8th International Sailing Summit a success

by Event media on 7 Jun 2007 At the invitation of ISS Patron Bruno Troublé and ISS Chairman Alistair Murray of Ronstan, thirty three luminaries of the sailing industry gathered to do some crystal ball gazing into the future of sailing.

With the America’s Cup competition as a backdrop, the group first met at the Luna Rossa camp for evening cocktails, followed by a day of insightful and creative discussion. A fabulous evening meal as guests of Bruno Troublé and Louis Vuitton finished a great day. Special speakers were Bob Fisher, who re-capped the year in sailing, Andy Hindley who wowed us with the Volvo Ocean Race and Bruno Troublé with his America’s Cup stories.

The next day saw the ISS group on the water with the BMW Oracle camp, but alas, there was not enough wind to see any action!

Highlights of the day’s discussion were:

Jason White of the Sailing Company, reporting on the state of the U.S. market.
- Business is tough, with U.S. sailboat production declining in 2006 by 7%.
- Trends include the growing influence of women, new approach to health and well being, parents and grand parents getting more involved with kids, staying connected with technology, growing awareness of crewed chartering.
- Sailing is the ultimate de-stressor, is inspirational, builds character and values, broadens horizons and is green!

Edward Leask of Fast Track, chairing a session on 'The Future of Sailing Events'
- Popular events today are ones that combine racing with a big social component, such as Skandia Cowes Week.
- Races such as Sydney to Hobart, with the burden of insurance costs and safety equipment costs are falling in numbers.
- Other successes are Kiel Week, the Fastnet Race, the Bermuda Race, Newport to Ensenada, Key West Race Week. In the Fastnet Race, companies train people to participate, as an 'Adventure Holiday'.
- Twilight sailing is working, as people are increasingly time poor.
- Corporate sailing events show promise. Yacht clubs need to be more accommodating of 'non-sailors'. In France there are many corporate events.
- Summer Sailstice in the USA is only about participating and fun. Rendezvous events for cruising classes are also popular.
- We shouldn’t try too hard to make sailing a spectator sport, as it appeals mainly to the converts. The top events like the Volvo Race and America’s Cup do have broader appeal however, as evidenced by the numbers turning up to a Volvo leg finish.
- When covering events or running events there needs to be flexibility in the case of no wind. Show something else exciting or plan an alternative activity for competitors. In one 49er event they had a paddling race!
- Sailing is now easier, with better equipment and infrastructure. We need to package and market training and experiences.
- We need to show sponsors they are achieving better sales.

Bruce Edwards of West Marine, chairing a session on the 'Development of Sailboats, Equipment and Technology'.
- Products have developed a lot, eg. GPS, catamaran design, furling, windlasses; all designed to make sailing easier and safer.
- Clothing/lifestyle is important.
- Boats need to be designed for people who 'know nothing'. Make them like a house, in terms of interior fittings, etc.
- We need exciting small boats that appeal to kids, eg. the 29er and BIC dinghy.
- Sailing can be promoted as a green activity.
- Technology and volume have driven the price of boats down, but the challenge is now to develop storage, berthing facilities, access to the water. We need creative thinking in this area more than anything. More options for trailable boats.
- Sailing must be seen to be cool, exciting, hi-tech (eg Moth class) and products need to reflect this.

Malav Shroff, reporting on Sailing in India
- 2nd fastest growing economy in the world, including the luxury market.
- First international boat show held in Mumbai in February 2006. On next year too.
- Building lots of new marinas and slips and India does have a history of sailing, which includes the 3rd oldest yacht club in the world.

Tony Rice of ICOMIA, chairing a session on 'Sailing’s Future – Economic and Demographic'.
- Our industry has a very poor statistical base.
- Average age of sailors has increased, charter figures are flat, women and children are under-represented.
- There is a very big market of people who could sail, without the hassle of maintenance etc. Sailtime fills this need.
- People want home comforts and features in their boats. Also safety has to be a key consideration.
- Corporate sailing is a big opportunity.
- Women are the fastest growing demographic of West Marine customer base.
- Challenge is to offer sailing economically to 20-30 year olds; perhaps a holiday experience with a sailing theme.
- France has 500,000 people go through sailing schools every year. They felt that old equipment was a real barrier, so FIN financed the destruction and removal of tons of old boats and gear! Very visionary. We need to get rid of some older boats to get new product on the water.
- In many countries immigrants and minority groups are under-represented.
- Some clubs have programs where it is compulsory to take a non sailor along each week.

Jonathan Banks of Sail America, presenting on 'Discover Sailing'.
- DS is an integrated marketing program that promotes the sailing lifestyle, introduces new people to sailing, provides information, increases awareness and generates leads.
- Includes an ad campaign, both print and television.
- The website helps choose the right boat, insurance, etc.
- The campaign has increased active shoppers from 2% to 8%.

Ian Atkins of Boats.com, chairing a session on 'The Marketing of Sailing and the Challenges Ahead'.
- The ISS should remain as an informal group to exchange ideas. We shouldn’t try to replicate or take over what is already in place.
- We need more of the heavy hitters of the sailing industry, like the sailmakers, major boat builders and marina operators.
- We need to define the target audience and share ideas about how we all go about capturing it.
- The next ISS in Paris will be held during the Paris Boat Show in December 2008. Paris show has 300,000 visitors, good accommodation and facilities. The dates of the ISS will be 9th and 10th December.
- The theme will be the rest of the world learning about how France promotes sailing and the international sailing industry learning from other successful sports and industries about how they increased participation. Suggestions for speakers included:
o Someone from women’s soccer. Paul Strzelecki to follow up?
o Quicksilver and Puma to talk about marketing of sport. Andy Hindley to approach Puma.
o Women’s Volleyball. Malav Shroff to make contact.
o Golf. Perhaps Peter Nelson from Rolex could talk, as they touch on several different sports.
o Phil Draper from IBI Magazine could help us chart the direction that sailboat production and the industry are going in each region around the world by presenting a statistical overview.
- Teaching kids is a major priority and we need to look at sports that have done this well.

With thanks to our major sponsors:
Henri-Lloyd, Fast Track, The Sailing Company, Ronstan, ECNI/FIN, ICOMIA, West Marine, Boats.com and our support sponsors:
Sail Magazine and Sail America.

See you all in Paris! France is a sailing success story and it will be great to see first hand what they have done.

Quotes from ISS delegates:
'I thoroughly enjoyed reaching my first Summit! Looking forward to the next one already. The ISS has a significant role to play in promoting this magnificent sport of ours to a wider audience. As the only global organization dedicated to increasing participation, the ISS has enrolled many of the leading players in the sailboat world. It should continue to use their wise counsel to make informed and intelligent decisions about developing the sport and make sure those decisions are widely comm