The New Year is a time to reflect on our successes and make plans for the future
by Peter Rendle 3 Jan 2019 13:00 PST
Start 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race © Rolex / Studio Borlenghi
As we start the New Year it's a good time to look back and reflect on the past. Recovering from following the Rolex Sydney Hobart and watching the New Year's Sydney fireworks, the benefits of owning a yacht or powerboat could not be more evident. The start of the Hobart was lined with masses of spectator craft and on New Year's Eve what better place to be than on a boat under the stars watching the pyrotechnics in one of the most spectacular harbours in the world?
It was an interesting year for Australian Marine Business World and for a moment we will be a bit self-indulgent. This weekly e-newsletter now has over 8000+ industry subscribers and there is no better way to let the rest of the industry know your latest news. New products, new appointments, new premises, new deals, we are here to give your business the opportunity to publicise your news.
So successful is the site that we have now established Marine Business World covering North America and this may be viewed at www.marinebusinessworld.com/NorthAmerica . Their news is building up and we will introduce a monthly e-newsletter for the US/Canada later in the year.
While we are on the subject our sister sites are also performing exceptionally well. Sail-World.com, with seven regional sites globally, managed to attract over 185,000 monthly unique visitors around the world in December with the UK-based YachtsandYachting.com amassing a further 85,000 unique monthly visitors during the month. However, boating is a diverse pastime so we now have two powerboat sites to compliment our sailing coverage. Powerboat-World and FishingBoating-World are sites that are developing nicely and these can be seen at www.powerboat-world.com and www.fishingboating-world.com
If you have any questions about any of these sites feel free to contact me via peter.rendle@sail-world.com
Companies are already getting into the swing of things in 2019 and Harken, the global manufacturer of deck hardware have already issued their first news of the year. We have details of their January issue of 'At The Front', Harken's digital digest. Catch up on the top Harken web content posted over the past month.
In our company news we give exposure to products that may be of interest to industry users. That's the case with Shockles. Anchor, dock and tow lines see some pretty rough action, especially in choppy water. And whatever deck hardware they are tied to shares in the strain - as does everyone on board. With Shockles from Davis Instruments, this jarring is cushioned. The innovative devices minimize stress and chafe on lines and absorb damaging shock loads, providing a more comfortable and safer boating experience. Patented Shockles are available in three models, each with a specific purpose in mind. All have UV-resistant 1,140kg test nylon webbing covering a 1,590kg test marine grade elastomer and internal line limiter. With this, tension increases progressively to counter loads placed on it, whether gentle or violent, as the device stretches to its maximum length.
And foremost in the minds of all boat owners in 2019 should be the state of our oceans. It was refreshing to see the Ocean Respect Racing crew getting involved. While preparing for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the all-female professional sailing team, joined forces with Clean Up Australia, the iconic, not-for-profit Australian environmental organization, to raise awareness for how rubbish finds its way into the ocean, and encourage positive behaviour change. Team members gathered on Whiting Beach in Sydney Harbor to get a better understanding of the rubbish that lurks beneath a seemingly clean harbour. The team removed twelve bags of trash, filled with soft plastic wrappers from food, cigarette butts, plastic water bottles, and many tiny plastic pieces that were unidentifiable. As part of its commitment to leave a lasting legacy in Australia, 11th Hour Racing awarded a $10,000 grant to Clean Up Australia to support the organization's mission and expand its waterway clean-ups.
Let's all play a part in keeping the oceans clean in 2019.
Aveagooden
Peter Rendle, Sail-World.com