Wayne Peters from For One Ocean, Nazca’s Fastnet campaign.
AAS: Tell us why Nazca’s Fastnet race is going to be a first.
WP: As far as we know we are the first and only pure electric yacht to enter the race. We are powered only by solar and wind, with no backup generator onboard.
AAS: Nazca is a 40-year-old yacht; what are her green credentials?
WP: Five years ago she was the same as any yacht in the legacy fleet with a diesel engine and anti-foul paint on her hull. Following her transformation, she is now powered entirely by nature, using 400w of solar and hydro generation through her Oceanvolt Servo Prop to recharge her 20kWh battery bank. Her bottom coating is biocide-free (Hempel Silic One) and anything pumped out from her bilges is filtered through Wave International’s Wavestream system, removing any errant paint flakes, microplastics and other particles before they are released into the sea.
AAS: Not just a racer, can you tell us more about the marine science research aspect of Nazca?
WP: Nazca’s electric propulsion refit was originally intended to test the technology and prove it can be used safely and effectively in waters such as the Bristol Channel and Celtic Sea. With no emissions and noise pollution, she can enter sensitive environmental areas such as Marine Protected Zones without fear of harm to the endangered species sheltering there. This enables her to monitor and survey these areas using our ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle), a Manta Trawl to test for microplastics and taking sediment samples. In this way, we have been supporting the Ocean Conservation Trust with their EULife REmedies seagrass project, amongst others. Nazca is also a research and development platform, trialling different technologies and critically new methods and strategies.
AAS: Who are the crew onboard Nazca?
WP: We have a core crew onboard for racing, mostly two-handed with myself as Skipper and First Mate Bee Woodland, an experienced sailor with thousands of miles under her belt and a dedicated Ocean Advocate. Joining us for the Fastnet is Oskari Alho from Oceanvolt, also an extremely experienced sailor and professional race crew. Various scientists, researchers and partners come aboard during expeditions, though, to assist with the scientific research. We would not be able to do any of this without support from our shore crew, our unsung heroes! From the team at Padstow Boatyard, Alan at Sail Shape Ltd to friends George and Sinead who have been with me on this journey from the start in 2020.
AAS: What are the plans for the rest of 2025?
WP: By the time this is published, we should have completed our qualifying mileage for the Fastnet and will be all set for the start on 26 July. The Fastnet has been the all-encompassing focus for the last eight months, completing the refit to comply with the regulations to allow us to race. So once we are across the finish line in Cherbourg, it will be a relief to come out of race mode and back into a cruising mindset. And a well-earned rum first and foremost, I think!
After that, we have got a bit of a powered-by-nature Three Peaks Challenge planned. Bee is an ultra-runner taking on Rat Race’s Sea to Summit trilogy this autumn in memory of her cousin. She will be running up Scafell Pike, Snowden and Ben Nevis in three separate events and the plan is to sail her between races on Nazca. Once we are up in Scotland, we hope to team up with Cal Major from the charity Seaful to conduct a scientific research expedition and film a documentary.
AAS: Tell us about your charity partners.
WP: I have been an ambassador for the Ocean Conservation Trust for several years now; they are great to work with and really supportive of everything we do on Nazca. Their #ThinkOcean campaign encourages people to stop and consider their actions in all areas of life and how it might impact on the ocean. From choosing plastic free alternatives when they go shopping to how they dispose of their waste, it is all a part of the story. We are working with them to raise awareness and give the ocean a voice. Our other charity partner is Seaful. Their focus is ocean conservation, but also the impact the ocean has on us and our mental health. It was founded by a good friend of mine, Cal, who is also from North Devon. We see Nazca as the conduit between the ocean and humanity. She sits in the middle, monitoring the impact we as humans have on the ocean and raising awareness of the damage we are doing, but she also shows the impact the ocean has on us. When we are at sea, we are calmer, happier and more able to focus. We often come into port at the end of a trip and wish we were back out on the waves!
AAS: If you had a time machine, would you choose to go to the future or the past?
WP: You cannot change the past, it has already happened, so I think I would go to the future. Times are changing rapidly, and what is by far the most inspiring insight during these leave-no-trace projects is the change in mindset, from both an industry perspective and also a public one. As the collective ambition for positive change grows, and I do not think I am alone, we think of the effort made and whether it has been enough. The world is changing, and the more people we can inspire, the better the future will look.
Further info:
For One Ocean: www.foroneocean.org
To support the campaign email Bee Woodland on beetoosea@gmail.com or call 07789 035235
Ocean Conservation Trust: oceanconservationtrust.org
Seaful: seaful.org.uk
