Premiere Sailing League USA to Début Concept at Annapolis Sailboat Show
In just over a month, the Premiere Sailing League USA (PSL) will debut its concept for an organized, national fleet racing league during the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, which runs from October 10-14.
Pay To Play
Modeled after the sailing league in Europe that has taken off globally, PSL will supply a fleet of identical RS21 keelboats that will be raced on inshore, short-course, stadium-style races at select venues across the country. Sailors and fans attending the Annapolis Sailboat Show can experience first-hand the new RS21s in multiple exhibition style races directly in front of the show for free. Look for the PSL on D Dock.
“The PSL represents the next generation of sailing,” said co-founder and president Benjamin Klatzka. “This is the first step in getting this national sailing league started in America. We expect to have enough boats in position for league events to take place in waterfront cities across the country by 2022. The series schedule will be similar to other major sports leagues in the U.S.A. (NBA, MLB, etc.) and will take place over a four-month season to determine the overall series champion.”
Yacht clubs and other sailing organizations can join the league as members to enter teams in multiple regattas and to host official league events, with the advantage of not being required to purchase a fleet of boats. The unique PSL leasing model provides the boats, gear, and everything necessary for this style of sailing as the concept maximizes the experience for the sailor while minimizing the cost for clubs and competitors.
It’s like college sailing for adults!
Sailing broadcaster and America’s Cup commentator Tucker Thompson, an enthusiastic supporter of the concept, will provide live race commentary during the exhibition event at the Annapolis Sailboat Show, as well as during broadcast coverage of future league events.
“Yacht club membership and sailing participation is in decline,” said Thompson. “People aren’t buying and campaigning keelboats like they used to. A provided fleet of boats and the ‘pay-to-play’ model of sailing provides the solution and will generate new yacht club members as well as activate existing sailors looking for a new, easy, and affordable competitive sailing outlet. The boats, the sails, the equipment are all provided and equalized. All you need to do is show up. It’s like college sailing for adults!”
The boats are not the only equipment that will be provided by the PSL, as its partnership with robotic buoy manufacturer MarkSetBot means that technology will be incorporated into the league package. MarkSetBot remote buoys can be set, retrieved, and held in position by GPS – controlled by a mobile phone app, reducing the need for large volunteer race committees and multiple support boats.
“We are thrilled to partner with the PSL to help revolutionize sailboat racing,” said MarkSetBot inventor and founder Kevin Morin. “MarkSetBot’s mission is growing accessibility and ease of sailboat racing, and the PSL model is perfect for doing just that. The Bots will certainly be a great addition and help to keep racing competitive and fair for such a talented group of competitors.”
Technology is also at the forefront of the PSL concept making it easier and more affordable for sailors to compete and for clubs to run events while decreasing the amount of personnel, overhead, and costs necessary to run traditional races, maximizing the FUN in sailing.
The goal is to remove the hurdles that make access to sailing, or running events, difficult by providing an easy solution that can revolutionize the competitive sailing experience. With time and money in short supply in today’s fast-paced lifestyle, the PSL style of “Pay-to-Play” will revolutionize the sport of sailing.
More About Premiere Sailing League USA
Premiere Sailing League USA is the first national sailing league for America, designed to increase awareness of the sport with an innovative approach to an annual series of regattas that starts with District Qualifications (for districts North, East, South and West) and then progresses to National Finals that determine rankings in the PSL.
The league’s purpose is to provide a platform where sailors from different backgrounds can compete in a fun, dynamic, fast-paced competition that has been conceived and structured to be easily understood by the media and non-sailing audiences. The format calls for short windward/leeward races with as many as 20 races a day on courses close to shore, providing sensational stadium-style entertainment for spectators ashore.
For more information about Premiere Sailing League USA, visit premieresailingleague.com, email [email protected], or find us on Facebook.
About MarkSetBot
MarkSetBot is the world’s first robotic sailing mark. Led by a team of passionate sailors and innovators, MarkSetBot strives to grow the sport of sailing by improving quality and ease of race management. MarkSetBots use GPS technology to hold position and direct marks to a specific location. Changing courses becomes simple as marks are moved by dragging a waypoint and pressing a button. All this can be accomplished with greater precision than that of traditional marks. For more information visit: marksetbot.com
