AN ODYSSEY FOR THE OCEAN AND AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
A new Odyssey is in perspective ! After two global expeditions against plastic pollution, Race for Water is tacking on another plague for our oceans: climate change.
In 2024, the Foundation’s crew will return to sea aboard a revolutionary, new zero-emission catamaran, the MODX 70. The ship was created by Ocean Developpement and Aeroforce, a team with extensive experience in the design, development, and operation of ships of the future, accelerators of the energy transition.
By deploying its “LEARN, SHARE, ACT” programs, Race for Water will demonstrate the importance of decarbonizing the maritime world and preserving a healthy and living Ocean to successfully stabilize and perhaps be able to reverse global warming. Scientific missions, awareness-raising activities, and demonstration of disruptive innovations will be on the program of this new Odyssey, whose first missions will be deployed in the Mediterranean Sea.
LEARN, SHARE, ACT
Life remains possible only with a living ocean
Essential to life on Earth, the Ocean provides most of our oxygen, regulates our climate, and is home to exceptional biodiversity, much of which has yet to be discovered. Now threatened by pollution, overfishing and climate change, preserving the ocean has never been more urgent not only for its beauty and mystery, but also for the survival of our planet and all the life forms that depend on it.
Our vision : The ocean warms up and becomes more acidic, as a direct result of the dissolution of more CO2. These changes irreversibly damage marine ecosystems.
Our mission : Decarbonising fossil-fuelled ships with new adapted sailing systems.
ON-THE-GROUND PRESENCE TO UNDERSTAND AND FIND SUITABLE SOLUTIONS
The first two Race for Water Odysseys allowed us to confront the on-site plastic pollution reality and understand its complexity and impacts on an international scale. Exchanging with local populations and mobilizing many political decision-makers, the private sector and civil society, we have reflected together on the dangers of plastic and the solutions to protect ourselves from it.
First global assessment of plastic pollution in the oceans
This expedition aimed to analyse the beaches of the islands located within the perimeter of the 5 oceanic gyres to carry out the first global inventory of plastic pollution in the oceans and its consequences on populations. In order to facilitate the comparability of the data collected, the mission was carried out in a record time of less than 300 days, thanks to the racing trimaran MOD70, a racing trimaran, and first “Race for Water” vessel.
The situation is dramatic: plastic pollution is omnipresent, in frightening proportions and mainly in the form of micro or even nanoparticles, reducing the chances of one day being able to clean up the Ocean. However, there is an urgent need to stop the bleeding and tackle the problem at its source, on land, by preventing waste from reaching the Ocean.
- 3 scientific publications
- 17 stopovers
- 32 000 miles covered across 5 oceans
- 192 250 microparticules collected
- 6 945 people reached
- 679 press release
The odyssey of hope
This expedition was held onboard a revolutionary ship, a true demonstrator of the energy transition. Thanks to its mixed solar-hydrogen-kite propulsion system, for more than 3 years we've traveled the world's oceans with energy autonomy without producing any Carbone emission. This iconic ambassador ship has allowed us to host scientific missions and denounce the scale of the plastic pollution disaster on ecosystems while promoting pragmatic and relevant solutions to prevent plastic waste from reaching waterways. Each stopover was also an opportunity to investigate the local plastic pollution situation and meet key players in the fight against it.
- 7 scientific programs
- 23 stopovers
- 27000 miles
- 5 ACT programs
- 16200 people reached (schools, businesses, governments, NGOs, journalists and the general public)
- 3 117 press release