Broaden our focus to other aspects

The report, Time to find a better business model, prompted a lot of feedback. The following remarks are from an overseas Scuttlebutt colleague:

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My name is Alberto Casti, editor of the Italian magazine Bolina.it, and I agree with the viewpoint in this report. It would be valuable if all sailing magazine editors shared their opinions on this matter.

I personally believe the primary goal of those who choose to make sailing promotion their profession (I’m referring to sailing federations worldwide, but also to sailing media) should be to focus on programs that promote sailing among everyday sailors, rather than concentrating solely on the spectacular achievements of what we could call “VIP sailing.”

We should ask ourselves: what is our duty? To share the beauty of the sailing world, or to talk about trophies? At the very least, there should be balance. Instead, most magazines focus predominantly on regattas because it’s easier and perhaps more commercially viable.

Certainly, the America’s Cup, Olympic Games, and Vendée Globe have an impact on promoting sailing, but the effect is ephemeral. The real growth of sailing is based on something more tangible: a sense of community, adventure, connection with the environment.

Every famous skipper I’ve spoken with fell in love with sailing through personal experiences—sailing schools, outings with friends, vacations, or reading a book—but never because they wanted to emulate champions.

Years ago, I conducted a survey among our Italian readers asking which topics were most attractive to them. Regattas ranked last. Similarly, when I invite a racing skipper to my podcast to discuss competition, I get half the listeners I would attract by inviting an expert to talk about maintenance.

This should tell us something and encourage us to broaden our focus to other aspects of this wonderful practice we call sailing.