Sailing schools build R.I. reputation

LEARNING THE CRAFT: Narragansett Sailing LLC instructor Jan Moiz, right, works with student Marjoliane Marcotte, a student from Canada, in July. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
LEARNING THE CRAFT: Narragansett Sailing LLC instructor Jan Moiz, right, works with student Marjoliane Marcotte, a student from Canada, in July. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Teaching sailing is a natural tourist draw in the Ocean State, and the environment of Narragansett Bay is the chief reason four sailing schools here are thriving, owners say.

The owners of Narragansett Sailing LLC in Barrington, the Blue Water Sailing School in Jamestown, JWorld in Newport, and newcomer Black Rock Sailing School in Warwick all say that the bulk of their chiefly adult clientele – anywhere from 60 percent to 90 percent – are tourists, a portion of students that has been consistent over time.

Could the coming branding of Rhode Island tourism change that? Two of the three long-standing schools believe that including the marine industry and sailing will be important to the state’s coming branding efforts, even if they are not central to a campaign.

“Newport is one of the sailing capitals of the country, and it’s a beautiful area with a lot of history and tradition in Newport and Narragansett Bay, so it would be good to feature sailing in the brand,” said Blue Water owner David Pyle.

- Advertisement -

Rob Lawnsby, the owner of Narragansett Sailing, said close to 40 percent of his business is generated by visitors from Connecticut and Massachusetts, while 20 percent come from all over the globe.

“I think the word is out there [that] the sailing is very good in Rhode Island, [and] from a sailing perspective the more that’s reinforced, the better,” he said.

While owners cited Newport’s international reputation for sailing, underscored recently with the 2015 Volvo Ocean Race stopover, Lawnsby noted that the winds in the bay are perfect for sailing, and that the small harbors and villages are ideal for making the region a destination for visitors to stay even longer.

“Bristol is a hidden gem [with 500 moorings]. You could anchor 100 boats in Bristol harbor and still have room left over,” he said.

Michael Gaudette, who lives in Blainville, a small town near Montreal, came to Providence one late July weekend and followed that visit the next week with lessons at Narragansett Sailing with his partner, Marjolaine Marcotte. She is a beginner and he is more advanced, he said. He owns Virtutel, a small Canadian telephone network.

Gaudette chose Rhode Island over other vacation destinations like New York and Los Angeles, he said, and Narragansett Sailing’s instruction programs for women appealed to him and his partner.

“I wanted the small town feel of Newport and Providence,” Gaudette explained. “And I just wanted to walk around, be near the water: Something simple, something relaxing.”

Bringing more tourists to the Ocean State is expected to require a more concerted effort, however. In early July, R.I. Commerce Corporation Secretary Stefan Pryor issued a request for proposals intended to land a consultant who could provide expertise not only in branding the state with “positive and memorable” images but in attracting businesses to the state. A total of $5 million has been appropriated for the effort, with Aug. 31 being the deadline for hiring the consultant and Jan. 1 given as the expected launch date of a campaign.

“Rhode Island has 400 miles of coastline, a rich historical culture, is home to the famed [Gilded Age] mansions, and is the sailing capital of the world,” Pryor said in an emailed statement. “And the list goes on. We are looking forward to the RFP responses and development of the brand that will put Rhode Island on the radar for tourists considering their next trip and for businesses looking to grow.”

So far, the bay’s reputation has attracted at least one business, the Black Rock Sailing School, said owner Brenton Lochridge.

Black Rock launched in Boston in 2008, but Lochridge expanded the enterprise to Warwick at the end of 2014 in order to tap into the Rhode Island and Connecticut markets, he said.

“I’ve always wanted to start a school down here,” he said. “Narragansett Bay is just such a gem. People associate Rhode Island with sailing.”

In his first season, his numbers are small – about 60 individuals taught since May – with more than half comprising tourists coming from Connecticut, Vermont, New York and Maine, he added.

At Blue Water, the “vast majority” of its 40 students each season are from out of state, said Pyle.

“We stay pretty booked, so any pickup [in customers] would be good, but we have a pretty limited operation,” Pyle said.

John Alofin, owner of JWorld in Newport and Key West, Fla., declined comment on the state’s branding efforts and was not willing to share the number of customers he caters to seasonally. But he noted about 90 percent of his clientele are tourists. JWorld also has franchises in Annapolis, Md., San Francisco and overseas, he said.

Would-be sailors spend up to six hours a day on the boats, and minimal time is spent in the classroom, Alofin said.

“We are a national brand,” he added. “We teach all levels to sail, cruise [and] race.”

Lochridge noted that “everybody’s raving” about the “show and party” Newport put on at the Volvo, and said branding that capitalizes on sailing can’t lose.

“The state of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Marine Trade Association have been doing a pretty incredible job promoting all of the marine trades across the board,” he said. “The more people we teach how to sail, we feed all of those other industries.” •

No posts to display