Sail Differently with Class 40 Skippers Committed to the Planet
by Class 40 1 Aug 12:52 UTC
Thibaut Lefévère and Maxime Bourcier's 100% Réunionese © Association Class40 / CIC Normandy Channel Race
Thibaut Lefévère and Maxime Bourcier have created a project that is much more than an offshore race project. This project, which is 100% Réunionese, has a strong message: to use sailing as a means of raising awareness of ecology and of the region's influence.
Thibaut Lefévère : "The project is about raising Réunion's profile in offshore racing. I've put together a team that is 100% Réunionese, with skippers and partners from the island. It's not a high-performance project, due to a lack of resources, but a human adventure with enlightened amateurs.”
Since 2020, the team has been funding the planting of trees to offset its carbon footprint. This action is part of a structured and sustainable approach, initiated in 2019 with the creation of the Hisse Un Arbre association. Since then, more than 4,000 trees have been planted in partnership with secondary schools.
"The aim of the association is to plant trees to symbolise the distance covered on the water (1 tree planted for every mile covered in the race). We're concentrating on endemic species native to La Réunion, in conjunction with schools. It's essential for us to raise young people's awareness of environmental protection".
The two skippers are fully committed to their role as ambassadors for the environment. For them, sailing is a formidable tool for raising awareness:
"We have a role to play in preserving the oceans, through education, social networking and, why not, collecting scientific data. Showing the state of the ocean is also a way of raising awareness'.
"The boat will soon be 11 years old. She's coming to the end of her sporting life. We're working with Region Réunion and other partners to give her a second life in keeping with our values," explains Maxime Bourcier.
These skippers show that offshore racing can be done in an environmentally friendly way. Through their concrete actions and their desire to raise awareness, particularly among young people, they are proving that sailing can be a real driving force for change.
For several years now, Axel Tréhin has been actively committed to the environment through his Class40 project, in partnership with the charity Project Rescue Ocean, of which he is now a true ambassador. Axel Tréhin's commitment dates back to the 2019 Mini Transat, when he contacted the Project Rescue Ocean association to offer to wear their colours. His partners share the values promoted by the association and see a real interest in promoting responsible messages.
They decided to follow Axel in Class40 from 2021, and their involvement has been such that he left them the boat’s racing name.
"With Project Rescue Ocean, we organise actions on the ground, such as collecting rubbish on the beaches, but also meetings and workshops, particularly in schools. We don't just collect rubbish: we exchange ideas, we explain, and we realise that 100% of rubbish comes from human activity."
"There's also the aspect of being very close to young people, with lots of talks in schools. The idea is to change people's minds about the way they consume.”
Mathieu Claveau's project combines offshore racing with a commitment to the environment. This former aeronautical engineer has been aware of the richness of the forest since childhood.
"I grew up surrounded by forests in Lozère. I got into sailing by building wooden models.”
In 2021, he became an ambassador for the Plantons pour l'avenir endowment fund with his boat "Prendre la mer, agir pour la forêt". Together, they hope to promote the sustainable management of French forests and the responsible use of wood.
At the heart of their project is a clear desire to promote the wood industry by integrating it into shipbuilding wherever possible. He is campaigning for a change in construction in offshore racing, with a view to responsible innovation:
"I'm an engineer with a passion for innovation. I'm convinced that shipbuilding can evolve, just as the building industry has. Reintroducing wood into boats is not just symbolic, it's a concrete response to the impact of our sport. I'm not saying that everything should be made of wood, but that wood should be reintroduced wherever possible and strategic. It's a material of the future.”
In addition to his commitment to technology, Mathieu is also working to raise awareness in the field, particularly among young people:
"I intervene in schools, I participate in plantation operations... We talk both about sport, but also about responsibility."
The objective of Mathieu and his team Mer Connexion is to succeed in financing the construction of a wooden racing boat.
Yves Courbon has just acquired the Class40 177. Her racing name: Ocean Connect
"It is much more than a sports project. It is a human and committed adventure, driven by the desire to navigate differently, with meaning. By my side, there is a network of partners who share the same values. Among them, The SeaCleaners Swiss, an NGO that concretely fights against plastic pollution in the oceans, and Opper, a company that believes in more humane, more responsible commercial prospecting. Together, we chart a common course: performance yes, but with a clear direction towards environmental commitment.”
"We can no longer close our eyes. Sailing offshore means being in direct contact with what humans leave behind. You see things with your own eyes that you shouldn't see. Associating Ocean Connect with a committed sponsor is an obvious choice. It's also a responsibility: to highlight those who take action. Offshore racing can send out a powerful message, reconciling performance and conscience. It should be a lever for raising awareness, for talking about ecology in a different way.
On the boat, we're taking concrete action: zero single-use plastic, eating as much local food as possible, sorting waste ashore, etc.
But beyond that, I'm involved as an ambassador for The SeaCleaners Swiss. My role is to relay their actions, to publicise them, to bear witness to what I see at sea, and to take their message to every port, every stopover, every event.
It's a commitment of the heart and of conviction.
As skippers, we are on the front line. We see the impact of human activities on the seas, currents and wildlife.
But above all, we have a voice that resonates, particularly with the younger generation. And if we can use that to move things forward, then that's our duty.”