Sailors for the Sea, founded in 2004, is a conservation organization that engages the boating and sailing community in the protection of the world's oceans. Their programs reach yacht clubs, regattas, marinas, and individual sailors with practical tools and certification programs to reduce the boating community's environmental footprint.
Why the boating community matters for plastic pollution
Sailors and recreational boaters are among the people most directly exposed to ocean plastic pollution. They see it in remote anchorages, on beaches in protected coves, and floating in the open ocean. They're also a large, organized community with strong cultural norms — meaning a sailing community that commits to going strawless can move quickly and with peer pressure.
Sailors for the Sea programs
- Clean Regattas. A sustainability certification program for sailing events. Strawless commitments became a standard component of the certification.
- Sea Programs Educational Curriculum. Marine science curriculum for K–12 educators, used in sailing camps and ocean-adjacent schools.
- Green Boating Guide. Practical tips for individual boat owners on reducing waste, fuel use, and chemical inputs.
How Sailors for the Sea supported For A Strawless Ocean
Sailors for the Sea brought the #StopSucking pledge to regattas, marinas, and yacht clubs. The boating community's commitment to refusing single-use plastic straws helped spread the campaign through a tight-knit network that takes ocean health seriously.