Digital - Print - Live
Harken Blockheads
Role: Brand Manager
Blockheads is a youth sailing education program launched by Harken that teaches fundamentals of sailboat rigging, tuning, and repair through multimedia content and events. The program objective is to instill the next generation with a greater sense of responsibility and ownership over the boats they sail, while also inspiring and connecting them with the broader global sailing community. The secondary objective is to introduce youth sailors to the Harken brand, positioning it as a source of knowledge and value to their sailing careers. The program has grown to 1,000+ members in the United States and is now available in Canada, Poland, South Africa, Australia, and the United Kingdom through the support of local Harken distributors.
Harkenblockheads.com is the central source for the three pillars of the program: membership, content, and events.
Membership.
Joining Blockheads is available to youth sailors under 25 years old. Each new member receives a free membership kit in the mail and the monthly Blockheads Bulletin email newsletter.
Content.
Blockheads content is designed to foster deeper connections to the sport through skills development, inspirational stories, and unique interviews.
Video has proven to be the most versatile and efficient medium for maximizing time and budget. Depending on the topic, however, there is also a mix of articles, photos, and infographics.
The Small & Mighty 150 Cam-Matic: Educational piece that uses a video and infographic to teach the history and core design principles behind one of the most ubiquitous pieces of sailing hardware.
Peter Burling on His Youth Years: Thanks to years of relationship building through Harken, we had the opportunity to sit down with Peter Burling, two-time World Sailor of the Year, to speak about important tips and advice for young sailors.
Breeze-On for Blockheads at Charleston Race Week: Harken partnered with our dealer Sail22 to field and support the only all-youth team in the highly competitive J/70 class at Charleston Race Week.
Making a 12-Strand Eye Splice: Whitney Kent of the Sheboygan Youth Sailing Center teaches the step-by-step process for creating one of the most fundamental rope splicing techniques.
Events.
Each year we identify a mix of youth sailing events to partner with. Word of mouth is an important source of credibility in the sailing market and being present at events is the best method for gaining local traction, building membership, and creating content.
