Sustainability
Sustainability at the World Sailing Day Awards focuses on how sailing treats its environments and communities: resource use, materials, harbour management, working conditions and the way events and voyages touch the places they visit.
This pillar connects practical everyday decisions on docks, yards and routes to the long-term health of coasts, waters and people.
SET SAIL for SUCCESS !
WORLD SAILING DAY AWARDS
Key Dates and Deadlines
Each sub-categrory contestant is required to submit a complete entry within the time period indicated. Once the submission has been approved it will be published on the Awards Voting section of the webiste. The on-line voting will take place in two rounds as indic ated and the final will take place and be announced in London on 28 May – World Sailing Day.
entries open & close
Open Date: 01/01/26
Close Date: 25/02/26
shortlist date
Online Voting Start: 20/03/26
Online Voting Close: 25/03/26
Announced: 01/03/26
semi-final date
Online Voting Start: 20/03/26
Online Voting Close: 25/03/26
Announced: 01/03/26
final date
Judges Voting Start: 20/03/26
Judges Voting Close: 25/03/26
Announced: 28/05/26
Why Enter?
Entering the World Sailing Day Awards is a chance to share your work with the wider sailing community, be reviewed by independent experts and open doors to new collaborations and growth.
Global recognition & Visibility
Your work seen & Respected across the international sailing community.
Both entering & winning an award comes with press and social media coverage, increasing your visibility, and making a wider circle of prospective customers and partners aware of your brand
The results of higher credibility and visibility mean higher sales and revenue.
Credibility
Independent review with fairness and transparency at its core.
Awards make your brand more
trustworthy since they imply recognition
from an independent third party.
Consumers are more likely to buy from companies that have received a third-party seal of approval. Prospective investors are also more inclined to back an award-winning business.
GROWTH & OPPORTUNITY
A recognised award gives you a story you can use in pitches, on your website and in campaigns.
It can help you open conversations that were hard to start cold, support membership growth or funding applications, and make it easier for potential partners to say “yes” to a first meeting.
Connections
Discovery by clubs, brands, festivals, and ports seeking collaborators.
Opportunities to engage with clubs, creators, innovators and organisations across sailing.
Your Impact
- Translate principles into proof. This pillar gives you a structured way to show funders, authorities and communities how your decisions reduce harm and increase shared benefit.
- Strengthen your licence to operate. Recognition can support negotiations on access, regulation and development by demonstrating responsible practice over time.
- Give your teams visible credit. Crews, employees and volunteers often invest heavily in sustainability; being shortlisted provides a tangible point of pride that helps with motivation and retention.
- Benefit from shared examples. Shortlisted projects may be profiled as practical case studies, giving you and others concrete models for policies, checklists and day-to-day routines.
SHORT FACTS
Open to companies, startups, research teams and solo developers working in sailing-related tech or software.
Your product must be real and testable (beta or live – no pure concepts).
You can enter in more than one category if the fit makes sense.
All entries must be submitted before the published deadline.
Entry fees and any multi-category discounts are as listed on the page and in the Entry Kit.
Reduced rates may apply for non-profits, youth projects and early-bird entries.
If cost is the only barrier to entering, you can contact the organisers in confidence to explore support options.
Entries are first checked by the organisers for eligibility and basic fit.
Public voting highlights popular and impactful solutions.
A specialist jury then reviews entries using clear criteria: innovation, usefulness, impact on safety / performance, and long-term potential.
Final results follow a fixed scoring model (public + jury) which is explained in the Entry Kit.
A short description of what your technology does and who it’s for.
Evidence that it works in practice (demo link, screenshots, or a short video).
At least one real-world example or user story you’re allowed to share.
A contact person who can answer jury questions if needed.
Be part of it!
This Kit explains eligibility, submission requirements, evaluation, and ceremony
details for all WSDA entrants. It ensures transparency, consistency, and fairness
across all award tracks.
Why It Matters
Sailing depends on something fragile: healthy oceans, safe coastlines, and communities who can afford to live and work beside the water. If we don’t look after that, there is no “industry” – only damaged harbours and empty marinas.
Sustainability in sailing is more than switching to cleaner engines or using less plastic. It’s about how we design boats, run events, move people, share, knowledge & include new generations. Every decision – from materials and logistics to education and storytelling – either protects the places we sail, or quietly erodes them.
Who this is for
Sustainability entries can come from any part of the sailing ecosystem, including:
- Waterfront & infrastructure – ports, marinas, cities and harbour authorities integrating sustainability into responsible coastal planning.
- Programmes, organisations & events – yards, companies, clubs, schools, NGOs and event organisers with environmental and social commitments.
- Sailing in practice – voyagers, expeditions and board-sport communities showing what an individual can do.
Become the Benchmark!
Your entry helps set higher standards within your area of sailing – encouraging better practice, wider access and a more sustainable, inclusive future on and off the water.
Sponsored by Sailing Miles
We are proud to partner with Sailing Miles as the official sponsor of the World Sailing Day Awards, helping to support and elevate the global sailing community.