Happy Earth Day from 11th Hour Racing Team! Did you know this year is the 50th Anniversary of this special day celebrating our incredible planet by showing our support for environmental protection? There's no getting around it, this year’s Earth Day feels quite different as huge numbers of people around the world stay home to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Our team Skipper, Charlie Enright, has used this time to reflect on what lessons he has learned from our current global situation, and how he can improve tomorrow as a father and co-leader of our team in this blog for Waterlust .

While we can't gather in person to recognize Earth Day, our sustainability team brought our crew together virtually for our first #OceanHour Session with a Netflix viewing party of Chasing Coral followed by a Q&A with Richard Vevers , the inspiration behind the award-winning documentary. Filmed over the course of three years, the documentary follows the journey of Richard, an ad-exec turned underwater photographer, as he travels around the world mapping coral reefs and discovers the devastating impact climate change is having on the incredibly sensitive ecosystems that are vital to the health of our oceans.

Many people on our team are passionate divers who have witnessed coral bleaching first hand. It wasn't until watching this documentary that we were able to understand how widespread the issue is and why it occurs so quickly as a direct result of ocean acidification due to climate change. Watch this video on our takeaways from our viewing party and learn why this story hits particularly close to home for Mark Towill, our team CEO.

Don't miss your chance to stream Chasing Coral and ask Richard your own questions! NewportFILM is streaming the documentary and hosting Richard and Zackery Rago on Thursday, April 23 at 6:00 PM EST - register here .
Charlie explores what the "new normal" could look like for him as a father and leader of our team in a post-pandemic world in this Earth Day blog for Waterlust.
While our team eagerly waits to get back out on the water for the 2020 sailing season, we're looking back at our favorite moments from The Ocean Race. First up, our team CEO Mark Towill.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Mark and Charlie have been busy hitting the virtual airwaves on livestreams and webinars. Last week they took over Musto's Instagram with a livestream and sat down with US Sailing on their Starboard Portal for a live Q & A. Watch the replay here.

UP NEXT

Stay up to date on all the latest events here.

  • Saturday, May 2 - Join us for a Weekend Workshop in offshore racing hosted by Oakcliff Sailing
  • Wednesday, May 6 - Stu Streuli sits down to interview Mark and Charlie for New York Yacht Club members
  • Tuesday, May 12 - Mark and Charlie will host a Zoom Sailing Session with students from Rocking the Boat - an 11th Hour Racing grantee - as a part of their virtual program "All in the Same Boat."
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