INDONESIA

the owner of the 138-foot Cizgi E&E is a longtime sailor who thought he was doing his part for the eco-friendly movement. He even went so far as to spend three years planning and building E&E in ways that would keep fuel use low—and this was more than a decade ago, before being eco-friendly became wholly fashionable. ¶ “Because of our sensitivity regarding the environment, we started thinking about these things with the design of the boat,” says owner’s representative Sansal Ilgun. “We did the testing in Holland and tried to achieve the best propeller design, the best engine power and the best-performing hull. The result of that is that our engines consume only 130 liters [34 gallons] at 11 knots. We don’t do more than this—because that’s the best. Our top speed is 14 or 15 knots, but it’s senseless. You consume much more.” ¶ And yet, even with that kind of mindfulness taking place, the owner realized the scope of the planet’s problems required much more action. Specifically, he wanted to do more about the trash and plastic making their way into the waters he felt passionate about protecting, both where he cruised in the Mediterranean and beyond. ¶ “He decided to do something on land to minimize waste,” Ilgun says. “All the waste in the sea and the oceans is coming from the land.” ¶ In 2015, the owner founded the Mind Your Waste Foundation. Based in Turkey, the group does educational and lobbying campaigns that promote recycling and work to eliminate plastic use and littering. ¶ And what better place to show what might be possible than aboard his own yacht? ¶ This past spring, the Yacht Club de Monaco awarded E&E its La Belle Class Explorer Award for the program’s commitment to environmentally mindful cruising and charter operations. The owner still has the yacht running at fuel-efficient speeds and has since worked to ban the use of plastic on board, allowed only biodegradable cleaning products to be used, and applauded his crewmembers not only for picking up litter, but also for posting signs on beaches that encourage people to dispose of trash properly. ¶ “We don’t buy any plastic

THE OWNER DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ON LAND TO MINIMIZE WASTE. ALL THE WASTE IN THE SEA AND THE OCEANS IS COMING FROM THE LAND.

The E&E crew picks up any trash that they find on Mediterranean beaches. They sometimes leave signs behind, encouraging people not to litter.

E&E is based year-round in the Mediterranean. Her primary cruising grounds are in Greece and Turkey, and the owner will reposition the yacht to Croatia, the south of France or Italy if charter clients want to book in those locations. E&E can hit 14 or 15 knots, but the captain keeps the throttles back at 11 knots, where the yacht achieves the best fuel efficiency.