One month to go to Yacht Racing Forum 2016 in Malta

One month to go to Yacht Racing Forum 2016 in Malta © Yacht Racing Forum

The Yacht Racing Forum will take place in Malta, on November 28-29. A business oriented conference, the Forum is the unique opportunity for everyone involved in yacht racing to reach out to the international sailing community in two days and one location.

No less than 250 delegates including twenty-five media representatives from all over the world have already confirmed their participation and the list is growing by the day.

This year's hot issues include commercial strategies for small and medium sized events, the present and future of yacht racing, sailing on TV, the best way for sailing events or teams to use social networks, sustainability and much more.

Running parallel to the Business and Marketing Conference, the Design & Technology Symposium will focus on the latest innovations including foiling, the integration of more composite materials in the design process, super yachts and innovations in sail design and construction.

Due to the recent evolution of the sport, with faster boats and close contact, the Risk Management & Safety conference - initiated last year in Geneva (SUI) - will take place in plenary mode. It will address risks and liabilities, regulations to ensure crew safety, insurances and much more.

The list of speakers includes some of todays' greatest actors from within the yacht racing industry, including Ken Read, Andy Hunt, Vincent Lauriot-Prévost, Mike Gascoyne, Tucker Thompson, Andrew Hurst, Mark Turner, Leslie Greenhalgh, Wouter Verbraak, Ed Baird, Jordi Neves and many more... (see the entire speakers' list on www.yachtracingforum.com/forum/conference-program-2016).

"The feed back from the industry is very positive; it translates into partnerships with some of the sports leaders such as North Sails, the World Match Racing Tour, World Sailing or Clipper Ventures to name a few, which we are very proud of", says Bernard Schopfer, the event's manager. "Many of the sports' key actors will also join the Forum as panelists and we look forward to sharing their views and best practice."

The Forum will once again offer a unique opportunity to meet representatives from the leading sailing classes, sponsors, events, media and equipment suppliers in an informal way, to discuss, debate and negotiate the sport's future and make business. Several social functions are planned, aimed at sharing a good time and favoring networking and business. The Yacht Racing Forum will begin on Sunday evening (November 27), with a pre-event drinks reception offered by World Sailing. The gala evening reception, provided by North Sails on Monday evening promises to be fun and entertaining. On Tuesday evening, a post-event reception offered by GAC Pindar will give everyone a last opportunity to share a drink and close a deal!

For the first time, the Yacht Racing Forum introduces an interactive online APP that will give everyone the opportunity to discover the last minute programme changes, organise meetings with fellow participants, talk to each other and make business, answer surveys etc. It will also give us the opportunity to get the participants' feed-back, read suggestions for the future etc.

Registrations are open on www.yachtracingforum.com