We are delighted to announce the launch of ReSail – a brand new initiative created by Clean Sailors to prolong the life of sailing materials and resources.
The platform, which follows a successful pilot launched in the South West in 2021, allows sailors to search for and find local drop-off points and gives them the opportunity to upcycle a range of products such as sails, bags and sheets, so that once their time on the water has come to an end, they can help give them a new life and purpose.
Whilst most materials used for sailing are built to withstand some of the toughest conditions on our plant including UV light, saltwater and wind, they don’t last forever, and they all have a time limit on their initial use. Currently, for example, 97 per cent of all sails end up in landfill and here at Clean Sailors, we are determined to bring that number down.
But upcycling is just one way we can do this. Through ReSail, Clean Sailors will also be encouraging change at the constructional stage of sail making. We achieve this, for example, by working with sailmakers to better understand the science behind the materials used so that other industries outside of sailing can explore, with more knowledge and confidence, additional uses for them and ultimately prolong the life of the initial materials used.
Clean Sailors founder and sailor Holly Manvell, responsible for the creation of other initiatives including the well-known Cleaner Marina, has been passionate about sails since an early age and has witnessed first-hand the waste that they can create.
‘’As sailors, we all yearn for the freeing, nature-powered feeling that only a well-rigged sail can provide. Whether it be a colourful kite propelling you downwind, a reefed main giving you the comfort you need or a tightly trimmed headsail beating you upwind, we often forget that sails are in fact, highly engineered materials, built to last. We have a massive opportunity to help facilitate the reuse of existing end-of-life sail fabrics,” said Manvell.
‘’We launched ReSail to give sails, and other sailing materials, the chance of a longer life, whether again in our sailing world or another industry. Through better understanding the construction behind such materials, we can significantly reduce the waste that, unfortunately, is created in our industry. We’re already working with some fantastic partners on this project who share our passion and vision for making sailing a more sustainable practice, and can’t wait to do more.’’
Clean Sailors, a not-for-profit, was set up in 2020 to create new standards of cleaner sailing and to better advocate and educate the global marine community on a range of environmental initiatives specific to sailing. ReSail, supported by Henri-Lloyd, is the latest platform on a growing list of conservation-based initiatives that Clean Sailors has created all with the common goal – to help clean up, and protect the seas we sailors love so much.
For more information, visit: https://resailbycleansailors.com/
By Clean Sailors
