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Displaying items by tag: Boats Group

Demand for boats and other watercraft has grown during COVID-19 restrictions in the UK, according to industry body British Marine.

The rebound last summer — following a dramatic 40% sales slump between March and May 2020 as the first lockdowns were imposed — appears to have been fuelled by a surge in domestic tourism amid curtailments on international travel.

Data from Boats Group shows that overall sales from June to the end of the year grew more than 50% over the same period in 2019.

And some of the biggest gains were in more expensive (>£100,000) boats, which in 2020 enjoyed an 18% rise in unit sales over the previous year.

“Last summer we were seeing evidence and hearing regular news about the staycation effect and boom in sales for leisure marine businesses,” British Marine chief executive Lesley Robinson said.

“However I am delighted that these anecdotal stories are now backed up with the empirical data.”

About Match Racing

A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.

In yacht racing, it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consisting of 2, 3 or 4 boats compete together in a team race, with their results being combined.

A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other. With effective boat handling and clever use of wind and currents, a trailing boat can escape the grasp of the leader and pass. The leader uses blocking techniques to hold the other boat back. This one-on-one duel is a game of strategy and tactics.

About the World Match Racing Tour

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR). Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors