A new content partnership between Yachting New Zealand and Live Sail Die will bring a video-first storytelling series to sailing communities across the country, with the first episode set to launch in August.
Live Sail Die founder Suellen Hurling will travel New Zealand visiting clubs, classes, events and sailing communities, putting a spotlight on everyone from world champions to volunteers, race officials, coaches, boat builders and the people working behind the scenes. Content will be co-published across both organisations' websites and social media channels.
Hurling founded Live Sail Die more than 20 years ago and has built it into one of New Zealand's leading independent sailing media platforms. For Yachting New Zealand chief executive Steve Armitage, that track record made the partnership an obvious move.
"Suellen is a mainstay of New Zealand sailing and has built something genuinely special with Live Sail Die," Armitage said. "She has earned the trust and respect of sailors from every corner of our sport. She's deeply connected to the people and the stories that make sailing what it is, and she has built a loyal audience that shares that passion."
The partnership sits within a broader refresh of Yachting New Zealand's communications strategy, with a push to lift the visibility of the sport and the people who sustain it. "We want to tell more stories, celebrate more people and do it in a way that resonates with more New Zealanders," Armitage said. "Visibility matters, both for our sport and for the people who give so much to it."
For Hurling, the timing feels right. "I've spent my entire adult life telling the stories of our sport because I genuinely believe sailing has some of the best people you'll ever meet. This new partnership gives us the chance to reach further, tell bigger stories and celebrate the people who so often fly under the radar. If we can inspire someone to join a club, volunteer, race a boat or simply feel proud to be part of this community, then we've done our job."
