The 2019 MUSTO Skiff Annual Survey is now closed. Thank you to all of those who took the time to complete the survey.
This is the 16th annual survey issued by the MUSTO Skiff Class Association (MSCA), and it continues to be a valuable resource to guide future decisions and considerations around class events, marketing, committee activities, and the boat experience.
Below are some key insights from the survey, with a link to the results report included at the end.
Survey Overview
- 19 countries participated in the survey
- 88% of respondents own a MUSTO Skiff
- 12% of respondents represented the wider sailing community (and don’t own a MUSTO Skiff)
- 68% of respondents are MSCA members and sail a MUSTO Skiff
- 20% of respondents are not MSCA members but sail a MUSTO Skiff
- 116 completed the survey
- The majority of respondents were male
- In addition to MUSTO Skiff sailors, the wider sailing community (i.e. non-MUSTO Skiff sailors) were also invited to participate in the survey, which included a set of questions specific to this group
- The UK had the greatest representation in the 2019 survey, at 59% of all respondents.
- The remaining top 5 most represented countries included Switzerland (8%), Australia (7%), Germany (6%), and the South Africa (5%)
About the sailors
- In line with previous surveys, most sailors are in the 80 – 84 kgs weight range
- 28% are in the over 90 kgs weight range
- 11% are in the under 75 kgs weight range
- Across the 3 core age groups for sailors, all groups had a relatively even split for age
- The largest age group is 35 – 49 years (37.5%), followed by sailors in the 50 – 64 year age category (31%)
- Whilst the smallest age group is 20 – 34 years (at 27%), this younger age group rises to 30% representation when the youth sailors in the 16 – 19 years age group are included
Events & Training
- The most frequented event type is club racing with 35% attending all or most club racing events. This was followed by open meetings (at 23% attending most) and training (at 10% attending all or most)
- Most sailors were highly satisfied with the quality of training and coaching in 2019, with 50% rating the contribution from top sailors as good and 39% rating it as excellent
- Most sailors were also highly satisfied with the knowledge of coaches in 2019, with 56% rating this as good and 39% rating it as excellent
- Training continues to be valued by the class, with 85% wanting to host more training sessions in their local region
- Many MUSTO Skiff sailors also showed a desire to welcome new sailors to the class with 46% willing to loan their boat to another sailor interested in a demo of the MUSTO Skiff
2019 National Championships / EuroCup Series
- There was a good level of awareness and attendance for the 2019 National Championships / EuroCup Series
- The quality of race management was rated highly for 2019, with 56% rating this as good and 24% rating this as excellent
- The level of competition within the MUSTO Skiff fleet continues to remain high for domestic Nationals, with 67% rating the level as excellent in 2019
2019 ACO 10th MUSTO Skiff World Championships in Medemblik
- There was a good level of awareness and attendance for the 2019 ACO 10th MUSTO Skiff World Championships in Medemblik, with 46% of respondent having attended this major event
- The quality of race management was rated highly with 72% rating this as excellent
- The level of competition within the MUSTO Skiff fleet continues to remain high for World Championship events, with 96% rating the level as excellent for 2019
- Evening social events were also highly rated for the 2019 ACO 10th MUSTO Skiff World Championships in Medemblik, with 47% rating this as good and 39% rating this as excellent
Social Media Engagement
For non-MUSTO Skiff sailors:
- The most used MSCA social media channel was Facebook. Groups were used slightly more than pages for engaging with the class and obtaining class information and updates
- Twitter was the least used social media channel, with 75% stating that they had never used this channel
For MUSTO Skiff sailors:
- The International MUSTO Skiff Facebook Page was rated highly with 65% rating it as excellent or good
- The International MUSTO Skiff Twitter Page was rated as 44% good, but no ratings were given for excellent, indicating some room for improvement
- The most frequently used social media channel is the GBR MUSTO Skiff Facebook GROUP, with 52% using it always or often
- The International MUSTO Skiff Facebook PAGE and GROUP also continue to perform well with 35% and 34% respectively using it always or often
- WhatsApp – Local / Regional MUSTO Skiff Groups also proved popular with 41% using it always or often, indicating a move away from more traditional social media channels
Wider Marketing & Communications
For non-MUSTO Skiff sailors:
- The MSCA Class website remains popular, with 93% using the website within the last 12 months
- The most popular page on the MSCA Class website was used boats (16%)
For MUSTO Skiff sailors:
- The MSCA Class website continues to be popular, with 60% using it always or often and 95% using in the last 12 months
- 65% rated the class website as excellent or good
- The most popular page on the class website is ‘Events’
- The International MUSTO Skiff eNewsletters (subscribed activity) performed very well as a communication channel, with 67% rating it as excellent or good
- The 2019 EuroCup Series was also highly rated, with 82% rating this activity as excellent or good
- Local fixture planning was rated as 78% for excellent or good in 2019
About the Class & Future Events
- All MSCA Committee Members have been re-elected
- 60% of respondents stated they plan to attend 2020 National Championships / EuroCup Series
- 35% of respondents stated they plan to attend the ACO 11th MUSTO Skiff World Championships in Eckernförde, Germany (GER) in 2020
- Typically most people will only attend one international championship per year (i.e. a championship outside of their home nation)
Additional feedback shared in the survey included:
- “….The Musto Skiff class continues to be one of the friendliest, most competitive and enjoyable classes I have sailed (hence why I have now been in the class for 10 years!). Being a very challenging boat to sail, it does take some hard work and perseverance to learn to sail it well, but the openness and sharing of knowledge in the class makes this process much easier. Long may this continue….”
- “….I think Ovington do a very good job and the quality of the Ovington components is very nice….”
- “….I think the International Musto class association is doing a great job. Thank you very much for your effort. See you in Germany at the Worlds….”
- “…Great boat. Thanks committee. Thanks Ovi’s. Keep John MacAfee in class Ovi’s – he is a great guy for your company and class. Very helpful!”
- “….The class continues to attract new members while still improving the overall sailing standard, which is testament to past and present committees and class members. Keep on doing what you are doing…..”
The survey results report can be viewed here: MSCA-2019 Annual Survey_FV_Summary (PDF document)
All personal data and comments in full have been retained by the MSCA to protect the privacy of the respondents. In addition, questions that are of commercial value to Ovington Boats have been shared only with the class committee and Ovington Boats Ltd, where relevant.
