University Sailing Sustainability Challenge
The Green Blue’s University Sailing Sustainability Challenge (USSC) is an annual competition designed to encourage and recognise University Sailing Clubs (USC) from across the UK taking action and demonstrating to the wider sailing community the environmental best practice that all sailing clubs and their members can adopt for a more sustainable future.
Supported by British Universities Sailing Association (BUSA), the challenge was launched in 2015. The success of the challenge has seen it continue into its 9th year, with many USCs from different parts of the UK actively participating year on year. All USCs that achieve an award are invited to the Awards Ceremony at the RYA Dinghy Show where they are presented with certificates and prizes from our challenge sponsors, Rooster.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
For more information and to enter your University Sailing Club into the challenge, which begins in September, contact The Green Blue team at environment@rya.org.uk.
ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
The challenge involves USCs across the UK undertaking as many sustainable actions as they can throughout the academic year following set criteria for the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Award levels. In the first year of entry to the challenge, clubs aim to achieve the Bronze Award criteria, followed by the Silver and Gold Award levels in subsequent challenge years.
WHAT KIND OF SUSTAINABLE ACTIONS HAVE TO BE ACHIEVED?
- Ensuring sailing venues have a Spill Kit available to clean up any accidental oil and fuel spills.
- Raising awareness of sustainable boating best practice through social media.
- Displaying awareness materials at the USC sailing venue e.g. posters and green boating guides.
- Eliminating single use plastics e.g. ensuring re-usable sports bottles and coffee cups at training sessions and events.
- Undertaking an environmental assessment of the USC sailing venue to identify where facilities and operations can be improved.
- Following the Check Clean Dry approach to removing harmful Invasive Non-Native Species from boats, equipment and clothing.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE 2023-24 CHALLENGE
“The sustainability challenge has been great in stimulating new attitudes as to how our club operates. As an environmental science student, it has given me the chance to apply my knowledge to lessen the environmental impacts of YUSWC. For the club it’s been pivotal in establishing sustainable attitudes of all members, gaining recognition from the university’s sports union and BUSA. There’s always room to improve operations to become more sustainable, and The Green Blue gives impetus to UK sailing clubs to be greener. It’s very gratifying and something every club should get on board with”
Sustainability Officer for York University Sailing and Windsurfing Club (YUSWC), Blair Davies
‘This is our second year of completing the Green and Blue University Challenge and we are happy that we have achieved the silver award! As a club that runs out of a marine protected area, caring for the environment is hugely important to us. Through these challenges, we feel that we have been able to improve how we operate to being more environmentally conscious as well as educating our members and centres that we use on the issues surrounding the environment we sail in! We can’t wait to try and complete the gold award next year!!’
Sustainability Officer for University of Plymouth Sailing & Powerboating Club, Harry Etheridge
“The Green Blue University Challenge is deemed highly important to everyone who is a part of BUSA. It is a great initiative and year on year it has gained increasing participation from University Sailing Clubs, all striving to achieve the next level award and instil lasting sustainable values within their clubs. The ocean is our playground and therefore is it vital we work to create a sustainable sport. Sport as a whole is an enormous part of millions of peoples lives and it makes sense to use our shared passions to create a platform to initiate change and become more sustainable. At universities sports communities are large, and excitingly sustainability in sport is just starting to be addressed, it is great to be able to take part in a challenge that brings our clubs ahead of the curve”
Hebe Hemming – Vice chair of BUSA
“Protecting blue areas should be high on every sailing club and venue’s list of priorities, and this challenge is an excellent way to raise awareness of the issues the environment faces, and to also encourage new habits on and off the water to make a positive change so we can all keep enjoying everything our blue environment has to offer.”
USC Feedback in the 22-23 survey
CHALLENGE AWARD WINNERS OF 2022-23
Platinum Award:
University of Bath Sailing Club
Gold Awards:
Bangor University Sailing Club Cambridge University Cruising Club
Durham University Sailing Club Exeter University Sailing Club
Swansea University Sailing Club
University of Sheffield Sailing Club
Silver Awards:
Newcastle University Sailing Club
University of Bristol Sailing Club University of Leeds Sailing Club
Aberystwyth University Sailing Club
Bronze Awards:
Aberdeen University Sailing Club Loughborough University Sailing Club University of Sussex Sailing Club
University of Strathclyde Sailing Club
CHALLENGE AWARD WINNERS OF 2021-22
Gold Awards:
Bournemouth University Sailing Club
University of Bath Sailing Club
University of Portsmouth Sailing Club
Silver Awards:
Bangor University Sailing Club Cambridge University Cruising Club
Durham University Sailing Club Exeter University Sailing Club
Swansea University Sailing Club University of Liverpool Sailing Club
University of Sheffield Sailing Club
Bronze Awards:
Brunel Sailing Newcastle University Sailing Club
University of Bristol Sailing Club University of Leeds Sailing Club
University of Manchester Sailing Club University of Southampton Wessex Sailing Club
CHALLENGE AWARD WINNERS OF 2020-21
Gold Awards:
University of Bath Sailing Club
University of Portsmouth Sailing Club
Silver Awards:
Bournemouth University Sailing Club
University of East Anglia Sailing Club
University of Plymouth Sailing and Powerboating Club
Bronze Awards:
Aberystwyth University Sailing Club University of Birmingham Sailing Club
Durham University Sailing Club Exeter University Sailing Club
University of Liverpool Sailing Club Swansea University Sailing Club