Bill Goggins discussed Sail America’s future at the recent GE Capital Solutions and Sail America “Growth Through Innovation” Sailing Industry Conference in Newport, RI. For Sail America News, he expanded upon these remarks, which will also be featured in a membership DVD to be distributed to Sail America members.

Show Management and Sail America announced on June 25 the merger of Strictly Sail St. Pete and the St. Petersburg Boat Show to create an all-new “super show” called the St. Petersburg Boat Show & Strictly Sail™. With a projected attendance of 25,000, the new show will be held from December 4 – 7, 2008 at the Mahaffey Theater Yacht Basin in St. Petersburg, FL.

Expectations were exceeded at the widely praised inaugural “Growth Through Innovation” conference presented by GE Capital Solutions and Sail America on June 11-12 in Newport, RI. Industry members were enthusiastic about the high-quality presentations, workshops and networking events that focused on achieving business growth in today’s challenging marketplace.

The first 2008 Sail America Industry Regatta held June 13 west of Newport Harbor was an unqualified success, as the Gill industry team bested a strong and deep field of fellow industry competitors battling for bragging rights as “fastest in the sailing industry.”

US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, announced that the yacht charter company The Moorings has donated $5,000 to the U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team, which is the prize money The Moorings had received after winning the 2007 John Southam Award for Excellence in Media Communications. A donation check was presented to US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee Chair Dean Brenner by TUI Marine’s Raul Bermudez and Van Perry on June 12 at the GE Capital Solutions and Sail America Industry Conference in Newport, R.I.

Beneteau USA and Island Packet Yachts were among the 73 boat and engine manufacturers recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction at the annual 2008 Marine Industry CSI Awards, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

SailLaser, the premier sailing and water sports center operated by LaserPerformance, has recently opened its first North American location in Miami, FL, at the site of the US Sailing Center.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) announced on May 23 its acquisition of the Liberty Boat Show in New Jersey from Liberty Event Management LLC. Terms of the show’s sale are undisclosed. NMMA, however, will retain the event’s original location and dates and manage show operations out of its New York office.

Island Packet Yachts has recently unveiled the Island Packet 460, filled with many new luxury features and benefits and scheduled to debut at this fall’s major boat shows in the United States and United Kingdom.

Source Interlink Media, parent company of Power & Motoryacht and SAIL magazines, recently announced the appointment of publishing veteran Doug Evans to succeed Dennis O’Neill as senior vice president of its marine group. Evans will now oversee both the marine and the performance automotive groups and will report to Steve Parr, CEO of Source Interlink Media.

The SailTime® Group LLC recently announced that since 2005, 16 new SailTime bases have opened up in the U.S. and ten more in Europe, representing a significant expansion in membership and franchise locations in the U.S. and worldwide. With nearly 1,000 fractional sailing members and more than 50 locations worldwide, SailTime®’s growth has been fueled by the increasing popularity of fractional sailing, which offers sailing enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy use of a luxury sailboat without the obligation or cost of ownership.

Sailing World has scored a major coup for next month’s Olympic Games in China. The magazine been selected by US SAILNG, the governing body of the sport of sailing in the U.S., to publish the official media guide for the U.S. Sailing Team.

“Morning Light” the true-life sailing adventure film, will debut in movie theaters Oct. 17, 2008. The film tells the exciting story of 15 young sailors who compete in the legendary Transpacific (TRANSPAC) Yacht Race, an offshore sailboat race between Los Angeles, CA, and Hawaii.