Aug 2007

Mark Styles, Director of Peoplefirst is proud to be sailing away on Sunday 12th August. WWF pandas will cross the English Channel in a gruelling 608 mile offshore yacht race. The giant panda logos painted on the 38ft “MAC Mission” yacht support WWF’s campaign to secure a UK Marine Act. The 2007 Rolex Fastnet challenge, one of the world’s classic ocean races will see hundreds of boats set off from Cowes, and this year WWF will be joining the race with the eye-catching MAC Mission boat. Its mission is simple: to highlight the urgent need to protect our seas. WWF has been campaigning for a UK Marine Act for over five years. Currently only around 2 per cent of the UK’s marine wildlife is protected. Furthermore, less than one per cent is afforded high levels of protection from all human activities. WWF wants to ensure that our precious UK marine life is protected and proper planning systems are put in place to prevent their further decline. During Cowes Week worldwide attention will focus on the thousands of yachts racing around the UK coastline. WWF hopes that the ‘MAC Mission’ will alert everyone to the incredible biodiversity that is hidden beneath the waves and inspire the Government to take action now to safeguard it. The ‘MAC Mission’ faces tough competition in the water. Since its inaugural race in 1925, the Fastnet has grown from a mere seven participants to a fleet of over 250 yachts hailing from countries all over the world. On board the MAC Mission are 9 crew members led by Hull businessman Mark Styles and skipper Bob Wride. Following months of training they will be striving to reach the finish line first. Mark says; “There’s no doubt we have set ourselves a massive challenge. To partake in Fastnet requires true skill, endurance, and courage. We’ll be pushing ourselves to the limit to reach that finish line first, but beyond the finish line, there is another goal, and that’s to secure a UK Marine Act. UK seas contain such a wealth of biodiversity that we need to protect. By sailing in the ‘MAC Mission’ we hope we can inspire everyone to take better care of our seas.” Jan Brown, Senior Marine Policy Officer at WWF says, “Taking part in the Fastnet challenge gives us a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the issues facing our seas. With 20,000 km of coastline, the UK is blessed with incredibly diverse coastal and marine habitats ranging from sheltered lagoons and coves to deep sea lochs and muddy estuaries. Beneath those waves live a multitude of marine species which are already under threat. It is vital that a Marine Bill is introduced in the next Queen’s Speech and we hope the MAC Mission will focus attention on WWF’s Marine Act Campaign.