Designed for shade sail applications, Sunbrella® Contour features high durability and the ability to fit to any shape and angle. Photo: Sunbrella Fabrics Sunbrella Fabrics, Glen Raven, N.C., has announced its first shade fabric engineered for shade sail applications. Sunbrella Contour is the first knit Sunbrella shade fabric, featuring a rich texture with [...]

In a Sept. 1 press release, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) issued its evaluation of the U.S. National Park Service’s changes in the final General Management Plan (GMP) for Everglades National Park in Florida, changes that will affect recreational boating, fishing access and habitat conservation. The release said that Park Service officials worked with [...]

BoatPAC, a political action committee (PAC) for the recreational boating industry, has released a one-page document that it says “lays out what you need to know about your industry’s political action committee including how many members it supports, the issues it tackles and who can contribute.” A BoatPAC press release says that it “currently supports [...]

Entry submissions for the 2016 MFA Fabrication Excellence Awards, presented by IFAI’s Marine Fabricators Association, are due Oct. 30, 2015. Projects can be submitted into eight different categories: Powerboat Exterior-Rigid Enclosures; Powerboat-Soft Enclosures; Dodgers with Extensions; Marine Interior Upholstery; Marine Exterior Upholstery; Tops and Enclosures; Travel/Full Covers; and Miscellaneous (any marine fabric project not covered [...]

Offering an inside view of the journey to the Olympic Games, upcoming documentary “Uncharted Waters” follows the personal stories of 11 US Sailing Team Sperry athletes working toward a spot on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams that will compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Made possible by Glen Raven, N.C.-based Sunbrella® [...]

Nationwide sales of recreational boats were up more than 5 percent in July according to data compiled by Michigan-based Statistical Surveys Inc. The statistics were based on “estimates from 30 states representing 70 percent” of the boat market. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the popularity of personal watercraft and jet boats are fueling some of [...]

Clear-vinyl developer Strataglass LLC. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has named Dino Urena to its sales and engineering team. Urena brings more than 25 years of domestic and international experience in technical sales and specialty market development focusing on polymer technology. He holds an MBA degree in information systems and computer science from Shenandoah University and [...]

Sally Helme, publisher of Bonnier Corp.’s Cruising World and Sailing World magazines, was honored with the 2015 Leadership in Women's Sailing Award. Presented by National Women’s Sailing Association and the Boat Owners Association of the United States, the honor recognizes an individual with a record of achievement in inspiring, educating, and enriching the lives of [...]

Francesco Schettino, the former captain of the Coast Concordia cruise ship that capsized along Italian island of Giglio in 2012, has written about the disaster in a new 600-page book that promises to give his version of the story. The wreck killed 32 people. In February, Schettino was sentenced to 16 years in prison after [...]

The Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) will conduct its Mid-Atlantic Regional Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Costa Marine Canvas in Egg Harbor City, N.J. Chris Costa of Costa Marine Canvas will host the workshop at the Egg Harbor City facility, which was recently upgraded with integrated solar technologies. Topics covered at the MFA workshop include [...]