One Ocean Foundation is pleased to have contributed to the first edition of the European Dream Cup, organized by Circolo Vela Gargnano on Lake Garda. The project, strongly supported and sponsored by the European Commission and Erasmus+ Sport, involved 60 young European students aged between 13 and 18, divided into 10 national teams.

It was not just about participating in a sailing regatta on the foiling 69F boats provided by the organization, but it was a multicultural and international experience, evident from the smiles of the participants during the final awards ceremony. The project focused on sports and education, aiming to raise awareness among students about sustainability, inclusion, and digitalization through dedicated seminars.

One Ocean Foundation thanks the organizers for involving them as a Sustainability Partner, allowing them to raise awareness about the opportunities that oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers offer to humankind, as well as the problems they face, particularly plastic and microplastic pollution. Moreover, the ten teams from different European countries participated in quizzes to reinforce what they learned during the talk organized by One Ocean Foundation. They also actively took part in a beach cleaning competition on Lake Garda, which was won by the Hungarian team.

On water, the Danish team won the "More Speed Less Plastic - Young" initiative by achieving the highest speed of 26.6 knots. One Ocean Foundation pledged to remove 10 kg of plastic from developing countries' coasts for every knot of maximum speed achieved. The Danish team's result was added to the other maximum speeds recorded during each day of the regatta, totaling 100.5 knots. Thanks to this, the Foundation will remove over one tonne of plastic waste and redirect it for recycling.

The activities organized by One Ocean Foundation aligned with the "Plastic Free July," a global movement that originated in Australia, which encourages millions of people worldwide to make conscious choices to reduce their environmental impact in July. The introduction focused on plastic and microplastic pollution.

Finally, during the awards ceremony, all ten participating sailing clubs signed the Charta Smeralda, the ethical code of One Ocean Foundation for the protection of the marine and coastal ecosystem, becoming advocates of the initiative once they return to their respective countries.

The evening concluded with a charity party, and the proceeds will support ocean conservation initiatives.

Jan Pachner, Secretary General of One Ocean Foundation, congratulated the organizers of the European Dream Cup, saying,

"We are honored to have been the Sustainability Partner of this regatta, and it was a pleasure to see these young talents in action. Most importantly, we are delighted to have instilled the seeds of sustainability and commitment to the preservation of our oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers in participants aged between 13 and 18. Considering the growing importance related to climate change, transmitting this message to young people through their yacht clubs gives us hope. We are honored that all ten clubs have signed our Charta Smeralda, joining our commitment to protect the seas. This event reaffirms that we are on the right path, and we express our gratitude to everyone involved."