8 January 2025

With many clubs reporting decreases in participation, and in particular amongst younger sailors, JOG (Junior Offshore Group) Yacht Racing is bucking the trend, reporting a 24% membership increase, with race entries up by 30% during 2024.  

Stuart Lawrence from JOG says over 1,300 different crew members competed in the 2024 race season, and most significantly of all, 25% of those crew were under 30 years of age.

Part of this success has been due to the establishment of Generation JOG, a programme that encourages newcomers and younger sailors into the sport, supported by sponsors such as Henri-Lloyd as its technical clothing partner. Now in its fourth year of support, Henri-Lloyd provides prizes to Generation JOG sailors in recognition of race wins or other notable milestones, sponsoring one weekend race over the season, and supplying vouchers throughout the year for events and for members to buy Henri-Lloyd technical clothing.

Oli Hawkins, skipper of SailFish and winner of Yacht of the Year and Generation JOG Youth Challenge Trophy, explains how important the technical clothing sponsorship is for new and young sailors. He says: “SailFish is exclusively skippered and crewed by Generation JOG members, with everyone onboard aged 23 and below. Without the support of Henri-Lloyd we would never have been able to afford our crew kit. The cost of kit represents a massive barrier to youth sailing and the ability to have a sponsor, who recognises that, is invaluable to the club. Our crew is made up of new sailors or those that have never raced before, showing the importance of a well-functioning team over individuals. We used our Henri-Lloyd vouchers to purchase some new technical jackets. Having a team kit like this is so important in creating an environment that everyone feels proud to be part of the team!”

Stuart Lawrence backs this up, saying: “To give some perspective, back in 2019, before the pandemic, there were only 481 crew members, with just 9% under 30, so this is an extraordinary leap! Our younger teams have truly shone this year. Boats like Sailfish and Spectrum, running on limited budgets with entirely youth crews, have produced outstanding results at our events.”

JOG was set up in the 1950s as a club designed to encourage smaller yachts to participate in competitive, but friendly, coastal and offshore racing. As well as increasing the number of newcomers and younger sailors into the sport, the Gen JOG programme has also helped drive up the level of female participation, with an average of 35% female crew members regularly taking part - significantly higher than the average for offshore events.  

Ross Partridge, Corporate Sales Manager at Henri-Lloyd highlights that the company is delighted to be supporting JOG and to see the positive effect on participation and new sailors getting into the sport. He says, “At Henri-Lloyd, our aim is to ensure everyone is able to have the best days of their lives on the water, and ensuring warmth, dryness and comfort are fundamental to that enjoyment.  We’re thrilled to be working with JOG and to see them making the best use of our sponsorship and support.”  

As well as winning Henri-Lloyd prizes, JOG members also benefit from a membership discount on all Henri-Lloyd products and merchandise, and have the opportunity to buy team kit and have it branded via Henri-Lloyd’s printing partners.