Frequently Asked Questions
World Sailing Day – 28 May
World Sailing Day – May 28 is a global celebration of sailing that brings together events, activities, stories, and awards to grow participation and highlight the people, organisations, and places shaping sailing today. It is designed to connect local activities to one international moment each year while promoting heritage, innovation, inclusion, sustainability, safety, and the joy of being on the water.
World Sailing Day is celebrated annually on 28 May.
World Sailing Day is open to everyone connected to sailing or curious about it – individuals, families, clubs, schools, companies, ports, marinas, museums, media, artists, volunteers, and community organisations. Participation is intended to be broad, inclusive, and international.
World Sailing Day is celebrated on all continents. Currently World Sailing Day | 28 May 2026 will be celebrated in 39+ countries.
The target number of participating countries is 63 in 2027 and over 100 countries in 2028.
World Sailing Day Organisation Ltd. (UK) promotes, coordinates and organizes the World Sailing Day activities from its locations in London, Denia (Spain) and The Hague (The Netehrlands). World Sailing Day is also supported by local country organisations and Ambassadors. Each Club/association organises its own local/club activities.
Note: “World Sailing Day – 28 May is an independent, non-regulatory global initiative that designates a fixed annual date for the promotion and celebration of sailing as a worldwide activity. It has no governance, sanctioning, or regulatory function and is non-political
The term ‘world sailing’ is used exclusively in its ordinary, descriptive sense to denote sailing on a global scale. The composite name ‘World Sailing Day – 28 May’ creates a clear and distinct identity, purpose, and public understanding as a date-based initiative, thereby eliminating any likelihood of confusion with any governing body, federation, or organisation.
For those new to sailing:
To meet interesting people from all walks of life who have a strong common bond.
To join and participate in a healthy way of life – back to the elements and nature.
To educate our new generations with age-old life principles in a fun and exciting way.
To gain valuable insights and knowledge about the activities as well as opportunities and businesses related to sailing.
For those already sailing
To expand and strengthen the sailing community and increase participation in your local communities
To support sailing/marine businesses and improve technology, quality and affordability
To preserve maritime heritage and advance sustainability to protect our oceans
You can take part by joining as a Supporter, Fan, Sailor, Youth Member, Patron, Volunteer, Ambassador, Event Organiser, partner, or visitor. You can also register to attend events, list eligible events on the platform, vote in awards activity when open, or support local 28 May initiatives.
There is no cost to join as a Supporter, and Youth Membership is also free. Paid membership tiers currently shown on the site are Fan (£14) and Sailor (£29), while Patron support starts at $1,000+ annually. Individual events, raffles, voyages, or partner experiences may have their own separate terms or pricing where applicable.
Membership
There are four main WSD support membership types: Supporter, Fan, Sailor, and Patron. These represent different levels of support and involvement, from basic sign-up and updates through to deeper annual participation and higher-level private support. Additional pathways such as volunteering, ambassador roles, youth participation, and event attendance are described separately.
A Supporter is the basic entry-level way to register your interest in World Sailing Day and receive general news, notifications, and updates. The old “Subscriber/Supporter” phrasing can be simplified for clarity, but the role itself remains the basic sign-up level.
Fan members receive a digital membership card, event notifications and invitations, access to newsletters and selected offers, and introductory engagement with the broader World Sailing Day ecosystem.
- Please refer to the current membership information for the live annual Fan membership fee.
Please refer to the current membership information for the live annual Fan membership fee.
Register for a World Sailing Day account first, then access the membership area in your account and select the Fan membership level. Persons who fall under the youth pathway should use the youth route where applicable.
A Sailor member is intended for people who are already sailing, want to be more actively involved in sailing, or want deeper involvement in the wider World Sailing Day ecosystem and related initiatives.
- Sailor membership is positioned as a more active level of involvement than Fan membership and is intended for people who want fuller participation in sailing-related activity and in the wider World Sailing Day community.
Please refer to the current membership information for the live annual Sailor membership fee.
Register for a World Sailing Day account, access the membership area in your account, and choose the Sailor membership level.
Please refer to the current membership information.
Please refer to the current membership information for any live club-linked membership arrangements.
Any club-linked fee arrangements, where applicable, should follow the current membership terms.
| YOUTH MEMBER | FREE |
| SUBSCRIBER/SUPPORTER | FREE |
| VOLUNTEERS (Ambassadors and Volunteers) | FREE – see Ambassador page / Volunteer page for details |
| FAN | Annual Fee : GBP 15 or GBP 12 as club member |
| SAILOR | Annual Fee : GBP 25 or GBP 20 as club member |
| PATRON | Donation based |
Clubs and Associations
By becoming a WSD affiliate club you are helping strengthen and grow sailing globally.
The promotion of a single focal point on 28th May each year by your club locally will raise sailing awareness to the general public both in your local area as well in the internationally so that:
- New people can be introduced to sailing and your club
- You can benefit from increased press and media coverage
- promotional materials, event, media and press toolkits can be shared (provided by WSD)
- new opportunities for sponsorship and partnerships can be created for sailing and your club
- inclusion, heritage & sustainable marine initiatives can be supported
- your club can also promote and stimulate your local sailing industry and vice-versa.
- by submitting nominations for our Awards, you can highlight the leading individuals and businesses around you to your fellow sailors, clubs and the public around you – as well as internationally.
Your club, association, or organisation can become involved by registering through the World Sailing Day contact or registration route and providing the details needed for the organisation and its lead contact.
As an affiliated Club/association you shall (amongst others):
- Receive the WSD media kit
- Receive the WSD day and week program models
- Receive the joining package of SAILING MILES for the club.
- Club newsletter focussed on sharing sailing initiatives and focussing on active individuals or entities.
- You will be listed on the WSD participating Club List.
- Your activities will be listed and promoted on the WSD website.
- Be eligible to submit nominations for our Awards and the Sailing Hall of Fame (individuals are not able to submit nominations independently).
- Access and use the Meet your MATCHMAKER financing and sponsorship platform.
For more details please see the CLUB page and for further information or inquiries please send an email via our CONTACT page.
Please refer to the current club or organisation participation information for the applicable model and any current fees.
Register through the current World Sailing Day contact or organisation registration route and provide the required club or association details.
Partner
A WSD Partner is an individual, company, or organisation that supports World Sailing Day and takes part by contributing to, collaborating on, or proposing activities connected to the wider programme.
Becoming a WSD Partner allows an organisation to connect its activity to the wider World Sailing Day network and programme and to participate in relevant opportunities connected to events, promotion, and the broader platform.
Partners may receive access to relevant media materials, partner information, and ways to connect their activities to the wider World Sailing Day programme.
Partner costs depend on the type and scope of partnership. Please refer to the current partner information or contact World Sailing Day directly for the live partnership structure.
To register as a WSD Partner, use the current contact or registration route and submit your organisation’s details and area of interest.
Partner participation in SailingMiles should follow the current programme structure and partner onboarding information.
Please see the section on SAILING MILES for more specific benefits. Below you will find ten general possible benefits of joining.
Increased Customer Retention – Encourages repeat purchases and long-term brand loyalty.
Higher Sales Volume – Members often spend more than non-members.
Access to Consumer Data – Valuable insights into purchasing behavior and preferences.
Targeted Marketing Opportunities – Ability to send personalized offers and promotions.
Enhanced Brand Visibility – Inclusion in program communications, app listings, and co-branded promotions.
New Customer Acquisition – Exposure to a wider audience through the program’s member base.
Cross-Promotion with Other Partners – Benefit from the network effect and shared audiences.
Differentiation from Competitors – Stand out by offering added value through rewards.
Stronger Customer Engagement – Opportunities to build emotional connections with loyal users.
Performance Tracking and ROI Metrics – Transparent reporting to measure effectiveness and ROI of participation.
WSD Awards 2027
The World Sailing Day Awards are the awards component of the wider World Sailing Day programme and are intended to recognise achievement, contribution, and impact across sailing-related fields.
Individuals and organisations that have made a meaningful contribution in a relevant awards area may be eligible for nomination, subject to the applicable awards rules and process.
Nominations should be submitted through the official World Sailing Day Awards process and in line with the current submission and eligibility requirements.
Please refer to the current World Sailing Day Awards information for the latest dates, milestones, and deadlines.
The awards criteria should be set out in the current awards rules, entry guidance, and category information.
Award winners are selected through the official judging process, which may include both expert review and public-facing participation
Please refer to the current awards entry information for any applicable entry, nomination, or processing costs.
Media
You can request your media package by sending us an email to : media@worldsailingday.org after you have registered your organisation. Please also provide a short description of your sailing activities and main use of the materials – as we have many different styules and formats – not all are in our media center downloads.
A media partner is an outlet, broadcaster, digital platform, publisher, creator, or cultural project that helps document, share, and amplify World Sailing Day | May 28 activities and sailing stories to wider audiences.
Media partners can include relevant print, digital, broadcast, publishing, creator, or communications organisations and individuals with an interest in supporting or promoting World Sailing Day and sailing-related activity.
Please use the current media contact route for access to media materials and information.
To register as a media partner, create or access your account through the current registration route and follow the relevant media-partner steps, or contact World Sailing Day directly for guidance.
Sailing Miles
SailingMiles is the first global loyalty program tailored to the global sailing community and marine industry at large. SailingMiles rewards sailors, boating enthusiasts with exclusive benefits, discounts, and rewards worldwide.
The SailingMiles Program is a next generation loyalty program where both traditional Standard Sailing Miles are offered as well as Premium Sailing Miles Tokens are offered. The SailingMiles Program has also been structured to be extended for use between companies operating in the marine industry, to strengthen the loyalty between them and to create a trust ecosystem.
The purpose of the SailingMiles program is to create a global loyalty program which will incentivise non-sailors and sailors alike to become more active, over a longer period in sailing by saving and collecting SailingMiles.
By offering discounts and special incentives, by way of the SailingMiles loyalty program, clubs, associations, companies can promote their products, events, activities and marine businesses and the collectors can have their purchases and efforts rewarded.
The SailingMiles program has an important role to play in fostering trust between the businesses using SMT’s and also supporting the creation of sailing development initiatives and charities.
he Standard SailingMiles program differentiates itself from all other loyalty programs by being a hybrid system including all the best elements of traditional systems where members earn points for purchases (Points-based system), where benefits are unlocked as spending increases (Tiered/VIP system) and where in the premium categories a percentage is paid back on purchases made (Cashback).
The Standard SailingMiles or points are redeemable with partners through the SailingMiles Partnership programs and the program also includes Gamified challenges rewarding SailingMiles for completed tasks. Standard Sailing Miles are not transferable, but can be exchanged for Premium SailingMiles and third-party purchases are permitted.
The Premium SailingMiles program is focussed on value retention by creating an ecosystem issuing tokens (SailingMile Tokens SMT’s) and using blockchain technology to ensure security, transparency, automation and global accessibility. This next generation blockchain-powered loyalty program creates an ecosystem tailored to the global sailing and marine industry and enables Sailing Miles to transferred via automated smart contracts.
By enabling vendors such as marinas, schools, retailers, lifestyle brands, shipyards, fuel docks , builders and service providers to issue proprietary SailingMiles Tokens (SMTs) (and optionally integrate digital currencies transactions), the Premium SailingMiles program builds value, transparency, and engagement across the sailing community.
- The Sailing Miles Program is to be announced on 23rd July 2025 at the St. Kathrine’s Dock, London. Early Registration for the SailingMiles program membership will start at this time by completing the “SeaMiles Starter” application form on the CONTACT page of www.worldsailingday.org .
- Registered World Sailing Day members may purchase SeaMiles as part of the ORIGINAL issue and at a specially discounted cost.
- Standard SailingMiles will go on sale on the 15th August 2025.
- Premium SailingMiles (SMTs) will go on sale on the 20th August 2025.
- The SailingMiles Program (and website www.sailingmiles.com ) will go live on the 1 September 2025.
SAILING MILES Partner Program (Vendors) registration start
- The Sailing Miles Partner Program registrations will open on 24th July 2025 for partners who want to benefit from the Early Adopters Special Offers.
- The Sailing Miles Partner Collector registrations will open on 24th July 2025 for collectors who want to benefit from the Early Adopters Special Offers.
SAILING MILES Purchases by World Sailing Day Fans, Sailors, Patrons and Partners
- SailingMiles (both Standard and Premium)may be redeemed from 1st October 2025.
- SailingMiles program partners who have acquired SAILING MILES to distribute to customers can do so via the SailingMiles app as from 1 October 2025.
SAILING MILES Sales to the Public (Not World Sailing Day members)
- SailingMiles (both Standard and Premium) will go on sale on 15th October 2025.
- Pre-Registration for SailingMiles membership is now open.
You are welcome to register as SailingMiles membership and order your SAILING MILES as either collector, vendor or partner here.
YES. Both Standard and Premium SailingMiles are available for purchase from SailingMiles.com at a reduced price during the pre-go-live period (up to 1 September 2025) as well as during the SeaMiles start period (1 September 2025 to 31 December 2025).
Collectors are rewarded for supporting the establishment of World Sailing Day and the SailingMiles Loyalty program and will receive “Original Miles” during this pre-registration period at a reduction of 20% which assures Collectors of an additional value of 20% for the miles. This offer ends at 24:00 hours GMT on 1 September 2025.
During the period 24:00 hours GMT on 1 September 2025 and 24:00 hours GMT on 31st December, 2025, Collectors will be able to purchase “Starter Miles” at a reduction of 10% which assures Collectors of an additional value of 10% for the miles.
Standard Sailing Miles
You are able to spend your collected Standard Sailing Miles from 1st October 2025. From this date, your miles will be redeemable from SailingMiles Program partners as well as from the World Sailing Day Organization’s events within a period of 24 months. You may also exchange your Standard SailingMiles for Premium SailingMiles during this period.
Premium Sailing Miles
You are able to spend your collected Premium Sailing Miles Tokens (SMTs) from 15th October 2025. From this date, your miles will be redeemable from SailingMiles Program partners as well as from the World Sailing Day Organization’s events within a period of 48 months unless extended by the owner of the SMT within the period.
Standard SailingMiles expire after 24 months.
Premium SailingMiles (SMT’s) expire after 48 months unless extended by the owner of the SMT within this period.
The value of the SailingMiles at the start of issuance (20th August 2025) – is estimated to be :
- One Standard SailingMile 10 pence (circa. 0,12 euro cents)
- One Premium SailingMile (SMT) 50 pence (circa. 0,58 euro cents)
(Please revert back to this section for an update)
As SailingMiles can be spent, collected or converted in a number of different ways, there isn’t a way to calculate a specific pounds valuation and the value will vary also depending on what you spend them on and when.
As an example, you are able to purchase SailingMiles the Initial Issue (Original SeaMiles) at a 20% discount from SailingMiles, but are able to spend these on marina berthing, equipment, services, clothing and each vendor will determine how many SailingMiles will be required for the complete or part purchase of the product.
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