Story
The 2008 Hobie 17, 18 and Tiger North American Sailing Championships received $10,000 from Hosting BC. The event drew 62 athletes, aged 15-62, from Australia, the US and three Canadian provinces to compete in front of 2,100 spectators and an estimated webcast audience of 6,500. Twenty-eight volunteers supported the event.
Organizers succeeded in registering youth teams of both genders and expect these young sailors to continue to make sailing a lifetime sport. Race management training was offered as part of the event and volunteers improved and volunteers upgraded skills to international levels to form an experienced resource pool for future events. Direct economic and tourism benefits included increased revenue for tourism and hospitality businesses at Harrison Hot Springs and surrounding area. Organizers say holding an event of this calibre inspired many spectators to take sailing lessons or start competing.
