Dear Sail America Member,

I hope you had a chance to read last month’s inaugural digital edition of Waypoints and the cover story about the emerging new world of social media marketing. If you’re like me, you learned a lot about this new media and marketing frontier. I hope you will read this month's lead article, which is full of useful and well thought out examples of how creative business people have developed ingenious marketing and sales techniques that really embrace “the less is more” philosophy so necessary in the current economic climate. The management column is also tremendously useful as we all need patience during these challenging times.

Now that Waypoints is being published monthly in digital format under the capable management of our Executive Director Jonathan Banks and Editor Wanda Kenton Smith, you can expect a steady and useful stream of information, advice and insight that can help you in your own business. That's a big part of Sail America's mission.

Waypoints is just one of the ways your association extends a helpful hand to its members. Last year we ran a very successful industry conference and I, for one, had so many valuable "take aways" that I’m still working to adopt and implement them. Another industry conference is being planned and scheduled for 2010.

In the months ahead, Sail America will run online webinars on topics of interest to our members. We will also host “Strategies For Success” seminars during the fall and winter boats shows that are designed to augment topics in Waypoints and the webinars. The association's goal is to provide you with news you can really use, in formats that are easy to access.

At Blue Water Sailing, my team and I have benefited every year from Sail America's educational initiatives. We have built our business by using the Discover Sailing prospect lists. We have positioned ourselves in front of our customers at the Strictly Sail boat shows. And, we have networked with our peers at industry breakfasts and annual meetings. Sail America has been an integral part of our business life, and will continue to be. I hope you and your team are taking full advantage of the many opportunities available to you and your company through these various Sail America membership initiatives.

Enjoy this edition of Waypoints … and I challenge you to apply some of the great ideas you find herein to your own business!

George Day
Publisher, Blue Water Sailing
Chair, Education Committee