Leave No Trace: How to Quit Plastic

Sailors have a natural affinity for the ocean and with that connection comes responsibility.

It’s a huge challenge to totally eliminate the footprint sailing leaves on the marine environment – from the sails, fuel, gear etcetera. But we can make considerable efforts to reduce the amount of plastic on board while at sea.

After the 2025 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, a boat owner put a question to Offshore Magazine: what steps can the sailing community take to lower plastic use while offshore?

We approached experts Annika and Ian Thomson for some timely advice and tips on this topic as the 2025/26 sailing season moves into full swing.

Annika and Ian are familiar faces around CYCA. The Queensland-based sailors have raced on board Ocean Crusaders J-Bird, a 100 percent battery powered Andrews 52, in the last three Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Races (2022, 2023 and 2024).

In 2010, Ian launched Ocean Crusaders as a platform to showcase the issues the ocean faces. Annika is Ocean Crusaders’ Director. Ocean Crusaders is a not-for-profit that runs ocean cleanups in Queensland, and last year in Sydney’s Parramatta River. This year Ocean Crusaders has already removed more than 54,000 kilograms of debris from Australian oceans and waterways.

Minimising amount of plastic taken offshore

What steps can sailors take to minimise the amount of plastic they take offshore?

Drinks

Annika: First, get rid of your plastic water bottles. Plastic bottles are the big ones we have got to remove. On J-Bird we have big water containers that we fill up ashore with filtered water and use them to re-fill our water bottles while sailing.

Annika: Just think about what you can do in advance. With coffee for example, have one big jar rather than individual sachets.

Food

Annika: For dinners – On J-Bird we pre-make food in big tubs. A lot of boats are probably onto that. What we have done differently though is that we have a microwave instead of a stovetop. We can eliminate a lot of packaging from that because crew members take a serving of food from the tub, put the bowl into the microwave, eat and then get on with the job. That is one of the big advantages of having an electric-powered boat – no gas on board.

Annika: But when we live at home, we don’t have a microwave. We just reheat our food in the saucepan, which can also be done on yachts.

Annika: For lunches – We make lunches in advance as well. The wraps are individually packaged in paper. When we arrive in Hobart for example or get back to the Gold Coast after an offshore race, we just throw away the paper.

What are other actions sailors can take to minimise the amount of plastic on board during meal preparation?

Annika: I learnt from the Alive crew [the Reichel Pugh 66, Overall winner of the 2018 and 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart] that it doesn’t matter how many crew are on board – only a small number of cups and bowls are required (we bring six of each). Not everyone is eating or drinking at once. So, crew eat, wash up the dish and then the next crew member uses it.

How can sailors who prefer freeze-dried meals eliminate waste?

Annika: We use freeze-dried food on J-Bird for the tough times. You can order freeze-dried in bulk. Then the only thing you need to do is washing up.

Rules and regulations

What are the rules and regulations on what you can and can’t throw overboard?

Annika: Rule 47 in the 2025-2028 Racing Rules of Sailing states: “Competitors and support persons shall not intentionally put trash in the water. This rule applies at all times while afloat.”

Annika: You’re allowed to throw food waste overboard more than 12 nautical miles offshore but as our oceans are facing more challenges, we shouldn’t really put extra nutrition into the water as this can disturb the natural food chain of marine life.

Can compostable items go overboard?

Annika: Compostable means that the item needs to be in a commercial compost with over 80 degrees Celsius to breakdown. If a yacht, for example, uses compostable forks to eat, the crew CANNOT throw these overboard.

Other ways sailors can minimise waste

Outside food and drink, what are some other actions people can take to minimise waste offshore?

Annika: Look after your boat and where you get your supplies from.

Antifoul

Annika: Make sure that your antifoul supplier has a sustainable policy.

Sails

Annika: Sails are full of plastic. But for example, last year Doyle Sails did cleanups with us to offset their plastic waste.

Clothing

Annika: Make sure your clothing suppliers do the right thing by the environment, that they have a plan of recycling and take care of old materials.

Ian: Unfortunately, a lot of these cheap brands sell items that people use once and then throw away. Whereas in the old days, people wore gear that they’d worn for years and years.

Boat Building

Ian: There’s got to be pressure to do better. The amount of plastic used in the making of boats is insane. We need to make sure we use sustainable practices, which the America’s Cup and the Ocean Race are getting good at. They’re not just greenwashing it but actually doing it.

Ian: You cannot say you’re sustainable when you’re shipping stuff left, right and centre. You’ve got to change your habits.

Lines

Annika: If our tack line was broken for example, I will downgrade that line to be used somewhere else. I could make it my new cunningham. Whether you’re on a Beneteau 40 or 100-footer, do not throw away lines.

Electrical tape is frequently used on boats and often comes off. How do we prevent this?

Annika: It is a bit tricky. But our bow person uses self-amalgamating tape. It normally lasts up to half a year instead of electrical tape flying off.

How do you see sustainable practices progressing in offshore racing?

Ian: World Sailing has a 2030 agenda, which is all about sustainable practices. Australia’s a fair way behind this goal.

Ian: It’s not just about the sailing boats, but all the official boats should carry out more sustainable practices.

Ian: Event management needs to make an effort. For example, every time an official boat goes out, they should not have plastic bottles on board, rather a re-usable bottle made for the event. We need to start to see more plastic-free events.

Sydney Showground partnership

Tell me about your partnership with Sydney Showground.

Ian: Sydney Showground [Sydney Showground is a purpose-built venue for major events] will directly sponsor Ocean Crusaders, and Ocean Crusaders J-Bird’s entry into the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart, along with a clean-up project on the Parramatta River.

Ian: This funding directly assists with our efforts to clean up the oceans and waterways and has ensured that we can spread our message through competing in the 80th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

The Parramatta River clean up run by Ocean Crusaders took place in Sydney from 6–11 November 2025.

Seven quick tips to a more sustainable offshore campaign

1. Take re-usable drink bottles only
2. Pack meals in tubs and reheat on the stove
3. Wrap sandwiches in paper or beeswax wraps
4. Purchase bulk freeze-dried meals, rather than individual packs
5. Take a small number of bowls and cups with you to re-use
6. Take a jar of coffee with you, rather than individual sachets
7. Don’t throw ‘compostable’ items such as cutlery overboard