Publication date: 08/12/2025
The ocean and the environment: two passions in one project
A lifelong member of Surfrider Foundation, surfer, bodysurfer, and freediving enthusiast, Julien describes himself as “forever in love with the sea.”
His work as a Project Manager in International Public Health Research at the University of Bordeaux has never stopped him from making the most of it: the enthusiast has been sailing for over 20 years on yachts “during training courses, on friends’ boats or by chartering boats in the Caribbean, Polynesia and the Mediterranean.” His first major sailing journey was with a friend – from Marseille to the Canary Islands.
Julien also explains that he has “always been very conscious about protecting the planet“. For him, the Sail and Clean Project is an opportunity to combine his two passions: sailing and environmental preservation.
The birth of the Sail and Clean Project
“Bottle tops, plastic bottles, fishing nets… the situation is alarming in every ocean,” explains the project’s founder. “Beaches are littered with waste, even in the most remote corners of the planet. The oceans are being choked by millions of tonnes of plastic that will take centuries to break down. Marine animals, birds and fish are paying the price and dying from ingesting it.”
It was upon making this observation that Julien developed the idea of a meaningful and purposeful journey: a sailing tour of the Atlantic to raise awareness of environmental protection, to take concrete steps in favour of the planet and its species, and to collect valuable data to help safeguard the oceans.
With what he calls the Sail and Clean Project, he will be able to “take action, on [his] own scale, against plastic pollution, and give back to the sea what it has given [him].”
In October 2024, Julien found the yacht best suited to carry out his project: a Sun Odyssey 36i with three cabins, which he renamed Désirade. He chose to moor it at Port Médoc marina – a port in Gironde, close to where he lives, with the facilities and services he requires, and where moorings are available without waiting.
The Sail and Clean Project: programme, itinerary and objectives
Numerous destinations across the Atlantic
Julien’s departure aboard Désirade is scheduled for autumn 2025, for a journey expected to last around ten months. From September 2025 to July 2026, the sailor plans a circular sailing route with several major stopovers:
- France (departing from the marina at Le Verdon-sur-Mer)
- Portugal
- Madeira
- The Canary Islands
- Senegal
- Cape Verde
- Barbados
- Grenada
- The Caribbean island chain
- The Bahamas
- The Azores archipelago
- Gibraltar
- The Balearic Islands
The boat’s return in summer 2026 is expected to take place in the Mediterranean – in the Marseille area.
Raising awareness among residents and boaters
Throughout the itinerary, stopovers will be an opportunity for exchange, encounters, and sharing. Julien plans to carry out awareness-raising and waste collection activities, in partnership with local associations and among schools and local populations – all invited to take part in the project.
The main objective is educational: the aim is to encourage awareness and to spread good practices for managing waste at sea.
Concrete actions for a cleaner ocean
Collection, sorting and mapping
In addition to collecting floating waste encountered during the journey, Julien is keen to organise concrete actions that can later be replicated by those who’ve been made aware. During stopovers, he will regularly offer waste collection and beach clean-up sessions, always with an educational component.
The sailor has also committed to working with the University of Bordeaux to geolocate the presence of sargassum in the open sea and to collect samples: these will be sent to the EPOC laboratory, which specialises in ocean research, and analysed to better understand their dynamics and capacity to absorb pollutants and nanoplastics.
Limiting the waste produced, sorting for recycling… On board Désirade, Julien will of course apply the principles he advocates. But he has also committed to going further:
“As a yachtsman, I know that managing waste on board – especially when travelling – can be really difficult. When you rent a boat, you’re not always advised to drop off your waste where it can actually be processed. Sometimes, from one island to the next, the conditions change completely: on one island, waste is treated and recycled, while on the neighbouring island, it’s burned!”
So, Julien also wants to take advantage of the journey to document and map the locations and facilities available for sorting and recycling waste. He hopes the data from this mapping work will one day feed into the collaborative databases often used by sailors.
Thorough preparation of the yacht
With just a few weeks before departure, the project founder’s Sun Odyssey 36i is undergoing final preparations. Once completed, the yacht will be fully equipped – both for onboard autonomy and safety:
Désirade has been fitted with an AIS system and new solar panels, the boat’s life raft has been serviced, and the yacht’s water tanks have been treated so that Julien won’t need to buy plastic bottles for drinking water.
The boat’s configuration has also been designed to allow for waste collection and sorting. Lastly, the owner has stocked up on biodegradable cleaning products – which he has tested and approved.
In September 2025, Julien Poublan and his yacht will be ready to set sail across the Atlantic from Port Médoc – ideally located for launching this journey.
Get involved with the project
Would you like to play your part in this committed initiative? Good news: there are several ways to support Julien!
You can sign up for the project newsletter via the homepage of the Sail and Clean Project website. On the website, you’ll find all the information needed to join the Sail and Clean Project association – either as a member or a supporting member – for a period of 3 years.
Lastly, whether or not you have sailing experience, you can also join the Sail and Clean Project by sailing alongside Julien on one or more legs of the Atlantic tour, and by actively participating in waste collection actions.
