INEOS Britannia x Ocean Republic Merchandise
INEOS Britannia has partnered with the sustainability collective Ocean Republic to repurpose its carbon fibre sails into merchandise, preventing the material from going to waste. The British Challenger of Record, representing the Royal Yacht Squadron for the 37th America’s Cup, uses carbon fibre to produce the sails for its AC75 race boat, Britannia. Carbon fibre is used in the sailing industry as it is incredibly strong for its weight, but it can be hard to reuse due to the difficulty of maintaining the structural integrity of the fibres. INEOS Britannia wanted to give a second life its carbon fibre sails, and so partnered with Ocean Republic to make that happen.
Ocean Republic worked with sailmakers on the south coast of England to produce various products from INEOS Britannia’s carbon fibre sails including laptop cases, travel bags, surfboard covers, tote bags and pouches. The project not only prevented the carbon fibre from going to waste, but also allows INEOS Britannia fans to own a piece of history with a truly unique product made from parts of their America’s Cup race boat that competed in Auckland in 2021. With 10% of proceeds from the merchandise going to the youth education charity, 1851 Trust, the collaboration is beneficial for both people and the planet. While INEOS Britannia has partnered with Ocean Republic to repurpose its carbon fibre sails, it has also been working to reduce the carbon footprint of the yacht by incorporating recycled carbon fibre into its construction, saving 17 tonnes CO2e.
Rory McKellar, Founder of Ocean Republic said: “Working with the INEOS Britannia Team on the sail repurposing project is a real honour. Through skill, innovation, and teamwork, we have created a range of products that are robust, replicable, and look cool. Each item in this limited edition range names the sail's origin and its serial number, confirming its authenticity. We are proud to present this unique range for fans and supporters to own. It’s a fantastic example of how we can promote sustainability while creating useful products. The team’s professionalism and friendliness made this a truly wonderful experience.”
Those wishing to purchase items from the Ocean Republic x INEOS Britannia range are able to pre-order from the first batch of products until 1 August 2024. Please visit Ocean Republic’s website here for more information