YouTube, Instagram and co: What drives sailing influencers
Jens "Knossi" Knossalla announced his "Mission Unknown: Atlantic" project last autumn as the "biggest adventure of his life". The 38-year-old entertainer and livestreamer describes himself as the "King of the Internet" and is likely to be familiar to older TV viewers since his participation in "Let's Dance" at the latest. In the opening credits of the first of ten episodes, which can now be seen on a streaming provider, Knossalla poses the rhetorical question of what he was thinking on this "mission".
The concept of the entertainment show - and that's all it is - is simple: ten well-known video creators, who are active on various internet platforms, are loaded onto two cruising yachts and have to sail across the Atlantic. Always watched by cameras. "Big Brother" and other reality formats send their regards. Among those taking part are fitness blogger Sophia Thiel, extreme sportsman Joey Kelly and YouTuber and Ballermann singer Marc Eggers.
This might also interest you:
While some sailors initially hoped for an exciting TV series and perhaps even hoped for advertising for their own hobby, others were more sceptical. Even the first logo graphic, which depicted a sailing boat, gave rise to fears of the worst: None of those responsible for the show seemed to have noticed - or were bothered by - the fact that the boom of the boat was pointing forwards from the mast instead of aft.
The show itself was also mostly about anything but sailing. The general public didn't care. "Mission Unknown: Atlantic" made it into the top ten most viewed videos on the streaming provider several times. In the sailing scene, however, Knossalla's project was less well received. But what if influencers didn't have to be forced to sail? What if, on the contrary, they are enthusiastic sailors, often for many years, and now want to share their passion with others using a mobile phone cam and clip-on microphone?
Sailing influencers on YouTube and Instagram
- Martin Jambo: The 61-year-old is mostly a single-handed sailor. mjambo.de
- the_saltycruisers: Anaïs and Elliot present their everyday life together with their dog North.
- Anna and Malin: Two German women in their late twenties sailing around the world.
- Mozzy Sails: Especially for those interested in regattas. Here you will find tips and analyses.
- Bluehorizon_expedition: Leonie and Thilo are in their mid-twenties and sail around the world.
- alluringarctic: Sailing in the high latitudes including wintering in the ice!
- Lauren Landers: A US-American single-handed sailor travelling in blue water.
- saltybrotherssailing: Three friends on an Elan Impression 434 sailing around the world.
- sail4surf: A group of surfers sailing to find the world's best surf spots.
- Elena and Ben: A German couple travelling on their catamaran.
Sailing influencers whisk you away to paradise
People can now be seen on various platforms and channels restoring boats, embarking on blue water adventures or simply having a good time on the Baltic Sea. Admittedly, most of these sailing influencers are out and about where the sun is shining and the sea is at least a turquoise blue colour. In other words, in places where they can take their viewers away from the sometimes dreary, grey everyday life and invite them to dream.
The "sailing boys" were part of it for a long time, collecting almost 60,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 45,000 followers on Instagram with their witty travelogues. They have now closed this chapter. In August 2023, the two remaining "boys" Tim Hund and Vincent Goymann crossed their original course off Port-Saint-Louis in France and swapped life on board for life on land. While Goymann now devotes himself primarily to skiing and his studies in Innsbruck, Hund is busy refitting a "project boat".
The two have each found their own way to process their sometimes adventurous journey and all the attention they have received. Goymann wrote a book ("Segeljungs. Zwei Freunde, drei Ozeane und null Ahnung", Malik Verlag), Hund processed the more than 330 videos as well as a lot of as yet unpublished material into a cinema film with the help of producer Tobias Steinigeweg. The film is due to premiere soon.
Provide inspiration
Julia and Markus Luckeneder, alias "Sailing Insieme", also documented their journey on the video platform. "We were inspired by YouTube videos ourselves. Before we took off, we spent almost every evening for a year or two watching videos," recalls Julia Luckeneder. The law graduate and her husband then wanted to document their journey and capture their memories.
"We also hoped that we might find one or two fellow sailors through the videos and thus be able to top up our on-board funds a little," says Luckeneder. "But we didn't foresee that we would generate such a wide reach."
"If you seriously pursue the dream of sailing around the world and try to find a solution to all problems, you will succeed." Tim Dog
With around 140 videos, the Luckeneders have already attracted over 40,000 subscribers to their channel. The most popular video has been viewed almost 250,000 times. Their Instagram account has over 15,000 followers. Their presentations at trade fairs and other events regularly attract large audiences.
The love of money
What else do the "Segeljungs" and "Sailing Insieme" have in common? Both projects started when the protagonists were still beginners. Julia and Markus as well as Tim and Vince and their two co-sailors at the time plunged into the long-distance adventure without much prior knowledge. "We were real beginners when we started with the videos," recalls Julia Luckeneder. This certainly led to some "harsh" comments when they made mistakes that would not have happened to experienced sailors. Tim Hund also says that learning to sail and everything associated with it was basically the biggest challenge of their tour. He says: "We did a lot of things wrong at the beginning. For example, we didn't adhere to maintenance intervals for technology or equipment. We often had to learn the hard way."
The financial problems associated with a round-the-world voyage, supplies on board, care and maintenance of the ship and other running costs are often a topic in YouTubers' videos. Many influencers are therefore supported by their fans, usually with the help of crowdfunding campaigns. Followers can donate a monthly sum of money on the relevant platforms, which then sometimes gives them certain advantages over other viewers.
Tim Hund and Vince Goymann used this financing option for their round-the-world trip. Emely Jo Uecker and Tjark Schlegel did the same. The two are active on YouTube and Instagram as "Sailing Meera". Even though their reach is comparatively small to date with around 5,500 subscribers (YouTube) and just over 3,500 followers (Instagram), some of their posts already reach around 30,000 people. Last summer, despite working two full-time jobs, the pair travelled around the Baltic Sea for five weeks, mainly visiting destinations in Denmark and Sweden.
"What we like most about sailing is travelling from place to place. Exploring the different cities and regions has its appeal. Of course, sailing is also a lot of fun, but we also really like arriving!" Julia Luckeneder from "Sailing Insieme" sees things differently. During their blue water tour, she and her husband found the constant change of location rather annoying: "Of this whole lifestyle, we particularly like the long passages, being out on the ocean. That appeals to us more than seeing as many places as possible. Being at sea is one of the most magical aspects of life on a ship." They have long been more interested in travelling itself and the ship as a place to live, she says. Tim Hund also reports that the many visits to the authorities when they travelled to a new country were quite tiring in the long run.
Remote jobs boost the on-board coffers
In addition to fundraising, many sailing influencers also use remote jobs to finance their projects. Provided they have an internet connection, they can work from anywhere in the world, often even from a boat. Tjark Schlegel, for example, is a management consultant in the IT sector. The 30-year-old says: "During our six-week summer holiday, I only had three weeks off, unlike Emmy." He worked from the ship for the remaining three weeks. "Fortunately, my employer is fine with that kind of thing," says Schlegel, and: "It was really cool to be sitting in an anchorage in Sweden and being able to work there." Unfortunately, his 27-year-old girlfriend Emmy does not have this opportunity as an occupational therapist, he adds.
One person who takes remote working to the extreme is Kris Fothergrill. Together with his wife Shona and their four children Bella, Finn, Archie and Pippi, he sails to the most beautiful places on earth. On their 46-foot catamaran, they are always on the lookout for the best spots for kitesurfing, wingfoiling or freediving. Fothergrill works on board as an accountant.
"It's not so rare that I put on my suit for video conferences, sometimes even a tie," he says. Fothergrill has video meetings with his team or customer meetings almost every day. The children also have a set daily routine. "We usually do the productive things in the morning, so I work and my wife Shona leads the group work for the children, who are between 10 and 14 years old. The three youngest children work on the same topic every day for up to ten weeks. "They're currently working on psychology, but they've also been working on entrepreneurship, different animals, the oceans and the planets," says Kris Fothergrill.
In the afternoons, there is "time for adventure", says the skipper of the "Happy Days". Eldest daughter Bella, for example, regularly writes a blog (sailingsister.com). Among other things, the 15-year-old gives other long-distance kids tips that make life on board easier for her. In addition, each of the four children bills Kris and his wife Shona at the end of each month for their contribution to the "family business", as Kris calls it. This refers to the "Sailingwithsix" family's social media presence. Kris calls writing the invoice a "great opportunity to develop a little sense of business".
"Home is where we are together. At the moment, we see the catamaran as our home, and we don't want to change that any time soon." Kris Fothergrill
In addition to the income from their remote job as accountants and their appearances on YouTube and Instagram in particular, the family also offers their viewers the opportunity to support them via a fundraising campaign. Last but not least, the sailing family runs a small online shop with all kinds of fan merchandise.
Influencers gain expertise
Julia and Markus Luckeneder have also discovered running a mail-order business as a source of income for themselves. It is aimed at sailors who are travelling long distances in blue water areas. They sell equipment ranging from solar panels to special trade wind sails. "Even though we initially had no expertise in boatbuilding, we decided to really get to grips with the subject after paying far too much money to some marina staff in Croatia, Greece or Italy for the umpteenth time," says Julia from Sailing Insieme. "Most of the time, we weren't even satisfied with the work results of the external boat builders." This spurred them on to look more and more into the technical aspects during their trip.
With the experiences of their trip in their luggage, the two opened the "Sailing Insieme blue water shop" together. "We sold our boat, our budget was exhausted and we thought that we wanted to return to our old life and put the whole thing on a sustainable footing," she recalls. However, it didn't take them a year to decide that they wanted to sail again after all.
The two will therefore soon be setting sail again. They want to run their mail order business from the road. Modern technology makes it possible. "Our Starlink satellite communication system in particular is a great help," says Luckeneder. On the next journey with their new ship, however, they will have to be careful about which time zones they are currently in. "We can process orders and organise the dispatch of goods from on board at any time. But we always offer customers the option of a free video consultation," says the skipper.
Whether you are an active sailing influencer or a passive viewer - social media has created a win-win situation that never existed before: thanks to the support of their fans, some can pursue their passion. Fans, in turn, benefit from the experience and expertise of influencers, making it easier for them to embark on their own sailing adventures. Or, as mentioned above, they can simply be whisked away from their everyday lives for a few hours to faraway places of longing around the globe.
Interview with Leo Goolden, tipper of the "Tally Ho"
Leo Goolden bought the cutter "Tally Ho" seven years ago and documented its restoration on YouTube. With over 540,000 subscribers, he inspires young people to get involved in traditional yacht building. He talks about the success of his project, his plans for the future and his willingness to take risks.
YACHT: Leo, how do you explain your success?
Leo Goolden: That's not easy to answer, ultimately it's a mixture of many factors. A bit of luck certainly plays a role. You also have to be in the right place at the right time. We started our project on YouTube when the demand was simply there. It's also crucial to maintain a constant presence. This also includes the determination not to give up when things get challenging. The way the story is told is also important. The characters are crucial here.
You took a big risk with the project. How important was that?
I believe that people are much more risk-conscious today than they used to be. That's a good thing in many ways. But it can also discourage them from embarking on adventures. The "Tally Ho" project wasn't risky in a dangerous way, but it was a big personal risk. I embarked on the project without any guarantee of success. Not to mention that the financing was guaranteed. The fact that I was allowed to stay in America during the construction was not certain. I think the fact that I accepted the risk is reflected in the videos.
The "Tally Ho" is floating again. Does that mean the adventure is over for you?
No, it's not over yet. All we can say at the moment is that we will sail the "Tally Ho" to the UK. That's a big project, because we have to get to know the boat first. There is still a lot of work ahead of us.
You want to take part in the Fastnet race there - 100 years after the "Tally Ho" once won the race. When do you want to start?
We are planning to set off this autumn. When sailing on the high seas, you are responsible for your actions. If something goes wrong, you bear the risk yourself - that's the next adventure ahead.
