Commitment To
Sustainable Sailing

We believe that the beauty and freedom of sailing comes with the responsibility of preserving our oceans. The IE Sailing Club unites sailing enthusiasts at all levels and is committed to implementing practices that reduce the environmental footprint of our events.

Partnership with
Sailors for the Sea

Sailors for the Sea is the world’s leading ocean conservation organization that engages, educates and activates the sailing and boating community toward restoring ocean health.

The IE Sailing Club participates in Sailors for the Sea's Clean Regatta Program to reduce the environmental footprint of our regatta and to implement sustainability best practices for all of our sailing activities.

In 2024, the IE Regatta received Silver certification from the Clean Regatta program. Join us as we continue to grow the program and strive to achieve Gold this year. You can find our 2025 Certification check-list here, and track our progress through the regatta.

To see a list of key sustainability initiatives that the IE Sailing Club supports click here.

Join us in building a more sustainable regatta!

Movement driven by nothing but the wind is one of the many joys of sailing and also makes sailing itself a low carbon emission and low environmental impact sport! That being said, how we travel, how we consume and handle waste, and how we interact with the marine environments can lead to the degradation of the ecosystem that we love. In response, we offer a set of best practices that the IE Sailing Club follows to minimize our environmental footprint and support clean regattas. We invite you join us in making sailing more sustainable both on and off the water.

On The Water

  • Eliminate the Use of Single Use Plastic - The IE Sailing Club is providing reusable water bottles and shopping bags for our 2025 regatta.
  • Use Reusable Dining Wear - It's tempting to use single use plates and silverwear while onboard, but choosing to wash and reuse kitchen items helps to reduce a large amount of waste.
  • Source Local Foods - Locally sourced seafood will be fresher and likely more sustainable for your adventure.
  • Use Reef-Safe Sunscreen - Avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate and petrolatum that can be toxic to ocean life.
  • Prevent Toxins from Entering the Water - Ensure safe refueling areas and maintain fuel spill pads on hand.
  • No Waste in the Ocean - Even organic materials such as banana peels or cigarette butts can be a hazard to ocean life and won't readily biodegrade. Everything onboard the boat should be segregated and disposed of back on land.
  • Separate Waste for Recycling - Use colored trash bags to segregate waste generated on board into glass, plastics & aluminum, organics, and general waste.

Off The Water

  • Shared, Low Emission Transportation - The largest carbon emissions from sailing are generally from the transportation to and from the marina. When possible consider alternatives to flying such as trains, buses, or carpooling.
  • Host a Beach or Marina Clean-Up - Our beaches and marinas seem to attract all manner of refuse. Help keep them clean by hosting a cleaning event to remove the trash
  • Host a Virtual Regatta - The IE Sailing Club hosts virtual regattas each year to introduce new sailors to the sport without making long trips to the ocean from Madrid.