April 15, 2021
2 min read
Helly Hansen is proud to announce our partnership with the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team, contender in The Ocean Race Europe. As part of this partnership, our designers and developers will collaborate with the Mirpuri team to refine and test new, more sustainable technologies and designs.
Established by the Mirpuri Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to making the world a better place for future generations, the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team will compete in the upcoming race with their boat “Racing for the Planet" – a name that reflects their commitment to putting climate change on the global agenda.
Led by skipper Yoann Richomme, the team will race its VO65 boat from Lorient to Genoa this June to inspire action to #StopClimateChange while bidding to become the first-ever team to claim victory in The Ocean Race Europe.
Since its inception, the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team has worked to ensure that the team is one of the world’s leading proponents of sustainability in the sailing world. In addition to its world-class sustainability and science programs, the team also seeks to minimize environmental impact by reducing emissions in its operations and supply chain, and by extending the lifecycle of products that are used.
“We are honored to partner with the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team as they enter into the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe,” says Michael Uhl, Global Marketing Director at Helly Hansen. “With a focus on sustainability and raising awareness to stop climate change, this unique campaign is one that we are proud to be a part of. We share the team’s passion for conserving the ocean and look forward to working together to bring this message to the forefront and inspire action.”
“We have just completed a block of training days, including a nice stint offshore, which has gone really well and provided us with the perfect opportunity to test some new materials for Helly Hansen,” says Yoann Richomme, skipper of the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team. “The samples we have tested include some really innovative technology that I have to say is really pushing the boundaries of ocean racing gear. And the designs are also more sustainable, which is very important for the ethos of our team.”
The Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team is based in Cascais, Portugal, and will compete in the VO65 class in the upcoming race. The Ocean Race Europe will start in Lorient, France, over the last weekend in May 2021 and finish in Genova, Italy, in June, with up to four stopover cities along the way.
To learn more about the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team, visit
mirpuriracingteam.com and mirpurifoundation.org.
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