The Rhetorical Analysis

I started sailing when I was in my teens, after my family had bought a little weekend sailboat. One could say that I was hooked the first time I went out. It was the most fun I ever had going less than 10 miles for hour. Ever since then it’s been my dream to sail around the world. It just so happened that my career in the US Navy would also help in acquiring skills to accomplish that dream. As I grew up and meet more people all over the country, I came to realize just how few people had ever sailed or were interested in sailing. Now adays most people want the big fancy speed boat or that bass fisher with all the gadgets. The days of people sailing is slowing fading. “Today roughly 3-4 million people sail at least once per year and around 1 million sail at least seven times per year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and research by industry groups.” So how do we keep the sport of sailing around. The purpose behind US Sailing Organization is to expand the groups of which participates in the sport of sailing, by spreading awareness and desire. Which in return grows the sport and the business of sailing. One group is severely missing. “0.01% of sailing is diverse in ethnicity, gender”. So, US Sailing Organization talks to those people in their website.

The biggest way you can expand the people that are interested in Sailing is by appealing to a person through Pathos. By showing how happy people just like them can be, will have the effect that they too can be that happy doing the same activity. By showing an abundance of pictures and videos of woman and children of all ages and ethnical backgrounds all with big smiles, it’s fair to assume that families, individuals with children and woman could also go have the same kind of fun as they are having. In every section of the website from groups of young children learning to sail; Families with children cruising on the family sailboat around the world; Even women’s racing team in the Olympics. You see pictures of woman and children on sailboats, sending the message that sailing is for everyone. This is a very powerful strategy, the ability to show that sailing is for everyone will for sure expand the sport. It’s one thing to see how fun it is to sail and how everyone, including men, woman and children can do it, it’s another thing all together to learn to do it yourself.

One way is to use a Logos appeal and show a person just how easy it is to get into sailing. Again, by showing children and woman sailing, they are showing that it’s not just a man’s sport. The website is organized in a manner to reach everyone interested in all walks of life. No matter what your experience in sailing or your desire in the sport, the website is broken into sections for education, recreation, competition, and Olympics. Allowing for easy access to the individuals particular interest, they then breakdown each option in detail always mentioning that you could be a first-time sailor or an experience veteran. This easy every-set-of-the-way approach to sailing allows for the ability of woman and children to get started in different age groups, at different levels. One thing that makes them different is the fact that they are not just trying to teach people how to sail. They want to get you out there competing, they understand that having people compete will bring friends and family out also, and now additional people are getting involved with sailing. But when you are learning to sail you want to know that you are learning from the right people.

By showing a person why they should by using the Ethos appeal. They claim to be the “National Governing Body for the sport of sailing”. This statement as well as the title of their organization, the “US Sailing Organization” goes a long way to show just how big and important they are to the sport of sailing in the United States. When someone new gets involved in something they want to know that they person they are talking to is knowledgeable about the subject, and nothing like the “National Governing Body for the sport of sailing” says I know what I’m talking about, trust me. Men and woman want to know that they are getting the best information available when they are doing research. They want to know that they are learning things the right way when they are learning. When it comes to parents, they always want what’s best for their children, they want to know that their kids are getting the best that they can afford. A very reputable organization is going to provide this.

US Sailing Organization website does a good job trying to spread the knowledge of sailing while pushing desire even though “sailing in the United States has decreased in popularity over the last 40-50 years by 66%.” By supporting and promoting youth and women’s sailing schools, clubs and teams, US Sailing Organization is doing everything they can to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sport of sailing.

“The National Governing Body for the Sport of Sailing.” US Sailing, 1 June 2022, https://www.ussailing.org/.

Hemlock, Doreen. “Sailing Wanes as Baby Boomers, Millennials Find Other Ways to Play.” Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2019, https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/jobs/fl-sailboat-market-20150217-story.html.

Jenn HarknessJenn Harkness is a human being, and Jenn Harkness is a human being. “Takeaways from US Sailing Forum on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Sailing.” 48° North, 26 Aug. 2020, https://48north.com/news/takeaways-from-us-sailing-forum-on-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-sailing/.