Sail America Holds Annual Conference

The annual Sail America Industry Conference (SAIC) returned to Newport, Rhode Island, bringing the sailing industry together for two days of learning, conversation and connection. Attendees traveled from around the country to hear from knowledgeable speakers, who discussed the current state of sailing.

Hosted at the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, the conference featured a wide range of speakers representing different specialties, from AI technologies to insurance and boat building. The keynote session was a conversation with Sample Temple (Rockport Marine) and Tom Degremont (Langan Design), and moderated by Aaron Porter (ProBoat). The presentation focused on designing and building the 95’ Ouzel in New England. Attendees also competed for an impressive selection of raffle prizes with the premium prize, a one-week monohull or catamaran charter, courtesy of Dream Yacht Worldwide.

The conference was presented by Yanmar (Vetus, Maxwell, Flexofold, Smart Gyro), with additional support from Shore Premier Finance, National Marine Manufacturers Association, SailTime, Firecrown Media, Dream Yacht Worldwide, Jeanneau, Hilb Group, InfoLink and Gill.