Breguet sets sail on Japan

After an initial expedition in 2015, the foundation launched a new five-year world tour in 2017 where the main objective is to save the oceans from the threat of plastic pollution and raise public awareness. The odyssey set off from Brittany in April 2017 on board a groundbreaking boat that is powered solely by renewable energy. It arrived in Asia after crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans over the course of two years, including stopovers in around 20 cities.

In 2020, Race for Water will set sail for Shanghai before Japan, and then Tokyo, where it will then remain throughout July. The timing was deliberately chosen because it coincides with the Summer Olympic Games. This will be their longest stopover. While the aim of each stop is to engage with local authorities, private individuals and of course lots of schoolchildren (nearly 15,000 people have witnessed awareness-raising activities since 2017, including more than 5,500 schoolchildren), it is also crucial for the foundation to be present in places that are highlighted by major events. The Bermuda stage in 2017, for example, coincided with the America’s Cup and the odyssey will call at Dubai for Expo 2020. In Tokyo, as elsewhere, the foundation will be greeted by senior officials. Race for Water makes clear: “Raising public awareness is important, but the emphasis is on reaching those who have the power to take decisions and action.”

While one of Race for Water’s main missions is to generate awareness about ocean pollution, it is also working to find a solution to the issue of transforming and repurposing plastic waste based on optimised high-temperature pyrolysis technology. Deployed on a massive scale, this could end the majority of ocean contamination caused by plastic waste.

January 16, 2020