Mary,

This is just an idea:-

Our schools actively promote traditional sports like football, netball, soccer, cricket and basketball etc.
as mainstream sports. How many kids go to school and don't end up kicking around a football. On the other hand, how many kids go through school and don't get to try a sailboat.

The companies mentioned could take a longer term veiw of the market and actively work at getting sailing promoted as a mainstream sport throughout the school system.

Their involvemnet could be in not only providing some funds but they could be actively involved in attracting sponsorship from other companies and lobying the school system to accept sailing as a mainstream sport.

They could also provide organisers to conduct meetings and get parents involved in organising activities to cut some of the running costs.

I know their business is selling boats but they could take a longer term veiw and work now at creating a market that will pay off downstream. To keep their setup cost down they could buy back some of the used boats that are sitting in peoples backyards. Once acquired they could be rented out at the sports sessions to help recover the costs.

Something like this needs a solid foundation as well as motivated volunteers. To make this work long term the solid foundation would organise things and help motivate the volunteers. This function would be best served by companies that will eventually profit from its success.

Possibly with a well thought out business plan these companies could structure this so their costs are recovered and the setup becomes financially self sufficient with the added bonus of creating a market.

There is something a bit like this being organised in Australia in what is essentially the monohull community and schools that want to be involved in the program.

Actually one of our local sailing clubs got some boats and offerred sailing as a sport to the local schools (setup funded by the sailing club).

I was talking to the Sailing Master and he expected the schools to take it on just for the summer months. Turns out it runs all summer and all winter in all but very strong winds. Now if we could get the big Cat companies behind this just maybe we can change the world.

As I said, just a thought-

Regards,
Phill