Sailing news, a feature this week - MarineBusinessWorld North America newsletter
by Peter Rendle 20 Mar 13:00 PDT
SailGP named to Fast Company's annual list of the World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024 © SailGP
SailGP, one of the fastest growing global sports and entertainment leagues, has been named to Fast Company's prestigious list of the World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024. In its first time entering, SailGP secured a No. 5 ranking in the sports category, recognized as "a racing league that is providing a more exciting (and sustainable) experience for fans."
This year's list shines a spotlight on businesses that are shaping industry and culture through their innovations. These organizations are setting new standards and achieving remarkable milestones in all sectors of the economy. Alongside the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies, Fast Company recognizes 606 organizations across 58 sectors and regions.
Staying with sailing, the National Women's Sailing Association comes to the Crescent City with their conference on Saturday, June 8 at Southern Yacht Club with help from Community Sailing New Orleans. The all-day event welcomes women sailors of all levels and ages to workshops including the popular "Take the Helm" track — an introduction to sailing for women.
A sailing scholarship fundraising mixer will be held after the conference to continue networking. Programming includes a full day of classroom, dockside and on-the-water workshops taught by experienced female instructors and captains from across the country. Sailors can fine-tune their spinnaker sail trim skills, practice navigation using paper and electronic charts, learn how to recover a crew overboard with a Lifesling rescue device, and more. Breakfast and lunch are provided as well as a cocktail social hour.
Further information on upcoming courses (those in the marina business will be interested in this one) the Intermediate Management Courses In-Person and Online. This course has been designed with the right balance of relevant management topics presented by leaders in their industry coupled with valuable facilitated group discussions. The intensive participatory nature of this residency course will also provide one of the greatest assets, an invaluable life-long peer network.
To attend the course you must have two years of marina management experience. The intermediate course runs March 3-7 in Seattle, WA or June 2-6 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The advanced course runs December 1-6 in Jacksonville, FL. The Advanced Marina Management program is a profit-management training course designed for senior marina professionals. There are many upcoming webinars too.
Brianna's Law was named after Brianna Lieneck, an 11-year-old Long Island girl who was killed in a 2005 boating accident. The law was enacted in 2019 to help make the state's waters safer by requiring all boat operators to complete an approved boating safety course. The end of the law's five-year, age-based phase-in window is fast approaching. As of January 1, 2025, all Empire State boaters, regardless of age, will need to have completed an authorized boating safety course.
The nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, the boating safety arm of Boat Owners Association of The United States, offers New York boaters the only free, NASBLA-approved online boating safety course that meets Brianna's Law requirements and improves on-water safety. More than 2.5 million students have taken the BoatUS Foundation's free online Boating Safety Courses to date, which provide approved boating safety education in 36 states including New York.
Fishing is an integral part of the industry and through its State R3 Program Grants, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has awarded funds to seven programs in seven states. Now in its tenth year, the State R3 Program Grants' goal is to support state recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) initiatives to increase fishing and boating participation. RBFF is providing approximately $157,500 in grants this year, and seven state agencies are contributing more than $290,000 in project funds and in-kind support, bringing the total amount of funding support to more than $503,000 for these programs.
The 2024 State R3 Program Grants support state agency R3 initiatives and plans in three focus areas: Communicate the relevance of fishing and/or boating to urban, multicultural audiences to increase participation: Implement angler and/or boater customer engagement strategies to retain and/or reactivate anglers and boaters to increase participation: Enhance the capability of agencies to develop and implement effective angler and/or boater R3 efforts.
Keeping up with conservation developments, Energy Observer's crew welcomed her first guests during this highly symbolic stopover in Washington DC. One of the aims of the stopover is to raise awareness and promote the development of low-carbon energy solutions. Victorien Erussard, captain and founder of Energy Observer, had the honour of welcoming key representatives from industry (Bosch, Cummins, Toyota, etc), Johns Hopkins University and the US Department of Energy, including Sunita Satyapal, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office Director, U.S. Department of Energy and Hydrogen Program Coordinator, and Jeff Marootian, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department's Office of Energy, Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
New products this week: Lowrance, a world-leader in fishing electronics since 1957, today announced Eagle, the latest offering in the brand's entry level fishfinder/chartplotter lineup. Featuring newly designed high-definition enhanced sonar, with FishReveal™ technology and detailed C-MAP® charting including Genesis Live, Eagle is Lowrance's most accessible fishfinder yet.
"Eagle brings Lowrance's high-definition sonar to our most easy to use fishfinder, providing the ultimate tool for weekend anglers," said Jeremiah Clark, VP and General Manager, Fishing Systems at Navico Group. "Developed to make fishing simpler and more enjoyable, Eagle is quick to install - whether on a boat or kayak - and features enhanced autotuning sonar and comprehensive C-MAP charts."
Stay attentive,
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media