Transat Jacques Vabre: A week of adventure, awareness raising and action
Awareness and education
Volunteering
16 November 2021
From October 29 to November 7, our teams took over the Transat Jacques Vabre event village in Le Havre to carry the message of the oceans: STOP PLASTIC POLLUTION.
The SeaCleaners came as a team to make some noise in the event village of the mythical race. On the dock, Gilles Lamiré and Yvan Bourgnon‘s Ocean Fifty is undergoing the final arrangements before its departure. On land, the association’s display is full of visitors. Sailing enthusiasts and curious minds enter the shelter to learn more about the actions of The SeaCleaners. Between its walls, the model of the Manta is enthroned, and children are welcomed by our awareness center to learn everything about plastic pollution while having fun.
More than 30 volunteers have shared the tasks to carry the voice of the oceans and mobilize in favor of its preservation. It was an opportunity to bring together those we can’t continue without, in a friendly and joyful atmosphere.
“All these moments lived together, days and evenings, all these sharing time between people of different skills, background, united for a common goal... This was a hell of an adventure.”
This was also the perfect opportunity to gather all of our corporate partners for a new meeting of the Patrons Club! They enjoyed a tour of the event and a private visit of the Catamaran to end with an evening all together where, we hope, new collaborations just born.
As Yvan Bourgnon said on the French radio station RTL, “Awareness-raising is above all a matter of action“. On the central beach of Le Havre, 70 people were there to participate in a clean walk. The SeaCleaners’ teams had laid out a tarp on the main square, ready to sort out the participants’ finds. In front of them, the Great Cracra, a monumental hollow sculpture in the shape of a whale, is waiting for the results to welcome in her belly new plastics, remnants of our consumption.
The patrons joined our volunteers and local associations. All ages were represented: from the seniors who want to take action against plastic litter, to the young Sofiann Boudin and his crew, winner of the Fise Xperience scooter race.
At first glance, the beach look clean. But on closer inspection, micro-plastics are standing out on the grey pebbles with their bright colors. In total, 60kg of waste are collected.
