Kicking off the year with a dose of adventure, Sunreef Yachts were the proud main sponsors of the exciting off-road Africa Eco Race 2020 in January. Starting the journey in the capital of yachting on January 8th, 300 vehicles made up of 700 participating drivers made their way from Monaco through the beautiful coastal roads of the Mediterranean and onwards to Africa to cross the finish line on 19th January in Senegal.
An avid motorsports enthusiast, Francis Lapp, Founder and CEO of Sunreef Yachts, embraces the challenge of off-road adventure, participating in a number of events over the years – including two Paris-Dakar races. For the 12th edition of the Sunreef Yachts Africa Eco Race, Lapp not only decided to introduce Sunreef Yachts as the main partner of the event but also took part in the 6000-kilometre race through Europe and Africa himself. Starting in Monaco, Lapp drove a custom-built rally car alongside the off-road racer Jacky Lechleiter, reaching the finishing line on the shores of the Lac Rose in Senegal..
Sunreef supporting sustainability
But the bucket-list off-road race is not just about indulging in some of the world’s best off-road racing. The Africa Eco Race is a fantastic charitable initiative that focuses on empowering sustainable development throughout African communities in need of support, with Sunreef Yachts proud to support this increasingly important cause in a fun and adventurous way.
As part of the success of the sustainability project, the Africa Eco Race organisers note that reforestation has played an important role, particularly in areas like Mauritania. In 2014, the Africa Eco Race participated in the inspirational million tree project in Nouakchott, the Mauritania capital. The initiative aimed to plant a million trees over 2000 hectares of land around the city of Nouakchott.
Speaking of the race’s charitable initiatives in 2020, the event organisers state: “Besides the sports side of the competition, the organisation, as well as many competitors, undertake humanitarian actions to improve the lives of thousands of children in Mauritania and Senegal. Once again, the Africa Eco Race 2020, in partnership with the AMADE Monaco and thanks to the eco-participation of our competitors and providers, distributed hundreds of solar lamps in remote villages in Mauritania.” The event organisers also state that this initiative will continue into the 2021 edition of the Africa Eco Race, helping more villages in the area as the project expands.
In addition to these long-term initiatives, the Africa Eco Race integrates eco-responsible behaviour into the daily organisation of the event. The organisers define the route in close collaboration with local authorities to respect the national parks and zones which need to be protected, as well as maximise the boost to local economies throughout the route. Want to know more about this iconic race through Europe to Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal for an epic adventure? A detailed report from the Africa Eco Race 2020 will follow in the next issue of the Sunreef News Magazine. Sunreef Yachts look forward to supporting sustainability around the world at the next edition of the Africa Eco Race, hosted from 2nd to 17th January 2021.
