Sailing has long connected people with nature and played a vital role in human progress - enabling exploration, trade, and cultural exchange for centuries. Widely regarded today as a sustainable sport, it induces harmony with wind, water, and the environment. Yet beneath this image lies a growing problem: the materials used to manufacture modern sailing equipment cause significant environmental harm at the end of their life. Most sailing boats, for instance, are produced from glass fibre reinforced polymers - a material which currently cannot be recycled. As a result, many boats are sent to landfill or even abandoned, despite still being structurally sound or usable.

This thesis investigates how boat manufacturing, usage, and end-of-life practices can transition toward a circular economy. The Optimist sailing dinghy serves as the primary case study and a driver for sustainable change. A comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) demonstrates that more sustainable and recyclable material alternatives exist, additionally offering advantages in both weight and durability. However, mapping the life cycle of Optimist dinghies reveals an even greater challenge: for 74% of these boats, essential product related information is lost during their lifespan, rendering recycling efforts highly uncertain.

To address this, the thesis proposes DPP.BOATS, a web-based platform for Digital Product Passports (DPPs) tailored to sailing boats. The system integrates both static technical specifications and dynamic data streams - automatically collected usage data to understand real-world usage patterns and life expectancy, as well as easily submitted maintenance histories, condition reports, and event participation. Crucially, the platform embraces an open access philosophy, designed to minimise friction from authorisation processes and to avoid technological dependencies on subscription services - essential in a sport largely run by volunteers and dedicated parents. By allowing barrier-free access, DPP.BOATS facilitates transparency in second-hand markets, supports preventive maintenance planning, and provides valuable insights for future boat design. It also ensures that final owners know the material composition and correct recycling procedures, enabling true circularity.

Ultimately, this thesis argues for integrating end-of-life considerations into product development and business strategies, emphasizing more conscious material usage and its value preservation - critical steps in addressing the environmental crisis and cultivate optimistic futures.