Swiss SailGP Team wins the second major focus area of Impact League

The second of four key areas set by the Impact League this season challenged teams to advance diversity and equity in sailing by actively building a culture of inclusion, not just within their own teams, but the wider business and entire sport too.

The judging panel, which included Dr Sheila Nguyen, former head of sustainability at the FIFA World Cup 2023, Ryan Storr, founder of the LGBTIQ+ sport charity Proud2Play, and Kelvin Beachum - NFL player and DE&I advocate, was particularly impressed with Switzerland’s submission.

Together with its purpose partner We Foundation, Switzerland hosted the OneSport inclusive regatta at the Spain Sail Grand Prix. This featured 10 SailGP athletes and 10 inclusive sailors and was held as part of the team’s efforts to champion equal opportunities, increase disability awareness and inclusivity.

Speaking about the experience, competitor and Inspire careers candidate Rory McKenna said: “OneSport is a great opportunity for the growth of disability sailing. Joining forces with SailGP not only raises the profile within sailing, but also with the general public, who might not have realized how accessible a sport like sailing can be.”

Judge Kelvin Beachum described the team’s submission as ‘one of the best sustainability projects I’ve ever looked at in my time of looking at sports and philanthropy and community involvement’.

"This is built into the fabric of what this team is all about so to see an entity using their platform in this regard, it’s impressive. If I could have put 10s across the board, I would have. The DNA of what this team is about is inclusion.”

Storr added: “They weaved the different elements of the workforce and championing an inclusive workplace for people with disability using their voice, it was very multifaceted.”

Switzerland was awarded a total of 100 points, while ROCKWOOL DEN came in second with 90 and the United States came third with 80. This means Switzerland moves into the top spot on the overall Impact League leaderboard after the team placed second in the Impact League’s first major focus area - the Race to Zero Waste.

ROCKWOOL DEN impressed judges with its broad-reach community engagement project in Taranto named Tu Sei Oceano, which provided free-access education materials to promote ocean science and climate change. The United States meanwhile was commended for working with its purpose partner RISE to Win to deliver a variety of sailing development programs, including an immersive Champions of Change experience in Chicago.

Race to Zero Waste is the first of four key areas launched in Season 4’s supercharged Impact League. These focus areas account for 60% of the season points and are scored four times per season by a panel of industry experts. The teams will also be scored on the implementation and impact of their ideas later in the season.

For further information on the Impact League, to see the team standings and the full list of our expert judges, please click HERE.

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