Please select your home edition
Edition
Savvy Navvy 2024

How to write event previews

by Magnus Smith 3 Apr 2016 09:27 UTC 3 April 2016
Me when I've been asked to write a race report or event preview © Magnus Smith

We are noticing more and more people sending 'previews' in to YachtsandYachting.com and Sail-World.com in advance of their club's event. This used to happen only for national championships and other massive events, but now we are publishing lots of previews for smaller club-level events.

It is a helpful (and free) way to encourage greater participation and make more people aware of your club/class, but we have noticed some sailors are struggling with the task; writing previews isn't easy! Two sentences and a random photo would just look shoddy and reflect badly on your club/class. So you have to make an effort to get a reasonable result, say 150 to 250 words, and this guide should assist anyone who is floundering.

Rather than sending us the Notice Of Race or a poster, we typically have previews written as a couple of paragraphs advertising the event in general terms, not just a bullet point list.

We believe that providing full information is often the key to convincing people there is no hurdle to stop them turning up. Not empty sales talk, of course, but genuine information. Plus a bit of chat about how well things went last year, or introducing the club to attract those who haven't been before.

Keep the crucial info near the top, and the blurb towards the end. If anyone stops reading, then at least they'll have covered the important bits. Write too little and you'll create the impression that the event isn't very important (or that the organisers aren't bothered).

Points you may wish to cover

  • Dates: start (and end) dates, and make it clear about days that only have practice races, or lay days
  • Times: time gates open, time of briefing, time of first start, how long it takes to sail out to the race area
  • Can you give any idea of last race start/end time, prizegiving time, so people know if they'll be still driving home at midnight?
  • Venue: give the full name of the club, not the race area (could apply to several clubs in Weymouth, for example) but do describe the water, and link to the club website for directions
  • Mention who the sponsor is (the series may have a sponsor even if your individual event doesn't)
  • Contact: who to email/phone with other questions, or to match-make spare helms and crews
  • Fees: list costs for the different options available (and can people just attend for 1 day of a weekend event?)
  • Food: provided as part of the entry fee, or available to buy? Hot or cold? Any need to pre-order? Bacon sandwiches are a must, surely...
  • Race format: how many, are they back-to-back, is there time to eat lunch?
  • What options are available for partying late and staying overnight?
  • Is it possible to leave a boat at the club the weekend before? the night before?
  • How many trophies, for what placings/categories? give brief history of a trophy!
  • Link to the 'results so far' if a series, so people can see who the current leaders are, going into the event
  • How many came last year and what weather was like and who won then
  • What top names are able to come, and who has said they can't make it (might be a golden opportunity if the hot shots are elsewhere), who has a new boat/crew
  • Talk about the series, if your event counts towards one

You are not obliged to use all of the above, but the list will help you when trying to expand a meagre three-sentence document.

Photographs

There may be relevant pictures in our gallery from past years; just tell us the links to one or two.

Send in your own photos but please be sure that:

  • The files are JPG format, and at least 800px wide
  • The photographer has given you permission to display on yachtsandyachting.com
  • 'Attach' them to the email so the files stay separate (don't embed them within the text of the email)

We avoid images that have text within them if we possibly can. You can link to a poster hosted on another website, but we prefer to display a landscape-orientation photo and keep the date/time/etc in the text of the news article below it.

Are you finished?

Please spell-check and also see our general submission guidelines which can be (almost) summarised as: avoid PDF format, and use the email only. Please be aware that we may hold your information back for a week before publishing it (unlike race reports, where we get them online within a day or two). Therefore, submit your preview around a month in advance (for open meetings) and maybe six months in advance (for championships).

Next year, make sure your event appears in our calendar at soon as the club is booked, as details will be displayed underneath all relevant race reports for a long period, providing additional publicity. See the calendar sign up or calendar help pages for more information.

Related Articles

Making time to take time
Selene might not be top of mind, but you'll be happy you took time to find out Funny thing is that this title applied to both parties. Me, because we had to make time to find out more about Selene, as they are not what you might refer to as 'top of mind'. It's OK. They admit to that. Posted on 6 Nov
Savvy Navvy - making boating more accessible
I spoke to founder Jelte Liebrand about his background, philosophy, the app itself The rise of Savvy Navvy in the world of boating navigation has been spectacular, with over 2 million downloads of the app. Posted on 21 Oct
Who makes a better BBQ?
Hold that thought. We'll revert, as this story about Sabre is right in the middle of our wheelhouse Hold that thought. We'll come back to it, because this story is right, bang, smack in the middle of our wheelhouse. Sabre is part of a small group of boatbuilders who started out making yachts (sailboats) before venturing into motor yachts. Posted on 24 Sep
For when looks not only matter, they count!
It's in the way the canopy integrates, and her amazing folding bulwark It's the look of her, for sure. She's just got something about her. It's in the way the canopy integrates, and her amazing folding bulwark. It is like the boat is sort of on steroids, but remains elegant, and everyone's interested to see her. Posted on 10 Sep
Do it on an empty stomach
Now I bet you thought that means this editorial is going to be about seasickness. Uh-uh Now I bet you thought that means this editorial is going to be about seasickness. Uh-uh. Actually, it is about hospitality. More specifically, Turkish hospitality, which is incredibly generous, and always involves heaps of food. Posted on 28 Aug
Magnificent journey and an awesome passage
43 years and 7000 nautical miles. The former is the journey, and the latter is the passage 43 years and 7000 nautical miles. Both are very weighty numbers in their own right. Both have tremendous significance. Both apply to the same greater subject here. Now the former is the journey, and the latter is the passage. Posted on 14 Aug
Talk about a bad rap
For whenever you think you have it bad, ponder these guys For whenever you think you have it bad, ponder these guys. Now rather than just the whole of them, it really comes down to the Big Four, albeit the stature of one of them is nowhere near as big as its reputation. Posted on 31 Jul
Good times
I had a distinctly Bernard Edwards and Nile Rogers flashback with the Tesoro T40 Yes. I had a distinctly Bernard Edwards and Nile Rogers flashback. Actually. Stop the press! It was a halleluiah moment. The reason? Got to catch up in person with the Tesoro T40... Posted on 30 Jul
From the Olympics to ocean passages
1.5 million users and counting: from Olympians, to ocean racers, cruisers and powerboaters Yes. The best there are on the water use PredictWind. However, it is not just limited to the Olympic Classes. Ocean racers and cruisers, as well as powerboat passage makers comprise the 1.5m users of the renowned system, and there is good reason why. Posted on 29 Jul
It's called fishing. Not catching…
Time for a Q&A with Andrew Ettinghausen ahead of the Sydney International Boat Show Ahead of the impending SIBS we were fortunate enough to get time for a Q&A with ET (Andrew Ettingshausen). As one of the most recognised fishing experts in Australia, we were keen to understand how someone can make a start from a pier, and be waterborne. Posted on 16 Jul
Savvy Navvy 2024Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTER