H20 Racing Encourages Carbon Neutral Racing for 2018


Portuguese Aquabike rider, Joana Graca is the first competitor in the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship to “go green”. Graca is on team Flyjet Racing and is classified as a “carbon neutral” rider. As part of H2O Racing’s environmental initiative, Graca is offsetting her carbon footprint while working with H2O Racing’s environmental marshal to calculate the amount of CO2 emitted during training and racing.

The number is then used to determine the number of trees planted to offset her carbon footprint. This is part of the the joint environmental initiative ‘Powerboating Goes Green’ launched by H2O Racing and the UIM at the end of 2017 at the Grand Prix of Sharjah. Trees are purchased and planted in Kenya in a place that will be named “Fly Jet Forest.”

The latest endeavor builds on the partnership between BUND Holding Group and H2O Racing. The BUND group is out of China and established the first carbon neutral sporting events in 2016. The events took place in the People’s Republic of China during the UIM-ABP Aquabike and UIM H2O Nations Cup Grand Prix of Shanghai.

The UIM F1H2O and UIM-ABP Aquabike Grand Prix of Sharjah were also awarded carbon neutral status. This is a big deal in today’s conversations centered around climate change.

More than 1,000 trees have been planted since launching “Powerboating Goes Green” initiative. Check out Treedom, from H2O Racing and Uim. The organizations teamed up to set up the website so we can keep up with how the program is performing. The site allows users to view the number of kgs of carbon used by racers and how many trees are planted in response.

We are anxious to see if more racers follow Graca’s lead and “go green”. Planting trees is a good thing and Graca has done well during her four years of racing. She’s a good candidate to begin the carbon neutral movement in water sports. The “Powerboating Goes Green” is a rad concept. Maybe the idea will catch on in other motorized sporting events because “green” sells and so does going fast!

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Ocean Priselac

An avid mountain and bodyboarder who lives by "if you don't go, you'll never know," with an affinity for wildlife and animal rescue; surf forecasting is a huge part of Ocean's life and was a winner in Red Bull's Project Swell several years ago. The 2014 LB2CAT was her first jet ski competition and can't wait to do it again!

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