Industry News

As every year in December, the nautical industry of France is presenting its products, services and especially its novelties at the Salon Nautique of Paris. Over 800 exhibitors with their booths, and a multitude of attractions will inform and entertain the visitors. Always of special interest are the press conferences of the most important Regatta Organisers and Sailing Teams presenting their 2013 Calendar, and the big names of the French racing scene will be present (... unless they are sailing around the Globe at the Vendée ..). The event-website. A special spectacle is always the transport of the big yacht across the nocturnal Paris - here a video.

While the Volvo Ocean Race 2012 is in its final phase with the Inport Race of Galway IRL, the planning for the next VOR taking place in two years, is already progressing at full steam. Two weeks ago, the new one-design monohull Volvo 65 was presented. And in this month of July already, the construction of the prototype will be initiated. In a unique joint venture, the experienced boatyards Décision (Switzerland), Green Marine (UK), Multiplast (France) and Persico (Italy) will build at least 8, possibly even 10 yachts together. In July 2013, the first Volvo 65 will be operational. The report.

There's a flurry of activity happening around the Olympics and many top sailing brands are getting into the patriotic spirit. One of those is leading marine shoe manufacturer Chatham Marine, who have designed a limited edition boat shoes in honour of the occasion. The GB2012 comes in a stylish three tone red, white and blue, all topped off with a Union Jack rubber sole so you really can look the part when cheering on Britain's hopefuls this summer. These GB 2012 deck shoes are available exclusively on the Chatham Marine Website and are available in sizes 6-15, including half sizes. The shoe retails at £99. Order now !

Quality for a fair price is the motto of Yachtcharter Pitter constantly striving for improvements and novelties, and one of them is a smartphone 'Pitter Ap', allowing to be informed real-time about the latest charter- and regatta news and offers. The charter section contains all information to plan for the most enjoyiable sailing holidays, from charter boat details, location of boat, availability, prerequisits, long- and short-time weather forecasts, etc. The regatta section is conceived as regatta calendar with all details how to enrol as or join a Pitter racing team. The report (german) (PDF).

Bluboats is currently building a brand new blu30 semi custom yacht. The day-sailor comes with an eye-catching teak deck, a carbon rig and park avenue boom, an electro-hydraulic trim system and a state-of-the-art electric saildrive. A smart deck layout in combination with a gennaker chute system allow for single handed or small crew sailing. The elegant nine meter yacht will be delivered this may at the Swiss Lake Lucerne. More....

Revenue rose, but profits fell in the third quarter at West Marine and the retailer saw its operating results decline after seven quarters of improvement. Net revenue was $172.5 million for the 13-week period that ended Oct. 2, an increase of 2.6 percent from $168.2 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Comparable-store sales for the Watsonville, Calif.-based company rose $5.2 million, or 3.7 percent. A driver of this growth was gains in sales to wholesale customers through the company's stores. Net income was $7.4 million, or 32 cents a share, compared with $8.5 million, or 38 cents a share, a year earlier. For the year to date, earnings per share were $1.44, compared with $1.13 for the same period last year. Income before taxes for the quarter was $7.6 million, a decrease of $1.3 million, or 14.8 percent, from $9 million a year earlier. The release.

Results of a boating industry survey of 432 dealers indicate that the market at retail is bottoming but not yet rebounding. On most measures of performance, business trends remain tough. New boat sales are still weak and dealers remain concerned about the credit environment and profitability levels. At the same time, the used boat market continues to strengthen, and dealer feedback suggests that this is more of a reflection of true demand than distressed selling activity. Second, the level and aging of dealer inventory appears to be in very good shape. Third, while still depressed, readings on financing, profitability and dealer sentiment are moving in a more positive direction. The release.

West Marine announced the recipients of their first annual Marine Conservation Grants program. Grants for a total amount of $30,000 are being awarded to non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. who are working to "improve and protect marine habitat," which is part of West Marine's mission. The nine winners: California & Hawaii: The Ocean Foundation Tag-a-Giant Fund; Huntington Beach, Calif.: Get Inspired; Sebastian, Fort Pierce, Indian River Lagoon, Fla.: Marine Cleanup Initiative, Inc; Jacksonville Fla.: Think It, Sink It, Reef It (TISRI); New Orleans La.: Marine Research and Assistance Council and Friends of the West End; South Carolina & Texas: Coastal Conservation Association (CCA); Orange County, Calif.: Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA); Get the details (PDF).

Feel like working with boats, on boats, in boats? Perhaps as a builder, designer or marine technician? Well there's a wealth of career choices and the curricula of education to match, i.e. one- or two-year technical programs that BoatUS wants you to know about. They just added a new list of marine trade schools community colleges and accredited certification programs to their Guide to Marine Education programs on their Web site.

West Marine today reported net sales of US$233.4m for its second quarter ended July 3, 2010, an 8.4 per cent increase over the same period a year ago. Same-store sales increased by 9.4 per cent, or US$17.3m, and stores opened in 2009 generated an additional US$8.8m.
In specific categories, sales in its Store segment rose US$18.2m, or 9.2 per cent, to US$212.7m, while Port Supply increased sales by US$0.4m, or 4.3 per cent, to US$9.3m. Net sales of its Direct Segment fell by US$0.4m, or 2.9 per cent, to US$11.5m.
West Marine CEO Geoff Eisenberg said that unusually warm weather in the US northeast prompted boaters to prepare their boats early. The company also noticed an impact by the Gulf oil spill in the southeastern US. "During the second quarter, we experienced a decrease in sales of products typically used by recreational boaters and fishermen," he said. "However, this was almost completely offset by sales of products which appear to be connected with fighting the oil spill." The full release.

The Center for Wooden Boats (CWB), the hands-on maritime museum and sailing activity center on South Lake Union won the distinction of "outstanding year round program” for 2009 by the US Sailing's Community Sailing Council. Aside from boat building workshops and speakers events, CWB also offers free Sunday sails, youth and adult sailing lessons and field trips for children. More than 100,000 youth and adults participate in CWB programs each year. If anyone is concerned about saving sailing, check out CWB as an inspiration or to talk to director Dick Wagner.

After working on the financial reform bill, the House and Senate conference committee have finalized the legislation and marine dealers were granted an exclusion, according to a release from the National Marine Manufacturers Association. According to the NMMA, auto, marine and RV dealers will be excluded from the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which will oversee mortgages, credit cards and other consumer financial products. This means the agency would regulate the financial institutions that extend credit to auto, marine and RV customers, as well as the few dealers that provide direct financing themselves, but not dealers directly. The bill now goes to the full House and Senate for a vote and is on track to reach the President's desk before the July 4th holiday.

Discover Boating officially launched a series of online games, titled Making Waves, to put at-home current and potential boaters and outdoor enthusiasts in the virtual captain's chair to experience the fun of life on the water. The games are part of a larger online marketing strategy to leverage existing networks, such as Facebook, already being used by a substantial number of consumers within the Discover Boating target audience. The Making Waves games will specifically target adults 25-54 who have expressed interest in the outdoors, boating and fishing. Placing the game within the U.S. Facebooknetwork of 120-150 million users, or approximately 40 percent of the U.S. population, allows Discover Boating to reach a larger, targeted audience of potential boaters and communicate with them via an interactive experience, bringing boating to life. Read the entire press release

Starting today at St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., the 2010 Sailing Industry Conference hosted by Sail America gathers 140 industry executives, managers and media to discuss adjustments to the economy after the recession. Goal of the conference (motto: "Adjusting to the New Economy”) is to provide attendees with a new perspective on the sailing marketplace, discuss new e-marketing tools, improve personal communication skills, and present sales ideas and tactics that have immediate and positive impact on business. Speakers include Gary Jobson, US Sailing resident, Dean Brenner, chairman of the U.S. Olympic sailing program and president of The Latimer Group, Vince Morvillo, motivational speaker and world champion sailor and Don Cooper, an expert in innovative selling. See the conference agenda.
Yesterday's Sailing Industry Regatta sponsored by West Marine and organized by J/World Annapolis, saw four teams sail three races outside Back Creek in light and shifty conditions. Top spot on the podium for Sail Magazine/Josh Adams (5 pts.), followed by Sailing World/Gary Jobson (6 pts.) and JK3/Jeff Brown (9 pts.)

A week from today, Sail America's 2010 Sailing Industry Conference will kick off at St. Johns College in Annapolis, Md. The two-day event (June 15-16) is titled "Adjusting to the New Economy," and features a schedule of expert speakers, breakout sessions and interactive peer discussions, plus a mix of social activities including a barbecue at Port Annapolis. See the conference agenda. Headlining the panel of speakers is Dean Brenner, chairman of the U.S. Olympic sailing program and president of the Latimer Group, who will give the keynote address, "Leadership Communication for the 21st Century." Sailing News editor Dieter Loibner will moderate the panel "Success through Sustainability.” On Monday, June 14, the Sailing Industry Regatta will be held at J World Annapolis. For more information and to register, visit the Web site. See you there!

In support of its ongoing efforts to improve and protect the marine environment, West Marine is launching a Marine Conservation Grants program and donating $30,000 to local recreational fishing and conservation organizations. The grants will be awarded to groups that offer conservation projects that are beneficial to recreational fishing and sustainable commercial fishing, while preserving marine resources. There will be five to ten grants awarded in amounts ranging from $500 -$5000 per recipient. Applications are available online beginning today, June 8, 2010 on World Oceans Day. The closing date for entries is September 1, 2010 and official rules and application information can be found here.

BP said today it will be sending a second advance payment during June to individuals and businesses along the Gulf Coast to compensate for the loss of income or net profit due to the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon Incident in the Gulf of Mexico. With the second advance payments, BP estimates it will have spent about $84 million for loss of income or net profit through June, based on the claims it has received to date. This number will grow as additional claims are filed. About 14,000 individuals and businesses in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have received an initial advance payment for loss of income or net profit to date. Read the CG release and view the interactive map. Click on "Play" to see the mess unfold.

Trinity Yachts has renewed their partnership with the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and increased their support as a Silver Sponsor through 2012, US Sailing announced today. A builder of custom superyachts in the United States, Trinity Yachts was founded by John Dane III, who represented the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in the Star class. As part of their new silver partnership, Trinity Yachts will provide direct funding, as well as a 43-foot RIB to be used by the program in Weymouth, England, at the venue of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Competitions. Read on.

Bristol, R.I., boat builder Goetz Custom Technologies filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Rhode Island. According to court documents, filed last month, the company claims $950,000 in assets and about $3.5 million in liabilities. It lists nearly 100 creditors in its bankruptcy filing. Last December, Goetz Custom Technologies, owned by Eric Goetz, laid off its entire work force for the second time in 2009, as work came to a halt on an 82-foot racing sailboat at the center of a lawsuit, which is still pending. Aegir claims the boat has a structural problem, "in that some bulkheads and longitudinal beams have not been fabricated or installed in accordance with the plans." Goetz denies that allegation. Read the report in TradeOnly Online.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) released its 2009 Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, providing data about the state of the recreational boating industry. Key findings include: An estimated $30.8 billion was generated in boating sales and services in 2009, a decrease of nine percent from 2008. In response to a weakened economy throughout 2009, the number of new boats sold decreased 19 percent to 572,500 units. The traditional powerboat segment declined 24 percent in units to 153,550; retail sales were down 25 percent to $5.7 billion. Adult participation in recreational boating decreased six percent to an estimated 65.9 million in 2009 from 70 million in 2008. Read the entire release and order your copy.

For nearly 100 years, the schooner 'Adventuress' has sailed the waters of the world and now serves as a symbol for responsible stewardship of the Puget Sound watershed. She's also used to kids about building confidence through sailing. But as all good wooden ships do from time to time, 'Adventuress' needs work to keep her going, that's why she is competing for up to $100,000 in the Partners in Preservation grant program. Up until May 12 you can help by voting online so she'll be first in line when the money is handed out. Additionally, each time you vote you can enter a drawing for a free sail aboard 'Adventuress'. She's open to the public at no charge at 705 Dock Street, Tacoma Wash. May 1 (9 am to 12 pm) and May 2 (9 am to 5 pm). Learn more.

West Marine today reported net sales of US$109.6m for its first quarter ended April 3, 2010, up 8.6 per cent compared to the same period a year ago. Same-store sales rose by 8.4 per cent. Its net loss narrowed to US$8.9m compared to US$15.4m a year ago. The company said that it increased gross profit by 1.7 per cent because of higher sales, improved inventory shrinkage results and higher product margins. Inventory levels at the end of the quarter decreased by US$14.9m, or 5.8 per cent. West Marine's short-term debt at the end of the quarter was US$39.1m. Its total debt has decreased by US$36.7 million, or 48.4 percent, from this time last year. Read more.

Coming this June 14, 15 and 16, Sail America will gather the sailing industry for the 2010 Sailing Industry Conference and Regatta in Annapolis, Maryland. The conference has been expressly designed to help members respond to the new economic realities as we all begin to emerge from the great recession of 2008 through 2010. Headlining the action-packed two-day conference (PDF) is Dean Brenner, management consultant and Chairman of the US Olympic committee. His opening keynote presentation focuses on the formula for leadership success in the 21st Century and will deliver solid, bankable ideas that attendees can take home and immediately apply to their respective businesses. Besides having the opportunity to listen to and learn from the pros, the Sailing Industry Conference will also offer a comfortable venue for industry leaders of all segments to gather together in an intimate, focus group-type setting to discuss ideas, explore new concepts and build professional relationships with peers. Read the
newsletter.

Harken Yacht Equipment and Team McLube, both long-time sponsors of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG), have teamed up to increase their partnership of the team through 2013, US SAILING announced today. Their new collaborative support allows them to become a Silver Partner of the team. Simultaneously, New England Ropes has renewed their sponsorship as a Bronze Partner through 2012 and will continue to supply the team with standard and custom cordage. Harken is USSTAG's official marine hardware partner/supplier, while Team McLube is the official marine lubricant supplier. All companies also provide direct funding to USSTAG. The entire Harken/McLube release and the NER announcement.

Whether one is new to sailing or looking to sharpen racing starts or navigation skills, the ninth annual Women's Sailing Conference has something for everyone as the event returns to Corinthian Yacht Club in scenic Marblehead, MA, on Saturday, June 5. Sponsored by BoatUS and organized by the National Women's Sailing Association, conference topics include introduction to sailing and racing, diesel engine troubleshooting, boat systems, knots, charting, crew overboard, night sailing, suddenly single-handed, spinnakers and more. Sorry, no dudes allowed. Read the entire release.

The combination of strong crowds, jam-packed seminars, great weather and perceived increase in sales, led exhibitors and show producer Sail America to characterize this year's Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show, held April 15-18, 2010 at Oakland's Jack London Square, "a great success.” Said District Sales Manager Galen Piltz, "Generally, people had an optimistic view about the economy and boat sales. Our traffic was definitely up and people seemed interested in our products and pleased with the (new) exhibit location.” The America's Cup and the BMW ORACLE Racing Team were site to launch the event on the opening day and attendees had a chance to get a close look at 'Hull & Humber' and California, two of the boats competing in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, and hear the story about 'California's' mid-Pacific knock down. Read more (PDF).

US Sailing announced that LaserPerformance has increased their support to become a Silver Partner of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and US Sailing Development Team (USSDT) through 2013. LaserPerformance will provide direct funding and will also donate two ready-to-sail Laser sailboats annually, which will be auctioned at fundraisers. The proceeds will directly benefit Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. The entire press release.

The West Coast's largest all-sailboat show is about to open in Oakland's Jack London Square. Check out boats new and used, large and small, get on the water or attend some of the more than 100 seminars (free with paid admission). Meet celebrity sailors and authors, check out our exclusive women's seminar, learn all about navigation, boat maintenance, passage planning and cooking aboard, and discover exciting new sailing destinations. Presenters include US Sailing Team match racer Genny Tulloch on Racing Rules, sailmaker Kame Richards with Tides and Currents in San Francisco Bay, George Day with the Ten Things They never Tell You About the Cruising Life, Bob Bitchin on Cruising the Big Blue Ball Called Earth and Sailing News Editor Dieter Loibner on Sustainable Sailing.
There are plenty of accompanying events too, including sailing on the schooner Seaward, Mercury and Snipe regattas, fun Opti sailing for kids, Discover Sailing trips on the Estuary, the Fun Zone of small boats and a free cruise on the research sailing ketch Derek M Baylis. See the full program.
Hours
Thursday and Friday, April 15 – 16: 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday, April 17: 10 am – 7 pm
Sunday, April 18: 10 am – 5 pm
Admission
$12 – Thursday and Friday (Adults)
$15 – Saturday and Sunday (Adults)
$24 – Two-Day Adult Pass
$40 – Four-Day Pass (Available Online Only)
FREE – Children 15 years and under (when accompanied by a paid adult)

A new name - Nova Financial Services - has entered the marine industry as a source of floorplan financing for builders and dealers. With the backing of Bronlen Financial Group of Arizona, the new Birmingham, Ala.-based company has started working with a few builders on floorplan financing, said Mike Kelley, chief business development officer. Unlike traditional lending companies, Nova intends to offer asset-based funding to manufacturers and their dealers. Full story in TradeOnly Online.

Exhibitor space sold out well in advance, so the nautical industry is optimistic about the future of sailing and about customers returning in force to the Strictly Sail Pacific show April 15-18 in Oakland, Calif. From a tiny folding Porta-Boat to a big-old schooner, a smattering of boats will be on display along with dozens of new products and services. Show attendees also can brush up on their sailing skills in more than 100 seminars. Speakers include navigator Stan Honey, fresh back from Groupama 3's fantastic new Jules Verne record. Stan will describe the boat, the team, the navigation/routing process, and the experience, including a video clip from the trip. John and Amanda Neal will host several seminars, including their Mahina Expeditions Offshore Cruising Seminar. US SAILING Team Alphagraphics match racing skipper Genny Tulloch, a three-time All American female skipper, will explain the Racing Rules of Sailing. Latitudes & Attitude's founder Bob Bitchin will share his entertaining tales about cruising the Big Blue and Sailing News editor Dieter Loibner will give two talks about his new book Sustainable Sailing. Buy discounted tickets and get all the details.

J Boats announced that JB Composites of Les Sables d'Olonne, France will take over the license to build J Boats from Kingcat. JBC is led by Yves Roucher, Arnaud Ringeard and Didier LeMoal, alle experienced hands. Roucher, a former president of Federation Industrial Nautique (French Sailing Industry), has owned several boat companies, including Alubat, which he co-founded in 1970 and which was licensed to build J Boats in France. Ringeard is president of FAST Groupe, a holding company with business interests in mass transportation, healthcare, eco-cars and sailing charters. LeMoal has been overseeing European J Boat production and sales for 15 years.

Executives from Quantum Sail Design Group met with employees in Spain
to announce restructuring plans for manufacturing facilities located in that region. The changes reflect not only the downturn in the Spanish and European economies, but also the investments and improvements made by the international sail maker in sail design and production over the past 30 months. Over the next 30-60 days, Quantum says (PDF), a membrane sail production facility and a service loft located in Binissalem (on Mallorca Island) will be closed resulting in the loss of twelve jobs. At the Villassar de Dalt loft (near Barcelona), fourteen production positions are being eliminated. High-tech sail production will continue at this location with a smaller workforce. The loft, founded by Toni Tió and acquired by Quantum in 2003, will also continue as the European headquarters for Quantum Sails.

Garmin Ltd. announced its board of directors unanimously approved moving the place of incorporation of the company from the Cayman Islands to Switzerland. Garmin's shareholders will be asked to vote in favor of the proposed change in place of incorporation at a shareholders meeting, which is set for May 20. 'Following a thorough review, we have determined that it is in the best interest of Garmin and its shareholders to change the jurisdiction of incorporation of our group parent company to Switzerland,' said Dr. Min Kao, chairman and CEO of Garmin, in a statement. 'Switzerland is centrally located in Europe in close proximity to our major Western and Eastern European markets.' Full report in Trade Only..

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) was joined by the brass of the International Yacht Restoration School and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to announce federal funding for IYRS' new Composites Technology Program. Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured half a million dollars in the fiscal year 2010 appropriations spending bill to help establish this program, which will train skilled technicians and innovators for industries that are central to the state's economic development.

West Marine released unaudited financial results for the final quarter and the entire fiscal year of 2009, which ended January 2, 2010. For Q4 of 2009, the company reported sales of $103.9, a 6.4-percent decline over Q4 2008. For the entire year, adjusted net revenues were $588.4 million, a decrease of $36.8 million, or 5.9% over 2008. Adjusted comparable store sales fell by 2.7% while net income was $12.4 million, an improvement of $51.2 million over the net loss of $38.8 million for fiscal year 2008.

Sail America said that exhibitor space in the new indoor exhibitor hall of Strictly Sail Pacific is completely sold out. The sailboat show is scheduled to take place April 15-18 at Jack London Square in Oakland, California. Jonathan Banks, show producer and executive director of Sail America, said all major sailboat manufacturers will bring boats to the show. Gear suppliers and service providers will display more than 30 new products. There will also be more than 100 seminars at the show with Sailing News US editor Dieter Loibner giving presentations for his new book Sustainable Sailing.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) announced the completion of an agreement to sell the Toronto International Boat Show to Canadian Boat Shows, Inc. After the recent acquisition of the New England Boat Show in January, the sale of the Toronto International Boat Show is another step for NMMA to 'reposition its boat show portfolio.' Press release

After 45 years of service, the Coast Guard Academy is replacing its fleet of training vessels. Morris Yachts was chosen as the builder of the new boats, the Dave Pedrick-designed CGA Leadership 44. On Saturday, March 20 at 11am at the Maine Boatbuilders Show Will Ratcliff of Morris Yachts and members of the Coast Guard Academy will talk about their joint project and the new Leadership 44.

'BMWOracle', 'Groupama 3',' Banque Populaire V,' and 'L'Hydroptere': the world's fastest and most exciting boats are multihulls. But if it's up to yacht designer Vlad Murnikov, that's about to change. Murnikov, who was born in Russia and lives in Massachusetts, was the principal designer of 'Fazisi', the Russian entry in the 1989-1990 Whitbread. And he has a 'Speed Dream'. Using the latest in technology and design, Murnikov wants to develop a record-shattering monohull that might be able to go 50 knots in open ocean conditions, to hell with limiting box rules. Read his post in Sail-World.

US Sailing has made the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012 accessible through an iPhone application. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for $5.99. Key features include: rules and definitions, images and descriptions of all the signal flags, US SAILING Prescriptions integrated into each rule and appendix, details on penalties, propulsion, protesting, and requesting redress, etc., bookmarking of the rules and definitions most needed and numerical, word and phrase search function

YachtWorld.com, the world's largest Interet yacht brokerage portal recently launched the YachtWorld Finance Center, its new marine finance service for yacht brokers. 'YachtWorld.com's goal is to provide yacht brokers with services that will enable them to sell more boats,' said Jeff Moore, director of sales for YachtWorld.com and Boats.com, in a statement. 'The marine finance environment has been changing for some time and is continuing to do so with some businesses and banks exiting marine finance altogether while others alter their criteria.' YachtWorld.com has partnered with the Financial Underwriters Network to provide this new service. Read the release.

Starting today, March 1, 2010, our acclaimed site is available in a localized US-version: sailing-news.us covers all the exciting sailing in North America and the important events in Europe and elsewhere around the world. In addition, we offer industry news, links to sailing books and publications and coverage of environmental topics that concern us sailors.
What makes us different? Sailing is a global sport and it happens 24/7. That's why we publish seven days a week and in three major languages (English, German and French).
We value your time: That's why we serve our content as brief daily updates, including images, videos and original sources. No need to register or read lengthy e-mails. Just bookmark our page sailing-news.us in your Web browser.
We offer choices: Quickly scan the headlines of your favorite topics in a few seconds or visit the links to read more in-depth coverage. It's up to you. Do it at your desk or on the go.
We have an audience: Our German and French sites have been online for five years now, so we are not new to this game. Professional racers and weekend warriors, big-boat racers, dinghy, multihull or kite sailors, sailing associations, clubs and event organizers, more than 100,000 of them have been turning to our site for their daily fix of sailing news.
Who is in charge? Founder Beat Stegmeier from Zurich, Switzerland, and US Editor Dieter Loibner in Portland, Oregon, are two veteran sailors and sailing journalists with decades of experience in Olympic classes and all manner of other boats. In their early years they used to compete in the Finn Dinghy, so the claim 'by sailors for sailors' stands up to scrutiny.
Check us out and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you.
One more thing: Please tell your sailing buddies about us.

The sailboat market got worse, but soon it might get better. US production was down 20 percent between September 2008 and August 2009, and the work force was down 29 percent. Cruiser production was down 55 percent, while multihulls were down 36 percent. The estimated overall value of North American sailboats was down 58 percent to $258 million. The decline was across the board by size, ranging from 31 percent (46 feet and larger) to 37 percent (20 to 35 feet). A 12 percent increase is forecast for 2010. Read the report in Trade Only Today.