A meeting place for yachting professionals
On September 26, 2023, our colleagues at Tip and Shaft will once again be holding Tip and Shaft Connect. A day of meetings and conferences, the event is reserved for professionals from the competitive sailing world and beyond. They will gather in Nantes, at the Titan, to attend debates and workshops, interspersed with moments dedicated to direct exchanges and networking. Tip&Shaft Connect was born to offer a real business meeting for competitive sailing, more appropriate than a meeting at the Nautic or at the start of a race, and has found its place in the industry calendar.
Thinking about impact
Rather than defining a precise theme, the organizers have chosen to sweep up a variety of topical issues, as Pierre-Yves Lautrou explains: "The message is that while the sector is flourishing with lots of boats and sponsors since the Vendée Globe 2020-21, in a bubble that doesn't seem to be suffering the effects of inflation or the war in Ukraine, there are economic and impact issues to think about."
The morning will be devoted to the impact of competitive sailing, both in terms of events and boat construction, with a focus on sailmaking with the 3 major sailmakers in the sector, Incidence Sails, North Sails and All Purpose, as well as the unveiling of a carbon footprint for the entire winning campaign of 11th Hour in the Ocean Race. Renaud Banuls will discuss routing solutions to avoid collisions with cetaceans.
On the economic front, Loick Peyron and Yann Penfornis will speak on behalf of CDK Technologies and Multiplast about the serious recruitment problems that could threaten the French industry, which could be forced to turn down orders.
An outside view of sponsorship
The afternoon will be devoted to the image of competitive sailing, taking a step back. Corum will explain how gaming and online sailing games can reach an audience farther away from the pontoons and the traditional target of sailing sponsorship.
3 young mediawoman and mediaman who took part in the last edition of The Ocean Race will share their experiences.
Finally, the head of the L'Equipe TV channel, and the head of sponsorship at Intermarché, which is involved in a number of mainstream sports, will talk about their vision of sailing, from what promises to be an enlightening perspective.
As the driving force behind the image of the yachting industry, competitive sailing is a vital part of the sector.
