Tweets from the Yacht Racing Forum

Aarhus, Denmark (November 27, 2017) – The 10th edition of the Yacht Racing Forum began today, which markets itself as the only business to business conference that brings together the key players from across the whole yacht racing industry.

The schedule had twin streams of conversation, with one group discussing promotion and sustainability while the other group was focused on design and technology.

Though much of the discussion at the forum is historically focused on how to progress the highly technical and professional sectors of the sport, we found some interesting nuggets on the @YRF2017 twitter stream to share:

• Andy Claughton, formerly #LandRoverBAR: “The one-design nature of the last @americascupLIVE was desperately disappointing.” Andy hoping for more design opportunities in 2021

• Andy Claughton, ex @LandRoverBAR: “The Cup costs twice as much to campaign as you can find from commercial sponsorship.”

• Jonathan Levy, Director of sponsorship, Clipper Ventures: “You have to listen to what the brand wants to achieve before proposing a sponsorship plan.” Sounds obvious, but how many listen before talking?

• Leslie Greenhalgh: “Understanding the objectives of a potential sponsor can be pretty challenging. Hugo Boss places huge value on the stunts he does and the cities he visits, not necessarily competing in the Vendée Globe.”

• Philippe Guigné, Virtual Regatta, talking about benefits of e-gaming to the real world of sailing: “We are a converter, taking fans and hopefully converting them into sailors.”

• Design Symposium panel discusses the challenges of rating superyachts that are so different to each other. Racing v cruising, it’s a tough process to create fair racing

• Gordon Kay, Infiniti Yachts: “The transference of foils and their use in all parts of sailing is what we should be looking at, to use foils to help grow the industry and grow the sport.”

• Andrew Miller, @NauticalChannel: “The live TV coverage is worthwhile doing if you have a good build-up to the event, not if you just switch on and expect people to be there already.”

• Oliver Schwall, National Sailing League: “We don’t need more boat classes, we need to work on the racing formats to encourage more participation in sailing.”

• @dawnriley agrees with Ian Walker’s comment that to become the best you have to sail with the best, and those are the opportunities that need to open up to women.

• @dawnriley: “Women and girls need to be asked and invited more than men and boys do. The perception is that sailing is still a guy’s sport.”

• Juan Kouyoumdjian doubts there will be much of a trickledown of foiling into the wider world of sailing.

• Edouard Kessi believes the kind of inflatable wing sail he is pioneering will be the future of sailing.

• Britt Ward, senior naval architect @FarrYachtDesign, says we need to get serious about product recycling and sustainability before it’s forced on the world of sailing

• Stephen Willacy, chief city architect of Aarhus, says that engaging your national and local sporting heroes in your project helps tell and sell the story to the wider public