11th Hour Racing Team names veteran sailor Damian Foxall as Sustainability Manager

Damian Foxall, vastly experienced Volvo Ocean Race sailor, was recently promoted to On Board Reporter on Vestas 11th Hour Racing. His application to join SINS (Society of Nautical Scribes) is expected in due course © Jeremie Lecaudey / Volvo Ocean Race

Veteran Irish sailor Damian Foxall, former winner of The Ocean Race (formerly the "Volvo Ocean Race"), has been named Sustainability Manager for 11th Hour Racing Team.

Charlie Enright and Mark Towill -- Co-Founders of 1 Degree, the company the pair formed earlier this year to manage the 11th Hour Racing Team -- have set their sights on returning to The Ocean Race in 2021-2022 with 11th Hour Racing and have made sustainability and ocean health key pillars of their campaign.

"As life-long sailors, the members of the 11th Hour Racing Team are committed to being advocates for the ocean and lead by example in all aspects of our campaign, keeping the health of our oceans at the forefront of our decision-making process while promoting positive systemic change," said Enright.

Foxall is a long-time advocate for the sea, having worked as an education manager for the Canadian Wildlife Federation for five years before serving as the Sustainability Manager for Vestas 11th Hour Racing in the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. Foxall and his team effectively demonstrated how performance, sustainability, and business can merge into a successful and replicable model for the industry and beyond.

Foxall is also a six-time participant in The Ocean Race and was on-board Groupama, the French entry that won the 2011-12 Race. He has been an Ambassador for Sailors for the Sea and the Irish Sailing Association, and has had a lifelong passion for ocean conservation.

"Having Damian join our team as one of our earliest hires in the full-time role of Sustainability Manager underscores our commitment and will help the team lay the foundation of our sustainability strategy early in our campaign," said Towill. "Foxall is an influential voice in our sport around ocean conservation, the climate crisis and sustainable operations."

"The 11th Hour Racing team entry in The Ocean Race is an opportunity for us to share our team's vision of vibrant healthy oceans and communities supported and inspired by the sport of sailing," said Foxall. "I am delighted to take the helm of the team's sustainability program which will be guided by four leading principles of leadership, innovation, collaboration and legacy."

Foxall has been busy working with Enright and Towill throughout 2019 and will continue to work alongside the pair on a range of initiatives and projects related to team operations, logistics, boat construction and more with a full sustainability plan expected to be unveiled later this year.

"The task is to foster a team of leaders, explore Innovative solutions within the marine industry as we design and build a boat for The Ocean Race, collaborate with our partners and the marine supply chain to reduce our environmental footprints, and leave a lasting legacy by inspiring others to make changes. We are promoting a shift to a sustainable marine industry," said Foxall.