Flushing Sailing Club Introduces Eco-Friendly Mark-Set-Bot in Falmouth Harbour

Published On: 1 October 2025Last Updated: 1 October 2025By CornishStuff

Flushing Sailing Club (FSC) has become one of the first clubs in the country to use a new eco-friendly racing marker, known as a “Mark-Set-Bot”, during its busy summer racing season in the environmentally sensitive waters of Falmouth Harbour.

A New Way of Racing

The robotic buoy, named “Bot-icelli” by club members, is battery powered and controlled remotely using an iPad. Guided by GPS, it stays in place without the need for an anchor, meaning there is no impact on the seabed.

The investment was sponsored by the Fal & Helford Protected Area Fund, with operational support from Falmouth Harbour, Falmouth Boat Construction, Heather & Lay Estate Agents and Penrose Sailmakers.

Flushing Sailing Club, which is run as a charity by volunteers, hosts the busiest racing fleets in Falmouth Harbour. This year it saw a record 50 boats competing, and the new Mark-Set-Bot has already replaced the need for anchored buoys in 28 races.

📷Falmouth Working Boats rounding the Mark-Set-Bot – aerial Tom @ Altitude Works

Protecting Falmouth Harbour

The club is home to the iconic Falmouth Working Boats and gaffer fleets, with regular racing also for four fleets of yachts and the Falmouth Sunbeams on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

FSC Commodore Peter Harvey said:
“Reducing our environmental impact has been a core objective of Flushing Sailing Club for many years. The Mark-Set-Bot delivers exactly that as regards our busy racing calendar.

“The project would have been impossible for us without the incredibly generous support of our sponsors. They all share our ambition to preserve the amazing surroundings – in which we are all lucky enough to live – for future generations.”

When not in use, Bot-icelli will be kept at Falmouth Harbour’s boat park under a bespoke protective cover made by Penrose Sailmakers. Its use supports Falmouth Harbour’s wider mission to safeguard habitats such as seagrass and maerl beds through smart mooring technology and marker buoys.

Falmouth Harbour CEO Miles Carden said:
“Flushing Sailing Club’s new Mark-Set-Bot is a wonderful example of a local community – and organisations within it – coming together to protect our precious environment.

“As custodians of Falmouth Harbour, we are passionate about reducing our impacts and caring for our precious habitats, whilst effectively running our leisure and commercial activities.”

📷Falmouth Working Boats rounding the Mark-Set-Bot – aerial Tom @ Altitude Works

A Club with a Sustainable Vision

Founded in 1921 on Flushing’s New Quay, the sailing club has built a strong reputation for sustainable practices. A milestone came in 2021, when HRH The Princess Royal opened its distinctive eco clubhouse, marking the club’s centenary.

The clubhouse was built using sustainable materials, is designed for reduced energy consumption, and has virtually eliminated food waste.

For more about the activities of Flushing Sailing Club visit flushingsailingclub.co.uk or to learn more about Falmouth Harbour’s environmental work, see falmouthharbour.co.uk/environment