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James Hall of Spinlock Marketing and Sales said of the decision to join with the International Sailing Federation Connect to Sailing Initiative, "Spinlock recognise that the future of the sport of sailing lies in attracting new people onto the water, especially in countries where sailing is currently considered out of reach or indeed the infrastructure to support the sport does not even exist.

"ISAF Connect to Sailing has the experience and global reach; Spinlock are convinced that with the support and commitment of its industry partners, ISAF Connect to Sailing will have a positive effect in introducing new nations and people to the sport of sailing over the forthcoming years."

For more information on all Spinlock products please visit their dedicated website here - www.spinlockdeckware.com and quote 'ISAF' in all enquiries or visit Spinlock on Stand number A316 at the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show from 6th - 15th January.

Dan Jaspers, Training and Development Manager at the International Sailing Federation, who is responsible for overseeing the Connect to Sailing Initiative commented on this latest partnership by saying, "Spinlock embodies all that the ISAF Connect to Sailing Initiative stands for. The emphasis that Spinlock place on designing and manufacturing a range of equipment that has the end user firmly in mind at all stages of development is testament to the way in which Spinlock works with all of its clients. The dedicated team are all passionate about the products and as such will provide a service that is second to none.

"Helping sailors and water users access personal safety equipment that is not only functional, wearable but also very stylish makes it possible for us to educate many more water users on the importance of Personal Flotation whilst engaged in Watersports activities. It will take a long time for this culture of safety to be fully developed across all forms of sailing related water use and we look forward to Spinlock's involvement in providing the equipment that will help achieve this. I look forward to working more closely with Spinlock over the coming years and am sure many of our members as well as sailors all around the world will benefit from their services."

The newly released Deckvest LITE lifejacket, which has recently won the DAME (Design Award at Mets) award for Life Saving and safety equipment, has been specifically designed for users of inshore use on Coach boats such as RIB's and for Sailing and other water activities and is a great example of the way Spinlock combines style and function in all of its products. Visit the Marine Equipment Trade Show website for more details on the award - http://www.metstrade.com/nl/en/Pages/dame.aspx

What is Connect to Sailing and how does it work?

Connect to Sailing pages on ISAF Website - http://www.sailing.org/connecttosailing/partners.php

Connect To Sailing's overriding goal is to revitalise grass roots participation in all categories of sailing outside elite activity and put sailing firmly back into a growth sport with a focus on youth. There is evidence to suggest that participation in sailing around the world is in decline and the age of active participants increasing as all sports seek to compete with each other to attract participants and compete with an increase in other interests seeking to attract today's youth.

As a first step, the Connect To Sailing concept aims to bring together the organisations involved in and supporting the sport of sailing in a country, such as the member national authority, the sailing industry, sports council, boat show organisers, commercial sailing schools, media, National Governing Organisations etc. By working together in these organisations will share their resources and experiences to achieve a more integrated approach to the development of the sport.

Through Partners and the sponsorship that they provide, 'Connect to Sailing' aims to share best practice developed by all participating groups, using a combination of workshops, online manuals and guidelines and website http://www.sailing.org/connecttosailing/index.php

If you know of any other organisations that may wish to join the ISAF Connect to Sailing Initiative as a Partner Sponsor then please share this link to the dedicated Partner area of the ISAF website - http://www.sailing.org/connecttosailing/partners.php

Connect via Twitter @connect2sailing and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ISAFWorldSailing