There are many reasons every sailing club in Australia should use SailPass and use it well. Let’s start with the obvious 10.

Why to use SailPass:

1. Grow Membership
   SailPass provides an online system to capture the names and contact details of people who are not club members and are participating in your races. Now you know who they are, you know what to do. Contact them and invite them to join.

2. Grow Participation
   If they don’t want to join your club just yet, that’s okay. Instead, invite them back to go sailing again. You’ve got such a great club, they’ll love it.

3. Grow Volunteers
   They might want to get involved in the club behind the racing. Invite them to an information evening about volunteering or a training day for the race committee. The good ones will love protest committees.

4. Increase Sales
   Because you have their contact details, promote the club’s offerings. Whether it be hall hire, fancy functions or a Sunday schnitty, tell them about it.

5. Improve Safety
   By using SailPass, you don’t just collect contact details for the casual participant, you collect emergency contact details. Pretty handy if it hits the fan.

6. Mitigate Impact
   When a casual participant is registered with Australian Sailing, they enjoy the Personal Accident Insurance cover. Sure, this does not reduce the likelihood of an accident, but it provides a financial safety net for the affected person and their family. Also pretty handy if things go wrong.

How to use SailPass well:

7. Set it up
   Take the time to make sure it works the way your club wants it to. Configure the cost of a SailPass or make it free, set a limit on the number of SailPasses per person, block out specific dates and more.

8. Promote It
   Put a link front and centre on your club’s and event’s websites. Mention it in social media posts. Put a short piece in club email newsletters. Add posters around the club building to remind everyone to sign up.

9. Link to it in Race Documents
   Make sure there are clauses in the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions which draw sailors’ attention to it.

10. Notice to Competitors
    Double down and triple down. Put a notice on the Official Noticeboard. Setting it up the way you want it is only the first step of using it well. Communication is key.

For information about Personal Accident Insurance, click here.

The Elwood Sailing Club’s Case Study on using SailPass is here.

By Glen Stanaway