http://www.ibi-plus.com International Boat Industry | JUNE–JULY 2018 41
Markets & Regions
SAILING YACHTS | US
http://www.ibi-plus.comwww.ibi-plus.com International Boat Industry | JUNE–JULY 2018 41
THE VAST APPEAL OF OUTBOARD-POWERED
DAYBOATS HAS CREATED SERIOUS
CHALLENGES FOR THE SAIL SEGMENTWORDS: CRAIG RITCHIEWGrowth is coming from larger sailing vessels over 36tComplete Climate Solutions: Heating, Cooling & Roofs
W
here outboard-powered boats surge in
popularity across the US, deliveries of
new sailboats continue to decline at a
precipitous rate. Data from the National Marine
Manufacturers Association (NMMA) shows the sail
category as a whole weathering a 2017 sales drop of
10.9% over the previous year. The sole bright spot for
sail in their 2017 Statistical Abstract was for boats of
over 36ft in length, which showed a year-over-year
volume increase of 14%. “The sail category is not doing
very well right now,” says NMMA president Thom
Dammrich. “I think there’s a bit of a failure to attract
new people into sailing. There’s sales growth on the
large end, meaning boats over 36ft, which is most
likely experienced sailors who are moving up. But the
smaller boats are not selling the same way. Existing or
current sailboaters tend to hold onto their boats much
longer than the average powerboater does, so that’s a
key factor as they just don’t buy as many new boats. So
that, and a failure to attract new people into sailing,
has the category overall down by double digits.”
The picture is a bit more somber when viewed in
whole numbers. Data from Statistical Surveys Inc (SSI)
pegs the number of new sailboat registrations in the
US for 2017 at just 1,764 units, giving the category an
overall market share of 0.66%.
The primary factors which seem to be driving sales
of outboard-driven powerboats are exactly the same
ones that appear to be torpedoing sailboat sales – ease
of use and maintenance. “For an ageing
population, sailing is seen as being a
lot of work,” says SSI’s Ryan Kloppe.
“There is a learning curve which goes
hand-in-hand with sailing, but today
people simply don’t have the time.
They want to just get in and go, and
that’s one area where powerboats,
with all the modern technology and
things like joystick docking and such,
have been particularly successful in
attracting consumer interest.”
Sailboat manufacturers agree
that technology is key to long-term sustainability,
particularly in an evolving market. “The real
challenge is that most of our clients are ageing. It’s
a challenge for the entire industry, not just for our
brands,” says Jean-François Lair, Beneteau’s director
of sales for the Americas. “We need to entice a new
generation to enjoy sailing. Younger boaters are busy,
they’re active and they have a different vision of what
boating looks like. Where baby boomers may have
grown up with a vision of owning a boat, younger
people don’t care – they value the experience, not the
joy of ownership. They just want to get on the boat
and have a good time, and that’s it.”
Technology that makes sailing easier may be
the key to reviving interest among younger or
inexperienced buyers, says Lair. “Today we see people
buying a 40ft or 45ft sailboat as their first boat. Not
their first sailboat, but their first boat,” says Lair.
“Technology is making it possible. Two people can run
the boat now, whereas you couldn’t do this in the past.
So the technology makes it easier to go sailing, and
should help to remove that barrier.For an ageing
population,
sailing is seen as being
a lot of work. There is a
learning curve that goes
hand in hand
Winds of with sailingchange