Drake and Nelson, Chichester and Alec Rose...
Sailing has become Britain's biggest leisure industry with a turnover of £60-million a year, yet Britain's yachtsmen-from the men who own ocean racers worth thousands of pounds down to the smallest family sailor-are at the mercy of an industry run by hundreds of small firms, many of whom are inefficient or are in the business for the fun of the game. It's tough on the sailor whose only concern is to sail for pleasure. He wants the kind of service at the kind of price that only efficiency can give.
Brian Widlake talks to yachtsmen, both famous and unknown; to manufacturers, large and small; and arrives at conclusions which may be unpalatable to the industry but which, in the end, everyone whose pleasure and business is sailing will have to consider seriously if the water around us is to be used as it should-as part of our relaxation and heritage.
(Colour)

The LSD of seafaring
The Money Programme tonight at 9.5 looks at sailing. For centuries the British have been going down to the sea in ships, but never in the numbers they are today. Sailing has become Britain's biggest leisure industry with a turnover of £60-million a year