New Zealand win Impact League
New Zealand take top prize with partner Live Ocean in SailGP’s Podium of the Planet.
28 March 2022
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New Zealand have been awarded the most points in the Impact League in Season 2, picking up the Impact League trophy with a final score of 1,246. The team will collect $100,000 for Live Ocean’s marine conservation work.
The trophy marks a first in sport, where athletes and teams are rewarded for positive environmental and sustainable actions in a league running parallel to the main sailing championship.
Launched in July, the Impact League measures teams’ efforts over each event according to ten robust criteria, including travel, tech and innovation and single-use plastic. New Zealand, led by Blair Tuke and Peter Burling, have been consistently top of the leaderboard throughout the season, taking top place five times.
Great Britain came closest to rivalling New Zealand, taking the top spot on two occasions and missing out on the final prize by 54 points. Australia were also consistently strong performers, finishing just below Great Britain on 1,161 points.
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Nevertheless, the teams have won US$35,000 and US$15,000 for their Race for the Future partners respectively.
“We’re stoked to win the first Impact League. It’s been a massive team effort from everyone involved, from the shore team, the sailing team, management and our partners,” said Peter Burling, New Zealand SailGP Team co-CEO.
“We’ve taken a close look at every area of our operations throughout the season to find ways to improve, develop innovative solutions, introduce new technologies, connect with sustainable partners and use our voice to champion action for a healthy ocean with our Race for the Future partner Live Ocean Foundation.”
“Sport has the opportunity to play a critical role in educating people around the climate crisis,” said Fiona Morgan, SailGP Director of Purpose & Impact.
“Awarding the first winners of the Impact League is a very proud moment for SailGP, and proof that sustainability can be embedded in the fabric of sport.
“In just one season we have changed mindsets and driven further sustainability and cutting innovation into our operations. The New Zealand team is a shining example of a team doing things differently for a better planet.
I also want to congratulate all teams for their brilliant work – it’s only through collective action that we’ll make a difference. I can’t wait to see what we achieve in Season 3.”
Over the course of the season, New Zealand campaigned at an international level to protect seabirds and marine life, helping to secure an historic agreement between Spain and New Zealand.
They also worked with partners such as Gen Less to promote clean energy, altering their sailing practices to reduce the use of fuel, water and single-use plastic.
The British team continuously looked at ways to reduce their overall carbon footprint and use of plastic and clyzar on their F50. Building on their work throughout Season 2 with STEM Crew, the British team have set an ambition for Season 3: Protect our Planet.
The initiative aims to help over one million young people take action to protect nature, people and the planet through a new climate education platform.
Australia SailGP Team worked with commercial partner WLTH to fund beach clean-ups, as well as hosting Parley Talks and Ocean Schools at SailGP events. The team also worked hard to change the mindset around plastic by adopting Parley’s AIR strategy: avoid, intercept, redesign.
Collectively, all the teams in the Impact League have created new ways of working, collaborating and finding solutions to everyday problems. Some of these will be scaled up and used more widely in sailing, such as innovative ways to reduce using plastic cable ties and single-use tape.
All teams are driving conversations and looking at new technologies to support the SailGP league goal to transition to clean energy both on and off the water by 2025.
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