Key Words in Denmark: Innovation, Quality and Performance

This week I have the good fortune to be visiting boating industry friends in Denmark to find out what’s happening in the marine trades in what is one of the planet’s primordial sailing cultures. A small country that juts north (the Jutland Peninsula) from the German border into the North Sea, Denmark has about 5.6 million people and measures about 250 miles wide and 300 miles tall. But much of that area is water and that means the country has some 6,000 miles of coastline and some of the best cruising nooks, crannies, coastal villages and islands in Europe. With a Viking past and the appearance in the 60s of the Olympic sailing gold medalist Paul Elvstrom, this tiny nation is a world player when it comes to sailing, boat building, marine hardware and yacht design and engineering. On Monday I spent the afternoon with our friends at the BSI Group. This local company owns BSI Rigging (largest rod rigging supplier in the world), market leading folding prop Gori Propellers, adjustable prop leader Hundested, market leader Jefa steering systems, and Moonlight yacht hatches (with more than half a million sold) and learned how a small company from a small country came to dominate their market segments: innovation, quality and performance, not bargain pricing. On Tuesday, I spent the morning with the gang at Elvstrom Sails, named after founder Paul, which is now the world’s third largest yacht sail maker. These innovative wizards are pushing every envelope possible and stressing innovation, quality and performance, not only price. Tuesday afternoon, I visited with seriously up-scale yacht builder X-Yachts. They are top tier builders of cruising and racer-cruising sailboats and they are in the midst of yet another record breaking year, pushing their mantra, innovation, quality and performance. Ummm. The key words are beginning to stand out. Plus, the beer and fresh fish are amazing. More to come.