Zim Sailing and SAYRA Partner to Host Regional Roundtable at Annual General Meeting

Sailboat Manufacturer and Regional Sailing Association Collaborate to Improve Sailing Activities in the South Atlantic

 BRISTOL, R.I. (December 1, 2023) - Zim Sailing, a subsidiary of Starting Line Sailing Inc., and the South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association (SAYRA) have partnered to host a Zim Regional Roundtable at the SAYRA Annual General Meeting.

Coming off the successful launch of the Zim Regional Roundtables in Northern and Southern California, where over 25 different sailing organizations were represented, Zim and SAYRA are excited to introduce the collaborative program to the South Atlantic region constituents. The Regional Roundtable event will be split between the final two days of the SAYRA Annual General Meeting, being hosted at the Sonesta Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina January 26-38. The Zim Regional Roundtable sessions will be held on the afternoon of Friday, January 27th and the morning of Saturday, January 28th. The Zim Regional Roundtable will be moderated by Sports Coaching and Performance Expert and Executive Director of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), Reed Maltbie. 

Teresa Decker, US Sailing RSA Rep for SAYRA said, "We are so glad that Zim has filled a glaring gap in regional collaboration and is providing a facilitated forum for SAYRA's members to discuss and propose solutions to issues common to our organizations.”

Mark Newman, Sailing Director of South Carolina Yacht Club added, “Zim sailing has been the go to source for all things sailing over the last 6 years for the South Carolina Yacht Club and our sailing members, and they have been essential to our continued growth, and pivotal to high performance sailing in our region”.

The Zim Sailing Regional Roundtables serve as a platform for individuals and organizations within the sailing community to connect, network, share concerns and best practices, learn from one another, and ultimately help each other develop solutions focused on their specific region of the country. Zim Sailing Regional Roundtables allow anyone interested in participating to contribute to the growth and development of sailing activities in their area.

“The SAYRA Annual General Meeting is probably the largest regional gathering of sailing community leaders in the country, and we couldn’t be more proud and excited to bring the Regional Roundtables to this long-standing and popular event”, said Josh Toso, Director of Marketing for Starting Line Sailing. “This event is well known for its collaboration and networking opportunities, as well as the planning work for the upcoming sailing season, so the match with the Zim Regional Roundtables is a perfect and natural fit. The combination of the two events will foster the continuation of collaborative learning and development of solutions to help improve sailing in the South Atlantic region.”

The SAYRA Annual General Meeting continuously garners high participation, with over 150 sailing community leaders attending every year, and Zim Sailing anticipates its largest Regional Roundtable yet, with 40-50 organizations represented. Both events are FREE to attend, but the Zim Regional Roundtable will be capped at 50 participants in order to facilitate meaningful conversation, and will be limited to one representative per organization to ensure there is even representation from around the region. Other SAYRA Meeting attendees will be welcomed and encouraged to observe the Zim Regional Roundtable and there will be gallery seating available in the conference room.

Registration for both the SAYRA Annual General Meeting and the Zim Regional Roundtable will open on December 1st and have separate registration forms. To register for the SAYRA Annual General Meeting click here, and to register for the Zim Regional Roundtable click here.

The rest of the Zim Sailing Regional Roundtables Winter schedule is still being developed, and more Roundtable events will be announced in the coming weeks. Plans are currently in the works for Regional Roundtables in Florida, the Midwest, and the Great Lakes regions. For more information on the Zim Sailing Regional Roundtables, updated schedules, registration links, and resources, please visit www.zimsailing.com/regional-roundtables

Media contact and inquiries: Josh Toso, Director of Marketing, Starting Line Sailing Inc., Josh@StartingLineSailing.com

About Zim Sailing

Zim Sailing is the largest dinghy sailboat manufacturer and distributor in North America and exclusive manufacturer and distributor of Hobie Sailboats world-wide. Zim Sailing builds the highest quality sailboats available with manufacturing facilities at their headquarters in Bristol, RI as well as Asia and Europe, and also distributes several first-rate brands of sailboats including the RS Sailing product line and the Fighter Optimist dinghy. Zim Sailing is the foremost provider of sailboat parts and accessories, sailing apparel/gear, and charters for sailing regattas across the country, and one of the largest supporter/sponsors of sailboat racing in North America. Zim Sailing is passionate about the sport of sailing and is committed to providing the highest level of service for our customers and the sailing community. For more information, please visit www.zimsailing.com