All-female crew return to Plymouth to finish pioneering journey Round Britain

A pioneering Round Britain sailing expedition will come to its end in Plymouth, back in Sutton Harbour where the boat set sail on 8th August.

The eXXpedition Round Britain sail this summer saw a diverse group of women sample the UK’s waters for plastic pollution and run awareness-raising events along the beautiful British coastline. The female crew members included scientists, students, artists, filmmakers, business women, psychologists, ocean activists and sustainability professionals, who range from first-time to experienced sailors.

The groundbreaking Round Britain sail took 30 days and will finish with high-profile events in Plymouth. This will round up a series of high-profile events that took place in Plymouth, Cardiff, Belfast, Arran, Edinburgh and London.

On the 4th September, the day that Sea Dragon will return to Sutton Harbour and complete the eXXpedition Round Britain sail, there is a screening of ‘A Plastic Ocean’, followed by a panel discussion, at Plymouth Arts Centre at 18:00.

Then on 5th September at 10:00, join ‘Muddy Fingers’ for a creative morning learning about marine litter at National Marine Aquarium Pontoon, Sutton Harbour. Alternatively, join a beach clean, shore labs and ecology workshops in partnership with the Devon and Cornwall Children’s University, starting at the University of Plymouth’s Marine Institute at 10:00. Booking is required for the beach clean, but Muddy Fingers is an open event.

eXXpedition, the Community Interest Company behind Round Britain, specialises in all-women sailing trips with a focus on highlighting the devastating impact single-use plastic and toxics from land-based activities are having on our planet’s oceans, ecosystems and on human health. Previous research carried out by eXXpedition has highlighted the endemic nature of microplastics within our ocean environments globally and the increasing potential impact they have on human health.

“After years of studying ocean plastics all over the globe I am so excited to be bringing this project home to the UK,” says eXXpedition co-founder and ocean advocate Emily Penn. “The more time I spend at sea, the more I realise that the solutions start on land. We may be seeing the more obvious impact of plastic and toxic pollution in the more remote parts of our planet, but what is clear is that the pollution is coming from land – the UK included. We need to expose these issues and raise consciousness of the work to be done to solve them here in the UK.”

The eXXpedition crew will be sailing 72ft challenge yacht Sea Dragon (owned by Pangaea Exploration) from Sutton Harbour, Plymouth on the 8th August and will complete their sail in the same location on the 5th September.

eXXpedition successfully raised £10,000 through crowdfunding for outreach activities at ports visited during the voyage. All sailing costs are covered by crew contributions.