Celebration of boating

Whether shipyard, design studio, production facility, sailing school, marina, or any other maritime organisation, World Boating Day presents an opportunity for the global leisure boating community to join forces through local events worldwide.

The foundation, which has 27 global partners from different sectors within the industry, says this experience will bring industry professionals and the public together on an ‘unprecedented scale’ in a celebration of everything boating and everything that the industry behind it offers.

“World Boating Day is a potential gateway to growing all levels of the industry, as well as serving as a global celebration of the leisure side of water and the joy of being out on it,” says Dilan Sarac, executive director of The Superyacht Life Foundation.

“It is a global initiative to create one weekend a year where local, regional and national organisations and companies across the leisure boating, yachting and superyacht sectors can engage with the public.

“We see the potential for this initiative to grow exponentially year-on-year so that all over the world, people will be able to learn more about boating and the careers that the marine leisure industry and superyachting offer,” Sarac continues.

“From sailing schools and clubs offering sessions on sailing dinghies to superyacht builders giving a behind-the-scenes peek at the extraordinary number of trades and craftspeople involved in the industry, this is our chance to show that boating and yachting can be for everyone.”

The idea of creating an internationally coordinated event stems from three aims. First, by educating people and getting them enthused about boating and being on the water, World Boating Day aims to open new channels for people to discover what recreational boating is all about and thereby build a pipeline of engagement – sparking a passion in the potential leisure boaters, potential yacht owners and potential industry employees of tomorrow.

Secondly, World Boating Day is also an opportunity to showcase the extraordinary breadth of career opportunities and depth of talent that exists within the yacht and superyacht sectors to attract the next generation of talent, from trades to engineering and all the other facets that go into designing, building and operating leisure boats and superyachts.

Lastly, it gives the boating industry as a whole and the superyacht industry in particular an opportunity to pull back the veil and to show both the human and the positive impact sides of yachting and the industry behind it, which in turn can help change perceptions of the industry and broaden its appeal through increased understanding.

The foundation says this is designed to appeal not only to members of the public but also to mainstream media outlets who can add further value to the event through their coverage.

How to take part

The concept for World Boating Day encompasses a broad range of potential activities, from invite-only events to public open days, employee days, career days students, to try-a-boat initiatives, sample watersports lessons, interactive yard experiences, virtual tours – the only limits are your own imagination on how you would like to take part.

While the organising team encourages all boat, yacht and superyacht builders, yards and companies to open their doors, the event will also incorporate online activities and participation for those for whom live events are not practical.

The Superyacht Life Foundation is preparing advice, guidance and practical materials for participating companies that will include materials, ideas, and overall PR management for the days and help with attracting visitors through the central platform the foundation is creating, which will also include references in the event marketing materials and coverage where appropriate.

A temporary link has been created for those who wish to sign up for more information about this new initiative and upcoming events.

thesuperyachtlife.com