinking water for crews, staff and visitors to the regatta sites. Since the first Bluewater dispensing system was supplied to the 52 SUPER SERIES in 2015 it is estimated that up to 110,000 litres of fresh, clean drinking water has been dispensed, equalling a saving of over half-a-million single use 500ml water bottles. On average, this Bluewater partnership is estimated to save some 30,000 single use plastic bottles from being used per season.
The system is universally popular across all the competing teams. All use the Bluewater station each and every morning, typically each team drawing off 40 to 50 litres per day to ensure their sailors remain fully hydrated over the course of competition days. For example, a grinder – who drives the pedestal winch – will drink between four and eight litres per day.
Teams not only find the system practical but all subscribe fully to the sustainablity ethos and messaging which is part of the 52 SUPER SERIES’ DNA. Increasingly, the Bluewater systems are now also being used by public visitors passing through the event site, particularly where that is a marina which is busy, such as Puerto Portals, Mallorca or Saint Tropez, France, which is extending the messaging and making more and more people aware of the alternatives to plastic bottles.
“We are delighted to be extending this popular initiative which has long since become part of the fabric of our daily lives at 52 SUPER SERIES events. Hopefully we are leading by example and more big sailing events and marina facilities will look at drinking water supplies and make this the norm. We are very grateful to Bluewater for their increased support.”
Lars Böcking, 52 SUPER SERIES Sustainability Officer said.
Bluewater founder and CEO Bengt Rittri, a highly regarded Swedish ecopreneur, said:
“We invested in supporting the 52 SUPER SERIES almost a decade ago because we wanted to contribute to their ambition to end the need for single-use plastic bottles. Bluewater has set its sights on being the world’s most planet-friendly water company by innovating and marketing disruptive hydration solutions for home, work, and play. We are hugely pleased to have the 52 SUPER SERIES as a partner in driving the efforts to mitigate climate change and end the need for the throwaway plastic tsunami threating our planet.”
