World Boating Day, an international open day for the entire leisure boating industry already spanning over 9 countries in 2024, is already on its way to grow bigger in its Second Edition. On May 24th, 2025, the Superyacht Life Foundation – who coordinates the entire campaign, is inviting businesses, foundations and yacht crew from within the boating and yachting industries to open their doors for a “glocal” celebration. World Boating Day 2025 is championed by over 37 industry organisations, across the world, and its message is carried by 6 country-specific ambassadors.
The three pillars of World Boating Day were defined together with key stakeholders and associations representative of the industry’s many corners:
Attracting talent
From specialised craftsmanship and operating crews on board to those leading tomorrow’s ventures, this pillar encourages participants to share knowledge about career paths within the industry and the opportunities available for young people and late joiners alike. A great example of this in action is World Boating Day 2024, where initiatives like these helped open doors for future talent: an open day at superyacht shipyard Bilgin Yachts welcomed students from a Technical University, Navigo Toscana and Italian Superyacht Life invited future students to explore their training facilities, and MisliMore hosted an educational seminar on how to enter the industry as a crew member.
Creating media value
Boating is traditionally associated with ultimate relaxation, quality time with loved ones, and a deep passion running through the hearts of its users, stakeholders and operators. It is time to share a broader perspective and inspire the media to spread the word—from the economic benefits and positive societal impacts to sustainability innovations shaping daily life offshore, and the exceptional individuals who sustain it all with passion and dedication.
How was the word spread through more than 9 countries? Through its digital campaign, the Superyacht Life Foundation reached close to 14 million users through its social media channels, with press releases resulting in more than 80 articles in 12 countries – relayed by its curated database of journalists. Additionally, thanks to the press distribution by each participating company, the campaign was covered by international media outlets relaying the events far and wide. You can read the Campaign Report here.
Expanding our boating community
The boating community has traditionally been seen as exclusive, passed down through generations—but it’s time to open the gates, break barriers, and make the joys of the boating industry accessible to all. Whether it’s mingling with seasoned experts or simply sharing what makes us passionate boaters, this initiative ensures that newcomers feel warmly welcomed and encouraged to join this one-of-a-kind celebration of the leisure boating industry. World Boating Day 2024 brought this vision to life through a variety of engaging experiences: a day at the yard with Benetti in Italy, starting with morning yoga, afternoon sailing classes, and guided tours; an exclusive tour of the Riviera factory on Australia’s Gold Coast; designing your own yacht with Feadship in the Netherlands; test-driving boats with Freedom Boat Club in Sydney Harbour; or a marina day with diving lessons and nautical knot workshops at West Istanbul Marina in Turkey.
How to Register
Any business, organisation, yacht or crew member is welcome to join the global campaign:
- Head to the Registration Form and enter your details.
- The Community Manager will be in touch to share details, assets, and support you where necessary.
- Armed with our comprehensive range of assets, you will be set to start promoting your event to your most relevant audience(s). Let us enhance your reach and share the pride held for this industry!
- Good to know: any event already existing can be added to the map, and any event taking place from 19-25 May will take part in the campaign.
Are you a visitor wanting to join the celebration?
Save the date in your calendar, and follow the social media to be the first to know about the amazing events!
For further information, you can contact
Quotes of Participants
“Taking part in this event was like reaffirming our membership in the small, yet tightly-knit nautical community. The feeling of all being linked together is truly enriching. This year has been the first of, we hope, many to come. It was amusing for us to organize it, we at Tankoa were proud to demonstrate to students what a career in the nautical sector means. Moreover, launching our new 50m yacht added a festive note to this significant day.” – Eva Orsi, President at Tankoa Yachts
“As West Istanbul Marina we loved feeling connected to other marinas, yacht manufacturers and boatyards around the globe from afar. We’re grateful to have been able to take part in the first-ever World Boating Day and encourage all lovers of leisure boating to connect, even from opposite sides of the world.” – Eva Janique, Marketing Director at West Istanbul Marina
“With the very first World Boating Day, Feadship aims to showcase the craftsmanship, innovation, and dedication behind the superyacht industry. It’s not just about building yachts; it’s about creating added value for owners, fostering employment, and preserving maritime production capabilities in the Netherlands. We’re celebrating the beauty of enjoyment on the water and highlighting the hard work and knowledge that make it possible.” – Farouk Nefzi, CMO at Feadship
“It is a great pleasure to be celebrating World Boating Day, whilst ICOMIA hosts its annual congress in La Rochelle. This gathering of industry leaders from across the globe allows us to discuss and plan how we can collaborate to promote a safe, sustainable and successful future for boating. We are delighted that World Boating Day is part of this plan and allows us all to showcase our industry and encourages all boaters, new or experienced, to participate and to enjoy the experiences we provide.” – Joe Lynch, CEO at ICOMIA
“We are very pleased to have participated in the first edition of World Boating Day, especially given the enthusiasm shown by the public from the very beginning. This event provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our strong relationship with the local community and share our passion for yachting with a broader audience, eager to discover our world. In just one day, our Benetti headquarters in Livorno welcomed more than 1,500 visitors, both adults and children, entertaining them with several activities. Guests enjoyed visiting the museum which tells our heritage through 150 years of history, showed interest in walking through the sheds where we build our yachts, and had fun using 3d virtual glasses to visualize the interior spaces of a Benetti. Visitors also had a chance to meet a crew or access the ancient lighthouse located in the marina. I believe this kind of event helps position the yachting industry as a symbol of excellence to be preserved and offers professional career opportunities for future generations.” – Massimo Casoni, General Manager at Benetti
“Riviera was proud to open our gates to showcase the largest motor yacht building facility in the southern hemisphere as part of the World Boating Day celebrations. Visitors had the unique opportunity to see and learn about the full build process of a Riviera luxury motor yacht from design and mould-making all the way through to the final and extensive QC process. There is no doubt that taking part in such a tour creates a much greater understanding and appreciation of the skills and qualities required to build world-class motor yachts. In turn, we hope that such an experience might inspire some to become involved with our great industry or to explore the fabulous joys that only boating offers.” – Stephen Milne, Brand & Communications Director at Riviera Australia
‘Bilgin Yachts was delighted to participate in the World Boating Day on May 25th. We were pleased to host a technical tour of our shipyard for students from Istanbul Technical University. Engaging with these future industry professionals was incredibly rewarding. Many of the attendees were final-year students, and we had fruitful discussions regarding their upcoming internships and job applications. As a company, we deeply value the contributions of the younger generation to the future of yachting. We are excited about organizing similar events in the future and look forward to participating in next year’s World Boating Day with even more impactful activities.’ – Tugba Şengün, Marketing Director at Bilgin Yacht
