REGIONAL ROUND-UP

This month, we hear from two successful programs including the Puget Sound Sailing Renaissance and the National Sailing Hall of Fame Sailing Center.

PUGET SOUND SAILING RENAISSANCE DISCUSSES IDEAS FOR 2010 PROGRAMS

Following a successful summer sailing season, members of the Puget Sound Sailing Renaissance met in mid October to review their successes from the previous summer and to plan ahead for 2010 programs.

Some of the ideas currently under discussion for the coming year include promoting programs during the upcoming January boat show; increasing support by making more boats available for the group’s current Thursday night sailing series; kicking off the season with the Leukemia Cup fundraiser as the official launch of a whole summer of Discover Sailing events; re-establishing the Friday Night Shilshole Series; and working with the NMTA and NWYBA to provide free sailing at select boat shows.

Sailing Renaissance efforts are starting to pay off.

One sailing instructor wrote to share that following his first class after the September show, four of his six students had tried sailing as part of the Discover Sailing program, and had come to learn more. Another report was previously reported in Sail America News about a family who came to buy a powerboat at the boat show, but after participating in a Discover Sailing program, decided to “reconsider because sailing had the whole family working together.”

NATIONAL SAILING HALL OF FAME LAUNCHES NEW FREE SAILING PROGRAM

During the April – October 2009 inaugural season, a new free community sailing program was launched to the public with the objective to become a national template for other sailing organizations to emulate.

A group of mostly non-program organizations came together to create this community-wide sailing effort, with Annapolis Community Boating becoming the product of the free sailing initiative. Groups working together for the common good include the National Sailing Hall of Fame & Sailing Center, Box of Rain, CRAB (Chesapeake Regional Accessible Boating), Brendan Corporation, Chessie Jr. Racing and Annapolis Sailing School.

Reservations were required for the various free sailing sessions offered throughout the week during key time periods. Most of the 435 documented participants came from the Annapolis, Washington, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, New Jersey and eastern shore area of Maryland and included a broad mix of prospective new sailors ranging from a grandmother and her 11-year-old grandson, to three generations of a Korean family, to professional athletes, among others. One opportunity for the free sail was offered per person, per season.

In terms of content, participants received safety instruction, a knot-tying lesson and information on the Chesapeake Bay, along with an environmental stewardship message and a list of sailing opportunities in the area. The on-water portion of the program included onboard safety instructions and three hours of sailing. Numerous boats were lent for the effort, while the Jamie Boekel Foundation provided funding for life jackets.

The good news? Organizers claim that local sailing businesses are reporting participants in the program are signing up for sailing lessons and opportunities!

The inaugural season initiative was marketed by the various organizations and included mailings, newsletters, flyers, e-mail blasts, 1:1 media contacts, etc. The publicity machine started a month prior to the first weekend and media results included favorable coverage in numerous publications as well as on Fox 5 in Washington. Besides the editorial, word-of-mouth was cited as a main driver for registrations.

For more information, contact program coordinators Lorie Stout, director of Annapolis Community Boating at lorie@stoutgear.com, or Susan Dierdorf Taylor, director of the National Sailing Hall of Fame and Sailing Center, susan.taylor@nshof.org

SAIL AMERICA NEWS SALUTES OUR REGIONAL PACESETTERS! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

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