One of the world’s most popular transatlantic sailing contests kicked off in Cape Town on the weekend – and this year, the competition is about more than just finishing first.

The 16th edition of the Cape2Rio will see vessels cross 3600 miles of treacherous oceans to see who reaches Rio de Janeiro first.

Crews will be on board their yachts for more than 20 days, which brings with it the challenge of responsibly disposing of any waste and refuse.

Magdaleen Kroon is a crew member on board NORTHERN LIGHT – she says she did a lot of research to make sure they don’t harm the environment while they sail towards Rio.

“We’re not throwing anything overboard, and it can be quite a mass of waste that you generate on-board with six people for a month..and we don’t want to dump it on the Brazilian shores either, so we decided to take nothing at all! It was a massive challenge, I had to do a lot of research..and there are a number of companies selling things like produce without any packaging.”

To follow the race and see who is on the leader board, click HERE