A well-established EFVoile network
At the start of the 2023 season, the FFVoile presented some key figures on its training network, under the Ecole Française de Voile or EFVoile label. Created in 1987, the EFVoile is one of the main entry points to the practice of water sports. It comprises 380 establishments all along the French coastline. In 2022, they welcomed 1,468,828 people, including 358,484 trainees for courses lasting at least 3 days. Brittany, the South of France and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region are the most popular seaside vacation destinations.
A varied offering for yachtsmen of all ages
The image of a sailing school limited to a few sailboards, Optimists and lasers, teaching beginner children, mainly boys, is now well outdated, even if young people remain the core target. The average age of sailors is 15, and attendance was 10% higher in 2022 than pre-pandemic levels. Women account for 41% of trainees.
In addition to the classic catamarans and windsurfs, the 80,000 boats in the clubs also include wingfoils and other flying dinghies, as well as historic boats for trainees taking a calmer, more heritage-based approach to sailing.
Jobs and activity
Sailing schools, whether associative or private, rely on both permanent and seasonal staff. Of the 5435 employees identified by the FFVoile, 58% were seasonal workers in 2022, whose complex recruitment is a major challenge for sailing schools. The cumulative budget of the sailing schools is 115.9 Meuros.
