Photos: Race For Water Odyssey Crew Arrive

April 2, 2015

The Race for Water Odyssey crew arrived in Bermuda yesterday [Apr 1], having traveled from the Azores as part of their 300-day expedition that is studying the impact of plastic pollution in the ocean globally.

According to the crew’s online journal, Bermuda is the “second witness island of the expedition,” and they arrived after seven days of “turbulent navigation” from the Azores.

“Due to the passing of a very lively weather front, the R4WO’s Atlantic crossing was no easy journey and the crew is happy to have arrived in Hamilton,” the online journal said,

“Present in Bermuda until April 5th, the expedition team will analyze the waste littering 6 strictly-selected beaches of the archipelago. In order to obtain comparable data, these analyses will be carried out according to the same scientific protocol as the one deployed in the Azores.”

Slideshow of the Race for Water Odyssey in Bermuda

The Fairmont Hamilton Princess’ new marina is hosting the trimaran during its six-day stay in Bermuda, and Hotel Manager Allan Trew said, “We welcome the the Race for Water Odyssey team to Bermuda and to the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, where the crew will stay and the trimaran will dock.

“Recycling, waste and energy reduction is important so that we can preserve our island for future generations of Bermudians. We take our environmental responsibilities at Fairmont very seriously and encourage a “reduce” philosophy throughout all areas of the hotel.

“In 1990, Fairmont launched its Green Partnership programme, a comprehensive approach to reducing its impact on the environment. The programme grew to focus on improvements in the areas of waste management, energy and water conservation.

Video of the launch of the Race for Water Odyssey launch last month

“Fairmont is also focused on reducing its emissions through improved energy usage and promoting conservation practices ,” Mr Trew said, adding that Fairmont’s menus highlight local, organic and sustainable food products and they have removed endangered items such as Chilean Sea Bass, Bluefin Tuna and Shark Fin from their menus.

The expedition is being put on by the Switzerland-based Race for Water Foundation, and started on March 15, 2015 in Bordeaux, France.

The crew said they aim to “create the first global assessment of plastic pollution in oceans, by visiting islands located in the heart of trash vortexes.

“These islands, which lie at the center of the gyres, serve as a sort of natural barrier against the movement of this waste, catching the debris and making it accumulate on their coasts. Their beaches are therefore a representative sample of the kinds and quantities of debris found in the surrounding waters.”

Click to enlarge photos: