The Future of Sailing: RS Sailing in Conversation at the Gothenburg Boat Show, Sweden
by Bex Foot 29 Jan 12:00 GMT
3 February 2024
RS Sailing in Conversation at Gothenburg Båtmässan Boat Show © RS Sailing
Dan Jaspers, Head of International Sales and Business Development at RS Sailing, will be at the Båtmässan Gothenburg Boat Show over the weekend of February 3rd and 4th. He will be taking part in the popular Main Stage Program on Saturday afternoon, February 3rd, as part of an interactive discussion session called 'This is how we get the sport of sailing to develop and grow!'.
Sailing schools are often the way into the sport. But how do we get young people, and others, to stay in sailing? That is the question Dan will be exploring alongside Club Director of the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club - GKSS, Thomas Rahm.
Through his role heading up International Sales and Business Development, Dan supports not just RS Sailing but also the wider RS Marine Group in growing its global distribution network, while managing relationships with key regional and international stakeholders. A keen sailor himself, Dan has spent the vast majority of his career in the marine industry promoting the sport of sailing to programs in so-called emerging nations all around the world. Prior to taking on his current role at RS, Dan worked at World Sailing. Dan wrote the initial project outline for the Youth Worlds Emerging Nations Program (ENP), aimed at supporting the training and resultant attendance of youth sailors and coaches from emerging nations at the Sailing Youth World Sailing Championships. Dan also created the concept of and delivered the initial coaching clinic for the World Sailing Paralympic Development Program (PDP), a program which continues to assist in the development of #InclusiveSailing at international level under the new title of 'Inclusive Development Program' (IDP). Dan has brought this knowledge with him to RS where he plays a leading role in developing Inclusive Sailing initiatives within the RS Marine Group.
"I am excited to be attending the Båtmässan Göteborg event, my first time at this specific boat show, and I hope that the discussion that I will be taking part in will help in some way to help promote the ways in which all of us within the sailing community can do something to not only help retain those sailors already enjoying being on the water, but also encourage and inspire new sailors to join us in enjoying this most incredible activity in all of its many forms. For my part, I will try to re-assure people that thinking outside of the box as far as employing innovative methods to engage new sailors is not something to be scared about trying, and that those of us working in the 'industry' owe it to the wider sailing community to take a lead in doing more to promote sailing itself and not just the sailing-related products we are selling. I look forward to enjoying the warm Swedish hospitality and cannot wait to be part of this important dialogue."
The Dealer for Sweden, RS Sailing Sweden, will also be at Gothenburg Båtmässan Boat Show. The will be exhibiting on stand CO2:41 3rd-11th February 2024. Made by sailors for sailors, RS Sailing designs, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of boats via its global network. Its key drivers are innovation, sustainability, and accessibility. The new RS Sailing Sweden management team of Björn Wärnberg and Magnus Robertsson, who only recently took over the business from one of RS Sailings' longest serving national dealers, Christer Båth, are excited to exhibit at the show and will have several models from the RS Sailing range on the stand. "We welcome this next phase of RS Sailing Sweden. They will continue to retain our small-business personal style while delivering world-class products." Michiel Geerling, Commercial Director of RS Sailing.
Tickets for Gothenburg Båtmässan Boat Show are available here. The discussion will take part on the main stage at 15:15 local time on February 3rd. The conversation will be held in English.