Sailsport Marine

May 18, 2008

Price of gas got your summer boating plans down? Maybe it’s time to switch to a sailboat. Those in the market can find their dreams fulfilled at Sailsport Marine’s new showroom in Traverse City.
After 16 years at their location off of West Bay Shore, Sailsport Marine opened its new building at 13988 S. Robinson Road, just off M-72. The new location has almost doubled their showroom and shop space and added ceiling height for displaying sailboats fully rigged.
Owner Scott Wilson says the building was designed with a single slope roof to look somewhat like a sail, providing the ceiling height needed to fully rig sailboats inside the showroom.
“It really helps a customer to see sailboats completely set up next to one another so that they can compare sail sizes, rigging arrangements, and comfort,” Wilson notes.
He’s also hoping that the price of gas drives more boatlovers to pursue clean watersports that require no fuel.
In that regard, Sailsport Marine excels: Wilson specializes in small sailboats, kayaks, and windsurfing equipment.
The store opened in 1992 as a Hobie Cat Dealer and has since expanded to become Northern Michigan’s premier small sailboat specialty outlet as well as the largest windsurfing dealer in Michigan. The business carries Hobie Cat, Hunter, and LaserPerformance (manufacturers of Sunfish and Laser) sailboats.
Wilson, 43, started sailing as a kid. “I grew up summering in Northport and my dad taught me to sail when I was seven,” he says. “I learned on a Sunfish.”
After graduating from high school in Indianapolis, he pursued a degree in engineering from the University of Michigan and went to work for a company in North Carolina that built large sailboat masts.
But, eventually, he tired of Carolina’s tidewater coast and decided to relocate to Northern Michigan. “I bought a Hobie Cat dealership from a guy on Torch Lake and opened my shop in Traverse City.”
With a pick of boats to play with, what does Wilson enjoy sailing the most?
“I do a little bit of everything, but I spend most of my time windsailing,” he says. “In fact, I was just out windsailing this morning.”

PERSONAL POWER
You’ll also find plenty of kayaks and personal-powered watercraft at the business. For instance, their Hobie Mirage kayaks use a pedal-drive system that can propel them faster and more efficiently than a paddle. “They are really starting to catch on for kayak fishing because you can pedal hands-free and get to places a motorboat can’t – and when you look at costs versus a powerboat, it’s very enticing,” Wilson says.
Also noteworthy is a new line of standup paddleboards. These are simply large surfboards that are stable enough to stand on and designed to glide through the water, propelled by a long paddle. A standup paddleboard can be used on any body of water.
“Paddling on flat water is not only a fun and relaxing experience; it can be a great core workout,” Wilson says. “It’s almost like cross-country skiing on water.”
Standup paddling has also made surfing waves much easier, due to greater visibility, more stability, and a powerful paddle. Many of the boards are also designed to be sailed by attaching a windsurfing rig.
“The sport is accessible to anyone and all you need is a board and a paddle,” Wilson says.
Sailsport Marine is hosting its annual Windsurfing Swap Meet and Picnic on Sunday, May 18 from 10 a.m -3 p.m. For more on the store and its offerings, check out www.sailsportmarine.com