INDUSTRY NEWSWatersports participation rises in the UK30/05/2023Save articleAround 13.2 million UK adults tried a boating activity in 2022, up 3% from 12.8 million in 2021.SHOW FULLSCREENUK watersports participation risesThe figures are from the Watersports Participation Survey 2022 which shows that more than 10 million people took part in one or more boating activities once or twice in 2022, whilst the number of people taking part more frequently in on water activities remained similar to the previous year (3.2 million).“It is encouraging to see that watersports participation has continued to prove popular with the UK population post the pandemic boom,” said Lesley Robinson, CEO, British Marine.“Paddle sport activities, particularly stand up paddleboarding, which are easily accessible both on the coast and inland waterways, have remained extremely popular with participation figures continuing to rise, however it does appear that the trend is still for more infrequent, experiential participation rather than regular participation.”With the popularity of paddleboarding continuing to increase, British Canoeing has been formally recognised as a National Governing Body for the sport by Sport England and has appointed a new stand up paddleboarding lead for the organisation.“The ongoing growth of stand up paddleboarding has been unprecedented,” said Ashley Metcalfe, CEO British Canoeing, who also warned that more safety measures should be put in place.“Our new status as a recognised body presents us with a great opportunity to develop the discipline further and ensure safety guidance is enhanced for new and experienced paddlers,” he said.The Watersports Participation Survey covers participation from October 2021 to September 2022.The survey is conducted annually by a consortium of marine bodies including British Marine, Royal Yachting Association, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, British Canoeing, Canal and River Trust and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.The core boating activities include small sailboat racing, other small sailboat activities, yacht racing, yacht cruising, power boating, general motor boating/cruising, canal boating, canoeing, rowing/sculling, windsurfing, water skiing and wakeboarding and using personal watercraft.TopicscanoeingIndustry NewspaddleboardingSUPsurveywatersportswatersports participation

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EVENTS & SHOWS Anchor drag risk is minimised 25/05/2023 Save article AnchorGuardian uses new patented technology to minimise the risk of anchor drag. Sensors are used to provide intelligent data throughout the anchoring procedure, providing a continuous stream of information to a captain and crew. “The technology is entirely new and provides a smarter way, a safer way we can anchor,” explained Suzy Chisholm, head of company communications and co-founder. “We’re providing a wealth of information to a captain and crew, intelligence they didn’t have before; laying the anchor, at anchor and lifting. “We’re able to give all the information, what sediment there is, how far the anchor is from the seabed, when the anchor has hit the seabed, how its lying on the seabed. “Our ultimate goal is to bring safety to anchoring.” And if the anchor does start to drag, information is provided on how fast it’s moving, with data visible on an electronic chart, providing predictions and triggering alarms, minimising the risk of groundings, collisions and environmental damage with the anchor ripping up the seabed. The technology operates independently of a GPS and any movement of a ship. “How to reduce the impact of an anchor on the seabed is a huge issue,” added Suzy. “Anchors do get dragged, and we want to minimise that as much as possible. “It’s another tool in the crew’s arsenal.” AnchorGuardian has been certified by the leading class societies including Lloyds and RINA. The product will be in the Innovation showcase at Seawork and available to see with UK distributor, Atlantis Marine Power on stand P12. Topics AnchorAnchor dragCertificationenvironmentEnvironment & Sustainabilityintelligent datapatents

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ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY IMOCA makes strides towards sustainability 10/05/2023 Save article IMOCA’s 2022 sustainability report details the progress it has made surrounding the use of alternative materials and collision avoidance. SHOW FULLSCREEN Source: Sailing Energy/The Ocean Race IMOCA’s 2022 sustainability report details the progress it has made surrounding its use of alternative materials and collision avoidance zoom inzoom out “Over the last five years our sport has grown and flourished, but not without consideration of our environment and our impact,” said Antoine Mermod, president, IMOCA. ”Our ambition is to continue to share the adventure but not at the expense of the planet.” said Antoine Mermod, president, IMOCA. Green commitment The IMOCA Class first committed to sustainable principles in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2021 a host of rules determining IMOCA’s course for the next four years were introduced. One of the commitments was geared towards the use of alternative materials for removable parts (chart table, seats, bunks), which it said would be deducted from the boat’s measurement weight within a 100 kg limit, giving teams a slight competitive advantage. Nine teams have already snapped up the opportunity to trial this new rule. Material preferences favour flax fibre, but basalt, recycled carbon and recycled PET are also in the mix. To date, more than 300kg of parts have been made from alternative materials. The report also reveals that new boat builds after 2025 are expected to be capped with a CO2e limit. Work has begun to study the best future system for the Class in this respect. Sailmakers have got together to revise the ‘Green Sail’ Rule, tightening the criteria and introducing a ‘Green Sail’ Label. Two sailmakers, OneSails and Quantum Sails, have already joined the initiative. IMOCA has also been making headway on its Collision Prevention Project which is based on a combination of approaches. These include installing a set of sensors on the boats, but also improving communication and signalling on the race course. In 2022, a consortium of three entities was selected, composed of Pixel sur Mer, Sea.Ai and Ensta Bretagne. The objective is to provide operational and reliable collision avoidance instrumentation for the Vendée Globe 2024. Work is also underway to introduce an integrated warning function on the routing software Adrena. This will provide automatic feedback in case of collision, a more detailed observation reporting system and data collection work for scientists. This warning system will first be exercised at the Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race in May 2023.         Topics BoatbuildingEnvironment & SustainabilityIMOCASustainabilityThe Ocean RaceVendée Globeyacht racing

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