Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race’s environmental initiative ‘Keep the Oceans Clean!’ is teaming up with the local Surfrider Foundation and around 120 children from local French schools for a beach clean on June 22 at the picturesque village of Bétahon, near Ambon, about 50 miles from the Lorient Race Village.

The rubbish collected during the clean up will be washed and used as part of a sculpture depicting an underwater scene of colourful fish and marine creatures made from plastics and beach rubbish, being created in the race village by Skeleton Sea artist João Parrinha from Portugal.

Jacqui Smith, project coordinator of the Keep the Oceans Clean! project, said:

"'In truth, it has been hard to find a beach in Brittany that needs cleaning, as they are all kept so beautifully. However, we are joining the Surfrider Foundation of Morbihan and a large group of local school children to tidy up a pretty pocket of coastline near Ambon, demonstrating to the kids what they can do to help keep the oceans clean, and also to collect the important raw materials for the Environmental Art Workshops underway in the Cite de la Voile.

"This beach clean is linked with Mother Ocean's 'Ocean Hour' concept, encouraging people around the world to spend an hour each week cleaning their local coasts, estuaries or waterways. The Keep the Oceans Clean! programme supports this and encourages everyone to do the same, no matter where you live.

"The Bétahon beach clean begins at 1100 local time and everyone is welcome."