Punta del Este beach clean // Eco Kermesse in aid of UNICEF

Beach cleans are always an important event in the Clipper Race stopover calendar, and the recent beach clean in Punta del Este saw a large number of Race Crew join locals, Supporters and schoolchildren in cleaning up the coastline.

Image: Punta del Este beach clean team

Walking across to Brava Beach, participants donned their gloves and grabbed their rubbish bags to collect litter on one of the city’s busiest beaches.

The recyclable litter collected will be used by the Yacht Club Punta del Este (YCPE) sailing club to make buoys that will be used in the marina.

On the same day, an Eco Kermesse – a fete with the theme of sustainability - was hosted by children from the YCPE sailing club and local area, in aid of the Clipper Race Charity Partner UNICEF. The fete featured a number of stalls and games created by the children over the past few weeks, which included a bake sale, games made out of recycled materials, raffles, sail doodling and upcycling of old Clipper Race sails into bags that were sold to raise funds for the charity.

Image: Eco Kermesse in Punta del Este

Clipper Ventures Head of Partnerships, Tom Adams, said: “At the Clipper Race we understand the important role we have in positively impacting the ports and communities we visit. Initiatives like the beach clean and Eco Kermesse show the commitment we are making to the local area, both from an environmental and community impact perspective.”

As a result of the incredible initiatives that the Yacht Club Punta del Este (YCPE)hosted during the stopover, the YCPE was awarded the first ever Clipper Race Impact Prize. The Impact Prize recognises any person or entity that has had an impact upon the Clipper Race ecosystem in any capacity.

Image: YCPE awarded the Impact Award at Punta del Este Prizegiving

YCPE was awarded for its diverse programme of events which incorporates sustainability, community outreach to the sailing school and beyond, and a school’s programme which builds year on year. At least 500 school children stepped on board a Clipper 70 in 2019, and over 700 toured a Clipper Race yacht over the course of the stopover.