11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award 2021 - spotlight on Northern Lights Composites

Northern Lights Composites are passionate about doing just that as they continue to work towards creating a circular economy within the yachting industry by replacing fiberglass with a recyclable material.

In 2021, the innovative startup was selected as one of the four finalists of the 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award which celebrates the effective execution or ongoing delivery of high-impact, highly replicable sustainability initiatives aligned with the World Sailing Sustainability Agenda 2030.

The ecoracer, the first recyclable sport boat in the world, was launched in 2021 and it was this work that impressed both the judging panel and the voting public. Since then, Northern Lights composites have gone on to create the world’s first recyclable foiling dinghy – the ecofoiler – and launched a new yacht recovery project to promote the reclamation of abandoned boats and correctly manage the disposal of old fiberglass vessels.

World Sailing caught up with Fabio Bignolini, Founder at Northern Light Composites to learn more about the programme and their ongoing plans and goals.

Can you tell us a bit more about Northern Lights Composites?

Northern Lights Composites is a startup born in Monfalcone, Italy. It was created from a group of passionate sailors and engineers who wanted to find an alternative to glass-fibre reinforced plastic. We hate fiberglass and it is our mission to create a new circular economy and remove over 54,000 tonnes of fiberglass waste in the process. After months of research and development, we launched our first recyclable composite and our first small dinghy.

That must have been a great moment for you. But since then, you have gone on to achieve much more!

Yes, in 2021 we dedicated ourselves entirely to the construction of our first real boat. And from that the ecoracer was born, a 7.69-metre-long racing boat designed by Matteo Polli. Alongside its composite structure, it also has recyclable sails made by Onesails and an electric motor by Mitek. This proved what was possible and it was great to present this boat at the Genoa Boat Show last year, alongside being present at the Italian and European Sportboat Championship in 2022 with an exceptional crew led by Dede de Luca, who has two America’s Cup campaigns and two Olympics to his name.

We have also launched the ecofoiler in 2022, which is an entirely circular project – from the composite to sails and the recyclable mold made in additive manufacturing by Breton Spa.

What is your goal for the future with Northern Lights Composite?

Our goal is to transition all dinghies to recyclable hulls. This is a five-year plan, with the aim being to introduce our technology to the most popular classes and for their boats to be built by us.

The dream is to build cruising boats by 2030, to allow everyone to own a boat that respects the environment and will not be abandoned at the end of its life.

What are the main challenges you face?

The greatest difficulties we encounter are those related to making the market understand that it is possible to make a transition quickly without a significant increase in costs. The shipyards are currently busy fulfilling orders and solving problems related to the procurement of raw materials and there is no room to think about implementing new sustainable technologies.

Greenwashing is also still an issue, with some solutions presented to people as sustainable when they only really relate to the marketing operations. We have a sustainable solution and want to help people understand and implement this.

Are there any other sustainable projects that inspire you?

We are really inspired by the philosophy of Patagonia. They have an environmentally friendly approach, and it is in their DNA. They are making change through reduction and reuse, such as turning one of the most harmful forms of plastic pollution into something you can wear for life.

What did it mean for you to be nominated for the 11th Hour Sustainability Award in 2021?

We have been nominated for the World Sailing 11th Hour Sustainability Awards for the past two editions and it means a lot to us and is a recognition of our hard work. It allows us to let the world know that it is possible to build truly sustainable boats.

To find out more about Northern Lights Composites click here.

To find out more about the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award click here.