SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 22 January 2024 – The Australia SailGP Team and its Official Purpose Partner Parley for the Oceans have teamed up to offer a unique Sail For The Oceans program to inspire the next generation of Tharawal Indigenous youth in Sydney’s South West. The collaboration harnesses the power of sport to build a deeper connection with our oceans, ocean sailing, ocean education and leadership to teens growing up in the inner suburbs.
The new curriculum, developed by Parley and the Australia SailGP Team, is specifically designed for youth in urban areas, with the goal of bringing opportunities to communities that are historically underrepresented in both environmental and ocean sports education. The Australia team and Parley collaborated with the Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation to select eight First Nations youths from Tharawal who would benefit personally and socially from the experience of sailing.
Parley’s Oceans 101 education program was delivered to the First Nations Tharawal youths over the weekend, which introduced them to the oceans through the words, knowledge and experiences of legendary ocean heroes.
Participants then embarked on a two day Start Yachting program at the Flying Fish Sailing School in Mosman, offering the added experience of one-night accommodation onboard the 40 feet sailing yachts. Australia SailGP Team strategists Nina Curtis and Tash Bryant were in attendance, providing coaching and mentorship to the youth on the water as they learnt the fundamentals of sailing.
Australia Team strategist, Nina Curtis said “SailGP and our team is committed to building a sustainable sport and playing a leading role in diversifying sailing. This was a fantastic opportunity for us to give the joy and experience of sailing to these young people – something that is inaccessible for many of them and something we want to change as part of this program.
“I absolutely loved being out on the water with them this weekend and seeing them not only learn a new skill but also leave inspired by the role they can play in protecting and becoming guardians of our Oceans,” Curtis said.
In the lead up to KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney, Tharawal youths will also participate in a beach clean up of plastics and debris with the Australia Team and event partners, followed by a behind the scenes tour of the Australia SailGP Team Base on Glebe Island.
Darryl Wright AM, CEO of Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation shared in the success of the program saying, “Our Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation young people had an outstanding opportunity to connect with the ocean and SailGP, and experience sailing for the first time… to learn to love sailing as a sport, build commitment to ocean awareness, and share in the achievement of new skills.
“Our commitment to country will be carried out by our youth participants as they join the beach clean up, removing plastic waste and debris with the SailGP team. We are proud to be part of this program that combines our traditional values and our commitment to enhancing health and wellbeing.”
The Sail For The Oceans program, in partnership with Parley For The Oceans, is one of the Australia Team’s initiatives for the SailGP Impact League – a sport-first, integrated league designed to make sustainability action essential to the fabric of sport, make athlete activism the norm and in order to help mitigate climate change. Ultimately creating two podiums, one for sport and a second podium for the planet.
Cyrill Gutsch, Founder and CEO of Parley For The Oceans said, “Parley is proud to be delivering the Sail For The Oceans program in partnership with the Australia SailGP Team.
Parley hopes to inspire a new wave of ocean guardians to appreciate the oceans and feel motivated to stand up and protect them.
The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney will take place on the 24-25 of February, with thousands of Australian fans expected to descend on Sydney Harbour to witness the Australia Team compete against nine rival nations. The event is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s lead agency for tourism and major events, Destination NSW.
For further information on the event and to purchase tickets visit SailGP.com/Sydney.
ABOUT SAILGP // SailGP is the world’s most exciting racing on water. The global
championship features national teams battling in short, intense races at iconic stadium-style
venues across the globe. The high-tech, high-speed action features sailing’s best athletes
racing in identical hydrofoiling F50 catamarans, flying at speeds approaching 100 km/h. SailGP
also races for a better future, championing a world powered by nature. Visit SailGP.com for
more information.
ABOUT PARLEY // PARLEY FOR THE OCEANS is a global network where creators, thinkers
and leaders raise awareness about the beauty and fragility of our oceans and act together on
projects that can end their destruction.
With a focus on climate change, marine plastic pollution, overfishing and deep-sea exploration,
Parley brings world experts together with major brands, governments, youth leaders and
environmentalists to view the issues through a multidisciplinary lens and approach solutions
from all angles.
ABOUT THARAWAL ABORIGINAL CORPORATION // Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation
provides medical care, family and community support services, social and emotional services,
outreach support and health education services for Aboriginal communities of the South
Western region of Sydney.
South Western Sydney is one of the most ethnically diverse populations in NSW. Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people comprise approximately 5% of the region, and 13% of the local
suburb, notable for its high levels of disadvantage.
