For decades, yachting businesses and owners have fielded criticisms. Some center on conspicuous consumption that irreparably impacts the environment. A popular—unfortunately so—term motoryacht builders and owners likely know, for example, is “stinkpot.” Several industry representatives believe it’s time the industry took matters into its own hands. They’ve launched Water Revolution Foundation. While it’s an initiative for the yachting industry, by the yachting industry, the organization’s board believes owners, guests, and crew will benefit, too.
In fact, Water Revolution Foundation is drawing upon owners’ ideas. “Visionary superyacht owners,” the organization states, are the ones who drive innovation, after all. On the one hand, national and international regulations dictate the minimum acceptance levels for, say, emissions. Forward-thinking owners, on the other hand, go beyond this here-and-now approach. “Each new delivery has the potential to surpass the state-of-the-art of the previous delivery and push the boundaries,” Water Revolution Foundation asserts. “Yet also the fleet of existing superyachts is regularly updated by their committed owners through extensive refit work.”
The foundation’s board has not yet spelled out the specific steps it’s taking, or ground-breaking ideas it’s championing. However, it does say that it will prioritize neutralizing the industry’s environmental footprint. Specifically, ocean conservation is the ultimate goal, through increased sustainability practices and pioneering technology. Water Revolution Foundation intends to drive this by assisting in the sharing of information among interested parties. It will further share details on best practices that lead to measureable positive impact. Certainly, wide-ranging topics such as technology and materials (construction, interior design, etc.) will be included.
Furthermore, Water Revolution Foundation plans to establish a scientific committee. These advisors will help the industry and individuals learn more about ocean-conservation projects to support.
The founders of Water Revolution Foundation include Henk de Vries III of Feadship, Philippe Briand of Philippe Briand Design, and Vienna Eleuteri of the Eulabor Institute, a research organization focused on sustainability.
As of this writing, the website content is not yet live. However, by visiting the site, you can sign up to receive the foundation’s newsletter. It will soon convey more information about specific goals and initiatives, and how you can get involved.
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