The British Sailing Team launches Challenge 6000
by Richard Aspland 19 Jul 2021 12:25 BST
Challenge 6000 © British Sailing Team
The British Sailing Team is today issuing a challenge to sailing fans across the country to help collect 6,000 pieces of marine debris during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Between the opening ceremony on July 23 and the closing ceremony on August 8, we're calling on the sailing community to help combat plastic pollution by supporting Challenge 6,000.
Each year more than eight million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans, and we often see first-hand the devastation this causes.
Challenge 6,000 takes its name from the number of miles between the British Sailing Team base in Weymouth and Portland, and Enoshima, home of the sailing competition at Tokyo 2020.
Hannah Mills, Olympic gold medallist and environmental campaigner, is among those backing the challenge.
Mills said: "We all know the oceans are in trouble. I'm very passionate about reducing single use plastic and doing our bit to try and help the oceans recover.
"It's roughly 6000 miles from Weymouth to Tokyo so the British Sailing Team are setting a challenge to pick up at least 6000 pieces of rubbish from the beaches, coastlines, anywhere really.
"I'm looking forward to seeing who takes on the challenge and how much rubbish we can collect."
To support Challenge 6,000, visit debristracker.org, download the Marine Debris Tracker App and select the British Sailing Team from the list of organisations.
Tracking debris through the app helps to support scientific research and informs data driven solutions.
If it is safe, please recycle or dispose of the debris properly. Do not try to pick up large items, dead animals, or anything that you suspect to be hazardous. Please consider your own safety and use appropriate PPE, such as gloves or litter pickers.
Further information on how to use the app, including Frequently Asked Questions, can be found on the Marine Debris Tracker website.
It would give us a huge boost to see your efforts. Please follow the British Sailing Team on Instagram and share your photos from the challenge. Tag @BritishSailing and use #Challenge6000 by the August 8 2021 to enter our prize draw for the chance to win some British Sailing Team goodies.