Considering his New Year post below, the Ed obviously has better sources than I do, but I loved this quadcopter footage from high above Sydney Harbour and one of the biggest fireworks displays in the world. It’s a beautiful way to send out a great year for sailing, and a good opportunity for all of us at Sailing Anarchy to wish you and your family a most awesome 2015.
There’s a lot to be excited about if you love sailing like we do. In the USA, after decades of slumping participation and almost 10 years of economic turmoil, the sport is finally seeing real recovery for those classes, companies, venues who’ve adapted to the times. Sportboats and multihulls continue to surge ahead in popularity compared to any time over the past 20 years, one-design racing continues to grow, and cruising classes are adding hundreds of new sailors to the sport. While a small part of the yacht club crowd remains mired in the past, there’s little doubt that a new ethic of inclusivity is beginning to reign at clubs and sailing centers – all with support from US Sailing. And the social media phenomenon is beginning to solve many of the problems that have so hurt the sport: Elitist perceptions, poor communication, and attracting and retaining youth in the sport.
Sailing Anarchy continued to be the only ‘must-read’ website in sailing, with our reach extending from the corners of China to the tip of Tierra Del Fuego, and over 500 contributors wrote, shot, and edited stories for all of you this year. We’re grateful for each and every one of them, just as we are for each one of you – our millions of readers spread over 200 countries.
2015 will bring our most widespread coverage yet of the sport we love; thanks to our advertisers, event sponsors, and a few exciting new corporate partners, we’ll be starting off with a bang – for the first time in 5 years, our photo/video/social media team will bring you a solid week of photo, highlight, and live video coverage of the entire Moth Worlds starting on the 9th of January in the Southeast corner of Australia. And that’s just the beginning.
Stay tuned, and Happy New Year!
-Mr. Clean
