A Checklist to Stimulate Growth

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt
When someone moves to a new area, or is looking to get back into the sport, Scuttlebutt World Headquarters will often get an email for advice on what type of boat they should pursue. My suggestion is always the same: look out the window.

Getting involved in a type of boat is to get involved in that community, and each community has a vibe. The vibe measures the level of racing, the social aspects, the commitment and costs required, and convenience. Choosing the vibe choose the boat.

Some might add type of boat to the list, particular those that have a need for speed. Which is fine, as long as that’s an option. Like I say, look out the window, because racing locally is the foundation for a committed relationship with sailing.

With all the performance-minded boats being introduced, each claiming to be the future of sailing, I suggest the future of sailing is far bigger than a boat being sailed. It is the community that surrounds the boat. It is the people involved.

This is why one design classes such as the Lightning remain so relevant. Nearly 80 years old, the class attracted 76 boats to its 2016 North Americans. People don’t sail the Lightning because of its sizzle; they are involved because of its community.

But the Lightning class also realizes how important it is to nurture its community, and has created a checklist of things that can stimulate growth on a local and regional scale. Once items on this list are mastered, they even shaped an advanced checklist that summarizes all the secondary things that should next be considered.

Managing the community involves the community. For how the Lightning class is doing it… click here.