Assessing the value of college sailing

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association has six conferences, with the South Atlantic (SAISA) region covering Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. To get a sense of what college sailing events bring to the communities that host them, the SAISA commissioned a study which reviewed activity from 2011 to 2026.

Across fifteen years, nearly 500 regattas brought thousands of sailors, coaches, and team vehicles into communities throughout the Southeast. Visiting teams made 18,715 sailor appearances at those events and generated an estimated $6.4 million in direct spending in host communities.

“Those of us involved in college sailing see teams traveling across the region every weekend, but we have never had a clear picture of what all of that activity adds up to,” said Dana Magliola, SAISA Conference Commissioner. “This study gives our programs real information they can use when talking about the value of college sailing, both on campus and in the communities where we compete.” – Full report